Banana Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Bread

When I made these Banana Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins, I decided to use the same recipe and tweak it a bit to make Banana Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Bread!

It is just absolutely yummy!  The banana bread was moist and delish, and that cream cheese center is such a treat!

Ingredients:

Bread

• 1 egg
• ½ c brown sugar
• ¼ c sugar
• ½ c butter, softened
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1 c flour
• ½ t baking soda
• ½ tn baking powder
• 1 c chocolate chips

Filling

• 1 egg
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c sugar
• 3 T flour

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Combine egg, sugars, butter, and vanilla in a bowl.
• Add in bananas.
• Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda. 
• Mix in chocolate chips.
• In a separate bowl, mix together egg, cream cheese, sugar, and flour.
• In a prepared 9x5 loaf pan, pour half of batter, spread cream cheese filling onto batter, and top with remaining bread batter.  
• Bake for approximately 50 minutes.

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Banana Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins

With overripe bananas on hand (again!), I decided to make some muffins - Banana Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins!  I found a recipe for banana cream cheese muffins, and decided to throw in some chocolate chips (because chocolate makes everything better!).

It was such a yummy treat - moist and delicious!

Banana Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

Bread

• 1 egg
• ½ c brown sugar
• ¼ c sugar
• ½ c butter, softened
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1 c flour
• ½ t baking soda
• ½ tn baking powder
• 1 c chocolate chips

Filling

• 1 egg
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c sugar
• 3 T flour

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Combine egg, sugars, butter, and vanilla in a bowl.
• Add in bananas.
• Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda. 
• Mix in chocolate chips.
• In a separate bowl, mix together egg, cream cheese, sugar, and flour.
• In a prepared muffin tin, scoop bread batter into each cup, top with a scoop of cream cheese filling, then top with more bread batter.  
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.

You can find the original recipe here on Tasty.

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Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Bake

While we were hunkered down at home during the Hurricane Lane threat, I did a lot of baking.  One of the dishes I made was Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Bake.  I needed to use up blueberries, and I also wanted to make something that would go well with ice cream, since we had a 5 quart bucket of vanilla ice cream that needed to be eaten up as well.

Whether you eat it for breakfast, dessert, with ice cream, or without, it's quite yummy!  A great way to use up blueberries and bananas!

Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Bake

Ingredients:

• 3 medium bananas, sliced into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 1/2 c blueberries
• 1/4 c honey
• 1 c uncooked quick oats
• 1/4 c chopped walnuts 
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 3/4 t cinnamon
• 1 c soy milk
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375° F. 
• Arrange the banana slices into a single layer on the bottom of prepared 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish.
• Sprinkle half of the blueberries over the bananas, 1/4 tsp of the cinnamon, and 1 tbsp of the honey.
• Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. 
• In a medium bowl, combine the oats, half of nuts, baking powder, and remaining cinnamon.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining honey, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
• Pour oat mixture over the bananas and blueberries once done baking.
• Pour milk mixture evenly over the oats.
• Sprinkle remaining blueberries and walnuts on top.
• Bake for 30 minutes.

You can find the original recipe here on Skinny Taste.

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Frozen Banana Pops

My banana-loving middle son suddenly announced he no longer likes bananas.

Having just bought two big bunches of bananas, I did not want the bananas to go to waste!

I had no desire or energy to bake, so I decided to make Frozen Banana Pops - something I've been wanting to make for quite a while.

Just take some melted chocolate (I used 1 cup chocolate chips + 1 T shortening; microwaved on high for 30 seconds), dip a lollipop stick in the chocolate, and insert into half a banana.

Pour chocolate onto 2/3 of each banana pop.

Sprinkle with your favorite toppings - I used the following:

Crushed M&M's

Crushed OREOs

Chopped Walnuts

White Chocolate Chips

Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Chocolate and Granola-Covered Banana Pops

These Chocolate and Granola-Covered Banana Pops are an easy, yummy treat to make for an after school snack, or even dessert!

 All you do is dip 1-inch slices of banana into melted chocolate, and cover with granola!

I sliced up two bananas, and dipped in 3 squares of melted almond bark (microwaved on high for 60 seconds; I still had lots of chocolate left over, so you could try and melt just 2 squares).  I then used a 1/4 cup of granola to sprinkle on each pop.

Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Easy!

The granola gives a nice texture to the yummy banana pops!

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Banana "Ice Cream"

I've seen many photos online of Banana Ice Cream (or "Nice Cream"), but it wasn't until recently I finally decided to give it a try, just in time for National Ice Cream Month.

All you need is one ingredient - bananas!

That's right - just one ingredient!

I simply sliced 2 bananas, froze them overnight, and blended them until it was a soft-serve consistency.

You can eat it as is, or freeze the bananas for at least another hour for a firmer "ice cream."

So simple, healthy and refreshing!

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One Bowl Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips & Raisins

Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Raisins

Although we've posted numerous banana bread and banana muffin recipes on Hawaii Mom Blog, I want to add one more to the blog, as this one is really quick and easy, and best of all, you can make it in one bowl.  Here's how:

Mash 6 overripe apple bananas (or 5 regular overripe bananas) in a bowl. Add 1 stick and 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the smashed bananas.  Mix in 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, 2 tablespoons of brewed coffee, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, a pinch of salt, 3 cups of flour, a handful of whatever goodies you want to mix into your muffins (I like to use raisins and chocolate chips).  Pour into prepared or lined muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.  No mixer required, and clean up is a breeze!

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes.

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Banana Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting

I don't know why - it's like we never learn - but we always end up buying too many bananas, and they always end up overripe!

I wanted to try a different kind of recipe with the bananas, since I've already tried making muffins, bars, bread, and even cookies.

I decided to make Blondies after seeing this recipe on Cookies and Cups.

I topped the Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting and Chopped Walnuts, and they were amazing!

It's definitely one of my new favorite recipes!

Banana Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting (slightly adapted from Cookies and Cups)

Ingredients:

• ½ c butter, melted 
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1½ t vanilla
• ¼ t salt
• 1 c flour
• 2 mashed bananas 
• 1 c chopped walnuts

Brown Sugar Frosting

• ¼ c butter
• ½ c brown sugar
• 2 T milk
• 1 c powdered sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. 
• Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, combined melted butter and sugar.  
• Mix in egg and vanilla.
• Stir in salt, flour and banana.
• Spread evenly in prepared pan.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• Cool completely before frosting (see recipe directions for frosting below).
• Top with walnuts.

Brown Sugar Frosting:

• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter.
• Stir in brown sugar and milk.
• Mix in powder sugar and whisk until smooth.

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