Recipe: BLW Banana French Toast (Gluten Free and Added Sugar Free)

Perfect for babies and toddlers, this BLW Banana French Toast Sticks Recipe is gluten free, quick, easy, healthy, refined sugar free and absolutely delicious!

Before you go thinking I'm some kind of super mama that is baking french toast first thing in the morning, think again.... because this is one of my go-to meal prep recipes to have as a quick breakfast (or lunch!) option for Jensen.

If you've got time/energy in the morning, it's simple enough to make right away - but if you're like me and don't, it's the perfect meal prep recipe to make, freeze and reheat. 

These Banana French Toast are one of Jensen's favourite breakfast options - and were especially a hit when he first started solids as he loved feeding hinself. 

Served up with some yogurt and nut butter, it's a delicious easy breakfast with some added nutrients from flaxseeds and hemp seeds. Of course, when you're first starting solids be sure to try all of the different allergens separately, as this recipe combines many of the major allergens.

POST BREAK FOR THE CUTEST THROWBACK PHOTO EVER 😍

This was the first time I made these banana french toast sticks for Jensen.

But it's not just for babies! Whilst this banana french toast is perfect for baby led weaning, it's a delicious breakfast recipe with no added sugar that the whole family will enjoy. 

Serve it with yogurt and a side of fruit, dip it in peanut butter or maple syrup, drizzle over nutella for something decadent - the choice is yours!

So let me share the recipe with you >> 

Recipe: BLW Friendly Weetbix Banana Muffins (Gluten Free and Sugar Free)

A baby led weaning friendly recipe, these Weetbix Banana Muffins Recipe is sugar free, gluten free and so easy to make. A BLW fave that babies, toddlers and the whole family will love.

Life with an eight month old is hectic. 

With Jensen now on a mission to walk, he's climbing everything he can which means I can't take my eyes off him for a second. 

My beautiful shaker door cabinets have become finger holds for a baby who seems to think he's some kind of daredevil free climber. If he's not climbing, he's crab crawling through the house at lighting speed, untying shoelaces or chasing toys around.

And if he's not on the move, he's probably eating because oh boy does this kid love his food!

Muffins have become a recent favourite - both as entertainment (Jensen is fascinated with watching me cook) and as a snack and they've been perfect for taking with us on the go. From the zoo to the shopping centre and soon to be taken with us on our vacation, these muffins are the perfect portable snack for both baby and Mum and Dad. 

As a baby friendly recipe, they don't contain any added sugars - but you could easily add some sweetener (maple syrup or sugar) if you have an older baby or just want a sweeter muffin.

Best of all, these muffins use up the weetbix crumbs you get at the bottom of the box - and are great if, like us, you only have one weetbix eater in the family and want to use them up before they go stale.

We use gluten free weetbix for these muffins so that I can eat them to, but you can just as easily use regular weetbix. 

The recipe is also super adaptable. We add chia seeds, flaxseeds and almond meal to ours, but you can swap that out for more flour or mix through hemp seeds, raisins or whatever you like.

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

Recipe: Cinnamon Streusel Topped Banana Bread (Gluten Free!)

Banana Bread gets an upgrade with this Cinnamon Streusel Topped recipe! Crunchy, delicious and gluten free too, you may not be able to make homemade banana bread without a cinnamon streusel topping again!  A melt and mix family fave recipe that will have your house smelling divine!

The lockdown days just keep stretching on here in Sydney, but we're trying to make the most of it. 

Our weekends are spent ticking off to-do lists with projects around the house and we're making the most of extra time spent at home by trying out new recipes and baking yummy treats. 

This banana bread is one of those treats.

As it bakes away in the oven, your house will be filled with the buttery, cinnamony scent of this delicious banana bread.... but be warned!

The delicious smell will having you pacing in front of the oven, waiting for it to bake. Tummy rumbling, you'll be counting down the seconds til you can try your first piece.

But let me share the recipe with you >> 

Melt and Mix Banana Bread Recipe (Gluten Free!)

A simple one bowl recipe, this Gluten Free Melt and Mix Banana Bread Recipe will become a family favorite with ingredients you already have at home and a few simple steps. Two ripe bananas are all you will need to make this delicious treat that is perfect for breakfast, snacks or dessert.

It has been a long time between recipes here on Southern In Law, but between growing a baby and renovating our kitchen, things have been a little bit chaotic (and nauseating).

However, the kitchen is now complete (full update and before and afters coming very soon!) and I can finally eat like a regular human again so I wanted to share a recipe that's quick, easy and seriously delicious.

Banana Bread is always a winner in our house, but especially if the recipe is a simple one - using ingredients we already have at the house and whipped together without too much effort.

