vanilla banana bundt cake

well.  heeeey fit friends!  i took a teeny, tiny break and recharged my blogging batteries and to put max effort into something i’m ridiculously crazy excited about.  6 days from now a dream that dropped into my spirit back in 2012 will become a reality.  like, in real life!!!  God continues to blown my entire mind throughout this process.  i’m celebrating early with this here dairy-free, flour-free, low-sugar cake healthy vanilla banana bundt cake! 

like you ever need a reason to eat cake tho. 

i can say with full confidence that we (mostly me lol) are transitioning into a completely dairy-free household and it has never been easier these days.  sooooo many options and alternatives out there now vs when i was growing up.  heck, even just a few short years ago.  that said, let’s talk about this super easy, non-dairy, 2 ingredient vanilla pb icing first 

i took some So Delicious Coco Whip (i suggest using the regular version and not the light…it’s way too airy and doesn’t set as well) 

and mixed it with this Peanut Butter & Co Vanilla powdered pb I walked up on randomly and couldn’t leave the grocery store without. 

i combined a tub of the Coco Whip with about 2 heaping tbps of the powdered pb.

add more or less depending on your taste buds! i didn’t want the pb flavor to overpower the cake, so that amount was perfect. set it in the fridge and get crackin’ on the cake.

Vanilla Banana Bundt Cake

a dairy-free, flour-free, low-sugar healthy treat for my peanut butter & banana lovers!

Servings 12 | Prep Time 10 | Cook Time 30

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup oat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup ripe, mashed bananas
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dairy-free vanilla coffee creamer
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup agave nectar

Servings: 12

Instructions

1. preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. combine oats, soda, powder, cinnamon, & salt well. (if you are making your own oat flour, add everything to your blender and blend until combined). dump into a large mixing bowl.

3. in a medium mixing bowl, combine agave nectar, coconut oil, bananas, creamer, vanilla, and eggs well.

4. add the wet ingredients onto the top of the dry ingredients. fold gently yet quickly until just combined.

5. pour mixture into your greased or non-stick coated bundt pan

6. bake for approx 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean

Recipe Notes

let cool completely before inverting onto a flat plate.

i usually put my pan into the fridge to speed up the process if need be!  #cantwait

coat cake with icing and top with pecans (optional) 

adapted from here. 

this is it, fit friends!  i’ll be settled in a new blogging space the next recipe you see from me  enjoy and TAG me on Insta or Facebook if you make this! 

Vegan Coconut Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

cut off t-shirts...the secret to muscle gains ;) . that's it.  a participant actually cut this shirt for me right before our Zumba half-time performance this past monday during the Rockets game (yeah haven't gotten that post up yet, whoops) and now i want to do all my lifting shirts this way! will have to YouTube a tutorial for sure.  after Barbell Strength class this morning i did back & biceps on my own before starting my day.

whenever i see these baby 1 lb weights on the rack i think about how cute they would be for my future mini me. baby fever strikes again! i've never seen anyone actually use them (other than for a door stop) but aren't they adorable??

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on my last grocery trip, i got a few of these StarKist Tuna Creations from Walmart.  i devoured the Sweet & Spicy and Herb & Garlic flavors a few days ago and finished the Hickory Smoked tuna today. all three were tasty!  love me some portable protein!  someone on IG said they have a Ranch flavor and i sure wish i had seen it at my Wally World.  i'm on the hunt for it.

they are already packed with a ton of flavor, but to the Sweet & Spicy one i added:

• raisins
• boiled egg whites
• green onion
• Grey Poupon Mild & Creamy Dijon Mustard (calorie-free)
• cracked black pepper
• red pepper flakes
• sweet smoked paprika

and topped a few raw red bell pepper slices for lunch one day.  again, it didn't even need all the hoopla!  i usually add all those ingredients to regular, unflavored tuna though.  try it and lemme know what cha think.

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what did i end up doing with this overripe bunch of bananas?  i found a WINNER:

Vegan Coconut Banana Bread Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

say that 3 times fast!  soooooo, vegan desserts have completely won me over.  i have committed myself to creating way more of them.  i've had a handful of moms contact me about making tasty food for their kiddos with specialty diets, and dairy-free is usually at the top of their list (for the parent's diet too).  i understand completely cause bloating = :( . i found Minimalist Baker surfing the net one day and saw about a quadrillion recipes of theirs i wanted to try.  most vegan dessert recipes i've come across contain a bajillion ingredients, like forreal.  i get discouraged myself just scrolling through them.  that's another reason i like Minimalist Baker though, hence the name! simple, tasty, and they use as few ingredients possible.  busy moms appreciate that too!  i know i do.  anywaaaaaay, this recipe is oil-free, egg-free, wheat-free, diary-free and still tastes freaking AMAZING.  that's always my first concern when all the 'good' stuff is missing from a recipe, ha. i found and adapted this recipe from another healthy site i came across during cardio recently, Ambitious Kitchen.  these do NOT disappoint your taste buds or your waistline.  now that's my kinda dessert!!  all things in moderation though, yall.

no apologies...my nails are the last thing on my to-do list these days. actually they never even make the list. 

moist, delectable, and HEALTHY! 

go ahead, get PIN-happy! i'll wait :)

ok i'm done. ready?

