Bran Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Bran Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Bread
Bran Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Bread

Bran Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Bread

A wholesome tasty banana bread filled with lots of good-for-you ingredients including bran, whole wheat flour, bananas, yogurt, chocolate chips and coconut.

Banana bread is one of my favorite things so I’m always experimenting with different recipes and flavor combinations. This one is slightly adapted from a muffin recipe in 750 Best Muffin Recipes: Everything from breakfast classics to gluten-free, vegan and coffeehouse favorites, a wonderful cookbook for muffin lovers from the talented Camilla Saulsbury.

(Since reading several years ago that quick bread and muffin recipes are virtually the same and interchangeable, I’ve been having fun mixing things up.)

This not-too-sweet bread baked up moist and delicious. Using mini chocolate chips helps insure you get a taste of chocolate in every bite. Adding the coconut was my idea. I love it’s chewy sweetness. But you could always leave it out if you prefer.

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookies with Salted Peanuts Recipe

Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookies with Salted Peanuts
Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookies with Salted Peanuts & Milk

WW Chocolate Chip Cookies with Salted Peanuts & Milk

I can’t imagine life without a warm-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie (or two) every now and again. Can you?

The good news is that when you follow the Weight Watchers Program, it’s possible to indulge in cookies and still lose weight and keep it off. Recipes, like this one for chocolate chip cookies with salted peanuts from the Weight Watchers PointsPlus Best Darn Food Ever Cookbook (140 Comfort Classics) are part of the secret. The recipe turns out 24 crunchy chocolaty cookies with just 2 PointsPlus each.

With fewer chocolate chips and less butter than traditional chocolate chip cookies, these are lower in calories and fat, but you’d never guess it. (Using mini chocolate chips helps distribute chocolate goodness more evenly so you get more with less.)

When you’re in need of a sweet treat, why not whip up a batch of these Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookies with Salted Peanuts and watch how quickly they disappear. (At least they did around here :-) )

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Easy Weight Watchers Friendly Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

Skinny Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
Skinny Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

Skinny Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

Here’s a great quick and easy chocolate cake made Weight Watchers friendly with just 4 PointsPlus value. Moist and delicious, this easy chocolate chip snack cake begins with a 9-ounce box of chocolate cake mix (the kind designed to make 12 cupcakes) and bakes in an 8-inch square pan, perfect when you want a little cake.

(If you can’t find a 9 ounce cake mix, just use half of a regular 18.25-ounce box instead.)

Betty Crocker Snackin’ Cake Ad Image Source: Flickriver.com

 

Remember those quick and easy stir together Betty Crocker cake mixes from the 1970s that even included inside the box a cardboard pan to bake it in? They were called Snackin’ Cake and came in a variety of flavors. I loved Snackin’ Cake!

Well, this chocolate cake is practically as easy and a whole lot lighter!

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Skinny Chocolate Coconut Cake Mix Cookie Bars

Plate of lighter chocolate coconut cake mix bar cookies
Tower of Chocolate Coconut Cake Mix Bar Cookies

Skinny Chocolate Coconut Cake Mix Bar Cookies

Don’t these skinny chocolate coconut cake mix bar cookies look yummy? They are incredibly easy and delicious with only 3 PointsPlus value too! When you’re craving a sweet chocolate treat, these easy chocolate cake mix bar cookies will do the trick.

My brother, Peter, and I recently published our first eCookbook – Easy Cake Mix Bar Cookies: 25 Tried and True Recipes - in conjunction with our cookie website, Best Ever Cookie Collection.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a longtime  recipe collecting fanatic and cookie lover, who enjoys the occasional kitchen shortcut, especially when it comes to cookie baking. I discovered how quick and easy it was to make cookies using a cake mix a couple of years ago and have been enjoying experimenting with them ever since.

I’m also a lifetime member of Weight Watchers who still tracks (most days) how many PointsPlus values I’m taking in, so now I’m working to calculate the nutrition and Weight Watchers PointsPlus information for all 25 bar cookie recipes in the book. As soon as it’s complete, I will post it here for all who are interested.

The good thing about cookies, is that they are naturally portion-controlled, making them a good choice for those of us who struggle with our weight and overeating.