This Gluten Free Melt and Mix Banana Bread Recipe is a one bowl recipe that doesn't require getting the mixer or food processor out and will fill your house with the delicious scent of freshly baked banana bread.

So let me share it with you >> 

Recipe: Easy Blender Banana Muffins (Gluten Free!)

Sometimes simple recipes are the best recipes - and this one is one of my favourites.

Whilst I love thick and hearty slices of banana bread, my favourite kind of banana muffins are actually more like cupcakes.

Light, fluffy and... dare I say it... moist.

This Easy Blender Banana Muffin Recipe ticks all of those boxes and more - and you don't need a mixer!

Whizzing up the bananas in the blender or food processor is the secret to these soft and fluffy muffins and they'll take you just minutes to make.

So let me share them with you! >> 

Recipe: Gluten Free Banana Crumble Cake

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

Bananas just don't last in our house. 

Usually they're gobbled up before they can even settle in the fruit bowl. 

You'd think that's a good thing, right? Well... you'd be wrong... 

You see, I purposely overbuy bananas in the hopes of making banana bread - but apparently, that just means we increase banana consumption levels to match.

And all this girl wants is some spotty brown bananas.

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

Luckily or not so luckily, Jesse has been working interstate quite a lot over the past few months which has meant my bananas have had plenty of time to ripen and I've had plenty of time to bake delicious banana baked goods to devour once he gets home. 

This Banana Crumble Cake was one of those recipes. 

We love any kind of banana baked good - but this cake is next level. Not only do you get a delicious banana cake, but you also get an incredible crumble topping!

Needless to say, you're going to want to pin this recipe to make later!

So let me share it with you! >> 

Recipe: Paleo Banana Almond Cake (6 Ingredients!)

Tweet

I love baking, I really do.... but sometimes life just gets in the way. There's weeks where I bake up a storm and others where don't bake a single thing as I'm too busy running around here there and everywhere and busy with work. 

There is, however, one thing that will always get me to bake.... 

Brown spotted bananas. 

Tweet

Generally those bananas are used to make another loaf of my The Best Healthy Paleo Banana Bread Recipe - but if there's extra bananas left after that, I like to experiment with new recipes. 

This delicious banana cake recipe was born when I had a overload of brown bananas and wanted to come up with something a little bit different. 

It's paleo, it's dairy free, it's grain free and it's seriously easy to make. 

Tweet

Fluffy and light, you'll never believe that they're made with only six ingredients - seven if you top them with extra almonds. 

Since making this recipe the first time, it's become a family favourite. It's one of the cakes we make when we have friends over for coffee or need to bring something for morning tea, we've added chocolate chips and mix-ins galore and we've even un-paleo-ified it by switching the almond butter for peanut butter and making a peanut butter banana cake ;) 

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

Recipe: Healthy Vegan Banana Blondies

You know, sometimes I look at Jesse and think "wow.... what kind of a man did I marry?!". 

And I'm not talking in the oh wow I'm so lucky kind of way (though I definitely think that a lot too), I'm talking in the what planet did he get dropped off from kind of way. 

I KID, I KID! 

But you see, Jesse has the world's weirdest taste buds, sense of smell and sense of well.... a lot of things. 

This week he told me that bananas taste like nothing, however, he eats bananas every day for breakfasts and banana baked goods are his favourite thing in the world. Last week he told me that my lasagna was the best dinner of the week but I couldn't call it lasagna because it didn't have a tomato and meat sauce like "lasagna" - even though that's just the style of the dish.

But whilst bananas taste like "nothing" to Jesse and apparently nuts have an overpowering smell like Katrina's random bath bomb that she has sitting on the side of the bath, Jesse is always watching the piles of bananas in our fruit bowl, waiting for them to go brown so I can make a banana flavoured treat. 

A few weeks ago we got home from church and Jesse decided we had to bake something with bananas and nuts. It didn't matter what it was but it had to have banana and nuts in it. 

I, however, was feeling like blondies or brownies - something dense and full of flavour and texture. At first I made the mistake of saying to Jesse "what about banana blondies?"

"Blondies? What's that?" Uh oh... I knew I was in for trouble. I gave Jesse a really basic description of your typical blondie, however, then I told him I wanted to make blondies that had all the texture of blondies but all the flavour of banana bread.

"Can't you just make one or the other?".... at this point I was cursing myself for giving them a name, thinking I would have been much better off calling it banana bread and sticking it in a loaf tin - but I stuck to my plan, knowing it would be all sorts of delicious and Jesse would forget all about the name once he tried them.

Whilst they were baking in the oven I could head Jesse drooling over the smell from his office and the second I pulled them out he was there, eagerly awaiting the moment I sliced them up so he could try one. 

A few minutes later they were cool enough to cut and I popped one on a plate and took it into him. 