Vegan Coconut Banana Bread Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

the stuff:

• 2 cups gluten-free oat flour (make your own...i used rolled oats + Ninja Blender)
• 1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats, un-blended (just for texture)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup honey or light agave nectar
• 3 medium ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 heaping tbsp unsweetened toasted coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chunks

topping:

• 1/2 tsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbsp dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chunks, melted
• 1 heaping tbsp toasted coconut flakes (optional...but that crunch and toasted flavor is everything)

do this:

1. pre-heat oven to 350 degrees & coat baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
2. oat flour: place oats into blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour.
3. transfer oat flour to a medium bowl and add: 1/4 rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
4. throw bananas, vanilla, applesauce, and honey into blender; blend 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy
5. add wet mixture to oat flour mixture and mix until just combined
6. gently fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chunks
7. pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly with rubber spatula
8. bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean
9. let cool for 10 min.
10. prepare drizzle by adding 2 tablespoons of chocolate chunks + coconut oil in microwave safe bowl. microwave on high 30 seconds; stir well to combine then drizzle over the top of bars.  sprinkle toasted coconuts over bars. cut into 16 bars and serve it UP!

***NUTRITIONAL STATS( per 1 bar): 98 calories, 18g carbs, 4g fat,  2g protein, 10g sugar***

LOVE AT FIRST BITE!

make these, take a pic, then TAG ME on IG or Facebook and let me know what you thought of this treat!

Q: what are some of your favorite IG accounts to follow for recipes?  please share!

le

but did you die? + dairy-free banana fudge bomb pops

the first time i saw that meme on IG... instant tears. ooooh, spinning. the class i hate to love and love to hate.  i still remember taking my very first cycle class at 24HF years ago. i was drenched in sweat from head to toe like WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.... *blank stare*.  i looked like i had just taken a dip in the pool, fully clothed.

Miko and i made it through again though!  i do believe the seat is more uncomfy the next few times after the initial time.  the 'it gets worse before it gets better.' phrase applies here.  wheeeeew, God bless spin instructors everywhere. i know you get used to it after a while but because i'm in the adjusting phase again it's definitely the discomfort talking. #seasonalcycler

  broken vajayjay.... but did you die? LOL #almost

colorful plates make my face and tummy HAPPY. i planned on baking meatballs this week but got lazy (hungry) and whipped up my lean apple-chicken  on Nature's Own Whole Wheat bread  with cheddar almond cheese instead. i still have Honey Crisp apples around from making homemade apple sauce, so i subbed one of those for the Red DelicicvVous apple my recipe calls for. i threw some steamed green beans, raw golden bell peppers w/ roasted red pepper hummus, and blackberries on the side.

 after making those chocolate coconut pb cups the other day, i got to thinking about other layered desserts and those classic banana fudge bomb pops came to mind. i used to LOVE getting them from the ice cream truck when i was a kid.  so i went for a healthier, dairy-free version!  Chiso gobbled his up, so i count it as a success!  I'd love them to be a little creamier, so i'm going to add some Skinny Tru Whip to the batters before freezing next time. make and try them with your kiddos!

Dairy-free Banana Fudge Bomb Pops

the stuff:

banana layer

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk

fudge layer

• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Mega Chunks
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk

do this:

1. blend bananas and milk in blender until smooth
2. add chocolate chips and milk to a microwave safe bowl and nuke it for 15 seconds at a time until chunks are completely melted. incorporate this together until smooth.
3. add banana layer 1 to your popsicle trays filling them only 1/3 of the way full
4. freeze for 15 minutes
5. take out of freezer and add the chocolate layer, leaving room for banana layer 2 near the top
6. freeze for 15 minutes
7. take out of freezer and fill trays to the brim with banana layer 2. insert popsicle tops/sticks and put back into freezer for at least 1 hr or more.

* running hot water over the popsicle trays first helps them to pop out easier when you're ready to eat them by the way*

 feel free to make as many layers as you'd like!  more layers = more prep time though and your little one might keep asking 'is it ready yet!?'

the boys and i finally got to hang out with and take an #usie with this amazingly sweet woman this week!  Adaeze is a long-time blog follower of mine (like she has been there from THE jump), a former 6 Pack USA client, and a newlywed (woo hoo!). it was a true pleasure chatting with her!!! she has such a genuine, gentle spirit a big beautiful smile to go with it.  i'm grateful for all her support over the years <3

Q. what exercise do you HATE doing but feel so dang unstoppable when you finish?  

le