I’m also experimenting with ways to make the cake mix cookie and bar cookie recipes in the eCookbook lighter and healthier.

This recipe for skinny chocolate coconut cake mix bar cookies was my first attempt and it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself!

They definitely looked a little underdone when I pulled the pan from the oven. But when it comes to  baking brownie and bar cookies,  it’s better to err on the underdone (not overdone) side, especially if you like your bar cookies soft and chewy. (If you bake them too long they will be dry and hard – not what you want!)

Skinny Chocolate Coconut Cake Mix Bar Cookies

Skinny Chocolate Coconut Cake Mix Bar Cookies

This is a super simple basic recipe that you can modify dozens of ways depending on what flavor of cake mix and kinds of mix-ins you choose.

For this attempt, I chose a package of chocolate cake mix because that was what was in the pantry. Since I love the combination of chocolate and coconut (think Mounds candy bar)  - I stirred in some sweetened flaked coconut, white chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chips. And I had a bottle of coconut extract in the cupboard, so added a little for good measure.

I lightened up the recipe for these chocolate coconut cake mix bar cookies by cutting back on the oil and using some nonfat Greek yogurt in it’s place. And I used fewer mix-ins, since they can be calorie heavy.

Everyone who got to try them gave them a hearty thumbs up.

Do you have a favorite bar cookie flavor combination? Oh, please tell!

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Skinny Chocolate Banana Muffins

Skinny Chocolate Banana Muffins
Skinny Chocolate Banana Muffins

Skinny Chocolate Banana Muffins

Healthy banana muffins with a double dose of chocolate. All I can say is YUM.

I’m always on the lookout for new ways to use up the over ripe bananas that invariably end up languishing on the counter.  I can’t stand to toss them away.

Banana bread is the obvious solution. Even easier is to peel them and then toss them into a ziplock bag for the freezer so they are there when I want a healthy smoothie.

This weekend I was ready to turn my way-too-ripe bananas into something more special: chocolate banana muffins.

Muffins are  a favorite, but I don’t often indulge in them during the week, preferring to keep them as a weekend treat – especially when they contain chocolate!

These skinny chocolate banana muffins have just 5 WW PointsPlus Value, making them a manageable indulgence. They could defintely work as dessert in my book, especially if dusted with a little confectioners sugar or drizzled with a bit of icing.

They are at their best still warm from the oven, but will stay moist and tempting for a few days, particularly if you reheat them  in a warm oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Skinny Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

Low Fat Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
Skinny Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

Skinny Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

I love the combination of bananas and chocolate. It’s one I never get tired of. And I often end up with an overripe banana or two sitting on the counter to experiment with.

What do you do with overripe bananas?

The first thing that usually pops into my head when considering ripe banana recipes is banana bread. (I’ve never claimed to be particularly creative.) So, my initial thought was to add chunks of dark chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips to a loaf. But then I decided to try  to come up with lighter healthier banana chocolate chip bars instead.

I checked a few cookbooks and websites and decided to adapt a recipe for banana chocolate chips squares from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Cookbook.

To make them lighter and healthier, I reduced the amount of butter called for and increased the bananas to compensate. Then I fiddled with a few other minor changes, including adding a handful of coconut.

The verdict?

These banana coconut chocolate chip bars are tasty, moist and delicious, but turned out more cake like than I would have liked. They definitely get better with time, so I strongly urge you to try and let them sit overnight before cutting and serving them. The next time I make them, I’m going to see what I can do to make make them bit more dense and blondie-like.

The family seems to approve of them because they are disappearing quickly :-)

[Read more...]

Simple Banana Cake Recipe – 6 Points+

Simple Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Simple Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Simple Banana Cake with Chocolate Chips

Here is a simple banana cake recipe using a cake mix that is easy and delicious. It can be baked either in a 9×13-inch pan or in a bundt pan (my preference).

Rod is having a slice with ice cream and just declared it “one of the best” banana cakes ever; hearty praise from a true cake lover!

The purist in me wishes cakes made from scratch with whole wheat flour and other more wholesome ingredients were met with such excitement, but sadly they’re not. I still prefer simple cakes made from scratch, but I’m definitely outnumbered and the savvy realist within me admits that cake mix recipes often turn out better than from scratch cakes. They are more consistent, with better texture, especially when you know how to “doctor them up.” And in the final analysis, life is too short to eat anything less than delicious cake.