The first one disappeared in seconds with mmm's and ahhh's all around and the batch was quickly gobbled up by the SIL family. 

They weren't just a new favourite for Jesse - they were a favourite for the whole family (especially this banana loving girl!) and we've been making them again and again ever since! It just goes to show, don't judge a book by its cover or a recipe by it's name ;)

Let me share the recipe with you so you can bask in the deliciousness too! >>

Recipe: Healthy Caramel Stuffed Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Truth be known, I hadn't actually planned to post this recipe today, however, seeing as my husband has told just about every person he's come into contact with about these cupcakes since trying them for the first time, I decided I really needed to share the recipe ASAP!

You see, these cupcakes are Jesse's current favourite. They're not the prettiest cupcakes in the world but Jesse is obsessed and what they lack in prettiness, they make up for in deliciousness.

Seeing as they are Jesse's current favourite, I decided to ask him for his description for the blog.... and this is what I got... 

They can not be described....

It's almost like a dream...

Are you writing this down?

I don't know... you just need to make them again? All the time? 

Because they're the best freaking cupcakes in the entire world.....

It made me feel like the fat kid off Matilda eating that chocolate cake...

You don't have any more of those... do you?

Yes husband, of course I'm writing that down - and that, ladies and gentleman, is why Kristy pens the blog :P But I can't really blame him... these cupcakes really are that good - and considering he just rummaged through the fridge to find the last remaining one, I think it's quite clear that I really did have to share the recipe with you right away.

This recipe starts with the most incredible banana protein cupcakes - but once they're out of the oven that's when the magic starts to happen.....  

Now, I don't usually recommend taking to cupcakes with a sharp knife, but in this case I most certainly do. First you've got to take out the middle of your cupcakes to create a well in the middle. 

Why? Because we're going to fill them with a healthy salted caramel filling and the pop the top back on to keep it safe and secure in the centre.

But if that wasn't decadent enough - we're then going to top your cupcakes with a healthy cream cheese frosting to cover up your franken-cupcake handiwork (and because cream cheese frosting is awesome) and then you're going to have a taste sensation right there and then. 

And I know what you're thinking.... and howwwwwwwwww are these decadent cupcakes healthy? Why, because I made them of course! ;) 

These cupcakes, whilst seemingly decadent and calorie laden, are low fat, gluten free, refined sugar free, high in protein and low in calories. Can I get a hallelujah?! 

But enough jibber-jabberring, let me share the recipe with you! >> 

Recipe: High Protein Peanut Flour Banana Bread

So lately I've been trying to eat more protein - and in an effort to do so, I bought protein powder. I've never bought protein powder because I've never found one I could actually eat with all of my allergies, however, I finally found one that I could have with no gluten, artificial anythings, stevia, etc etc. 

But it was disgusting. 

Alllll of the reviews raved about how brilliant it was and how smooth it was and how much better it was than regular protein powders and I was pretty confident it'd be a-okay.

But then I tasted it. 

And it felt like I'd just liked a chalk bucket. Obviously I didn't eat it straight out of the container - because then it'd have a reason to taste like chalk. I tried it mixed in smoothies, in oatmeal, in yogurt, in protein ice cream - and all I managed to do was ruin some of my favourite foods!

I seriously don't know how people eat protein powder, however, I have a better alternative. 

I think it's safe to say I have a peanut flour addiction that's never going to end - but when you can make banana bread with 14 grams of protein a slice, why wouldn't you be addicted? Especially when said banana bread is full of peanut butter flavour.

This Peanut Flour Banana Bread is seriously ridiculously good and so simple to make - and ten thousand and sixty four million and three times more delicious than protein powder, so that's what we're sticking too. Eat it as is, top it with peanut flour or cream cheese, toast it, freeze it for a quick breakfast option when you're in a rush, make it into muffins - the possibilities are endless! 

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

Recipe: Banana Ricotta Breakfast Bread

We're kind of obsessed with banana bread. It's not a new obsession either - I've always been a banana bread fan and as soon as Jesse found out that I made banana bread from scratch, he's been obsessed ever since. 

Bananas are always in our fruit bowl and we always buy more than we need so that we can whip up some sort of banana filled baked good every couple of weeks. 

But whilst I love our Ultimate Healthy Banana Bread Recipe and our Healthy Paleo Banana Bread, sometimes I just want something a little heartier for breakfast - and that's where this Banana Ricotta Breakfast Bread comes in!

This Ricotta Banana Bread will fill you up and give you the energy needed to start your day  without all of the fat and sugar or a traditional banana bread. It's full of texture with the oats and is super moist thanks to the bananas and ricotta.

I like this bread topped with peanut butter whilst Jesse prefers his toasted with butter - but you can eat it however and whenever you like!

But let me give you the recipe!