Have I mentioned that I am a huge fan of Anne Byrn, The Cake Mix Doctor? Everything I’ve ever made from her cookbooks has turned out great, but I’ve been reluctant to admit it, until I learned that Jamie Lee Curtis recently declared The Cake Mix Doctor her favorite cookbook on the Rachel Ray Show!

This recipe is from The Cake Mix Doctor Returns!. I made a few changes to the original recipe to lighten it up and make it a little more Weight Watchers friendly. I omitted the additional 1/4 cup of sugar called for since cake mixes are plenty sweet for us, replaced the sour cream with plain nonfat yogurt and increased it by 1/4 cup, and decreased the oil by 1/4 cup.  I also added 2 tablespoons of flour which is a trick my mother learned from her Home Ec teacher decades ago to help cake mix cakes be less crumbly.

With a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar, a slice has a 6 WW PointsPlus Value, which really isn’t so bad for something so sweet and delicious.

When baking banana breads and banana cakes, be sure to use really really over-ripe bananas. They are sweeter and provide much better flavor.

Simple Banana Cake Recipe

A simple and delicious banana cake that begins with a mix.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 50 minutes
Yield:  20 servings

Ingredients

Vegetable oil spray for coating the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 cup mashed bananas (from 2 or 3 very ripe bananas)
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1 cup (6 ounces) miniature chocolate chips
2 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar, for dusting on top

Preparation Instructions

Position an a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 13×9 inch metal cake pan (or bundt pan) with vegetable oil spray. Dust with flour, shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.

In a large mixing bowl, place the mashed bananas, cake mix,flour, oil, yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat on medium speed until the mixture lightens and is smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes longer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, if necessary. Stir in the chocolate chips.( If you are intending to bake the cake in a bundt pan, stir in the pecans too, if you are using them.)

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Smooth out the top with a rubber spatula. If you are baking the cake in a 9×13-inch pan, scatter the pecans (if using) evenly over the top and place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until is deeply golden brown on top and the top springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 43 to 48 minutes (50 to 55 minutes for a bundt cake). Remove the cake from the oven and immediately sift the confectioners sugar over the top so that it melts to form a glaze. Let the cake cook for 20 minutes, then slice and serve while still a little warm.  (If you are using a bundt pan, allow it to cool for about 10 minutes, then turn it out of the pan and sprinkle with the sugar.)

Storage: Store this cake, covered, at room temperature for up to three days or for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Estimates Per Serving (1 slice): 229 calories, 12 g fat, 27.6 g carbs, 0.8 g fiber, 3.2 g protein and 6 WW PointsPlus Value

PS – Anne has a new The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free cookbook coming out in December. (It’s already on my wish list at Amazon.)

Related Posts

Skinny Low Fat Chocolate Cake Recipes – from my files and other blogs and websites with WW PointsPlus Values
Easy Healthy Low Fat Pumpkin Cake Recipes - from my files and other blogs and websites with WW PointsPlus Values
Healthy Harvest Fresh Apple Cake Recipe - an easy, skinny from scratch cake with 6 WW PointsPlus Value

If you are serious about baking bundt cakes, it is worth investing in a high quality Bundt Pan like this one from Nordic Ware.

15 Recipes for Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Is it possible to occasionally indulge in healthy chocolate chip cookies that taste good?

Yes, and I have gathered more than a dozen recipes for healthier chocolate chip cookies to prove it. Prefer cookie bars? Here’s a yummy recipe for Low-Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with only 3 WW PointsPlus that will make you swoon.

Many “healthy cookies” don’t taste very good and, in my opinion, just aren’t worth the calories.

After a lifetime of weight struggles, I’ve learned that I would rather have a small tasty cookie every now and again than a bunch of tasteless substitutes, even if they are purported to be healthy.

I am a survivor of the “Snackwells” era, where I somehow was convinced I could eat boxes of these tasteless wonders without guilt.

I only managed to gain weight while getting zero satisfaction!

[Read more...]