So apparently there seems to be some kind of rule that every food blog needs to have its own version of a banana bread recipe. However, it took me a while to make a healthy banana bread that actually tasted like a proper banana bread, and not like a healthy one. This version is probably my third or fourth try, but I am really excited to finally share the recipe with with you because this bread is simply amazing. I know I say this about all of my recipes, but trust me, this banana bread is so close to perfect, that you just have to make it asap. One trick I found to be very helpful was that the coconut oil needs to be slightly melted before you add it to the other ingredients. This little trick makes all the difference, and even though this banana bread is pretty moist in the inside, it is not quite as dense as other healthy banana breads. To add an extra touch of goodness, I used one grated carrot in the recipe, because besides from banana bread, carrot cake is my favorite cake. So I thought what’s better than combining my two favorite cakes in a new recipe?

Besides from bananas and carrots, this bread also contains buckwheat flour, maple syrup and chia seeds, and no refined sugars, no refined flour or unhealthy fats. It is also not overly sweet, so you can even enjoy a slice or two of this bread for breakfast. I love it with a generous amount of almond butter and a sprinkle of extra cinnamon on top. What’s your favorite way to enjoy a slice of banana bread?

Enjoy!

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Since it was my boyfriend’s birthday last week, there was a lot of baking going on in our kitchen for obvious reasons. However, since I had my last exam on Thursday, it was actually my boyfriend who was in charge of baking for once. He got so many messages from people saying that they knew he was well taken care of food-wise on his birthday, but since I was also fighting a cold, he took over the kitchen this week. It’s tradition in his soccer team that the birthday boy brings cake for the whole team, and he had been telling everyone that he was going to bring healthy, plant based and refined sugar-free cake. So we had to come up with a whole baking tray of healthy cake, because there’s no recipe like that on my blog yet.    

I wanted to make a German “Streuselkuchen”, but I was afraid that this might not turn out so well. Then I suggested to make a crumble for everyone, but realized that that was not going to work either, because they do not have forks or plates at soccer practice. Luckily, I was asked to beta test Angela Liddon’s new app coming in April this week, so I remembered seeing chia jam oat squares at her blog that I have always wanted to try, so we tried them and they turned out amazing. We twisted the recipe a bit, but the idea is the same. One crumble layer on the bottom, chia jam in the middle topped with a delicious mixture of oats, coconut oil, cinnamon and honey.

On a little side note, I wanted to share some minor news: I’m finally on snapchat! (heavenlynn_blog). Whooo! Well, I’ve been on snapchat for over two years, but I’ve never actively used it, until my snapchat-obsessed sister got me to use it for Heavenlynn Healthy – and I’ve discovered that it’s so much fun. I don’t have time to upload pretty pictures all the time, so snapchat allows me to share some of my daily HLH routines with all of you. Here’s a little snap story from when we baked these bars:

* please excuse my little typo (teams) – I was just so excited to finally try these bars! 

I haven’t done this in a while, but let’s examine all the ingredients present in these chia jam oat bars and what benefits they have for our body:

Almonds: Almonds are an amazing source of Vitamin E, the beauty vitamin that strengthens our nails, hair and lets our skin glow.
Chia Seeds: There are about a million amazing health benefits from chia seeds. They are packed with healthy fatty acids called omega-3, which lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Coconut oil: This highly controversial fat is one of the healthiest fats out there. It may be saturated fat, but it’s not the saturated fat found in cheeses or fried food, but the kind that our body can actually absorb and digest well, called medium chain tryclicerides (MCT). Instead of storing it in our fat depots, our body uses coconut oil to produce energy, which has been scientifically proven to lead to weight loss.
Bananas: My favorite fruit is one of the best sources of potassium, which helps us maintain a healthy heart function, and regulates our blood pressure.
Honey: Since I am not strictly vegan, I use honey for its amazing health benefits. It is highly anti-bacterial and raw honey comes with a long list of vitamins and nutrients such as iron, copper or magnesium which are all important for a healthy and functioning body.
Oats: Oats are extremely high in fiber, which aids digestion and stabilizes your blood sugar level. They are also known to lower the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Raspberries: As all berries, raspberries are true antioxidant superfoods. They also contain lots of vitamin C, which is important to boost our immune system. They’re also a good source of manganese, a mineral that helps strengthen our bones.

As with all my baked goods, I once again need to get something of my chest. Even though this recipe includes only ingredients that have protein, fiber, vitamins or minerals, this is still a sweet cake with lots of  (healthy) fats and carbohydrates. It is definitely a healthier option than a traditional German “Streusel”, but please do not think that this cake contains no calories, just because is made with healthy ingredients. Please treat it like you would treat a normal Streusel – one or two pieces should be enough per day – but keep in mind that when eaten in moderation, these oat bars will benefit your body more than a piece of cake from a regular German bakery.

Enjoy!

The post Chia Jam Oat Bars with Streusel Crumb Topping appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Ok, so I understand that baking healthy dog treats might be a bit too ambitious, and many of you will probably think that I’m mad, but baking these was just so much fun, that I just had to share this with you. Let me start by saying that there is absolutely no reason to feed your pets plant based treats, because they are obviously carnivores. I am not saying that we should turn our pets into plant eaters, which is completely crazy of course, but I just didn’t want to bake meat cookies for Balu, so I made a plant based recipe. We feed him high quality dog food, and he has all the nutrients he needs, but lately he’s come to love steamed carrots, and he’s always had a thing for bananas. So I did some research, and found out that you can make delicious dog treats with these two ingredients. 

Of course dogs do not need carbohydrates in their diet due to their mainly carnivorous needs, but Balu actually loves his carb-based little treats, so I think it’s o.k. to feed him some from time to time. Instead of white flour I used buckwheat flour, because some dogs are sensitive to wheat, and buckwheat is a great source of protein. The other ingredients in this recipe include coconut oil, chia seeds, banana and carrots. Bananas and carrots are just as healthy for dogs as they are for humans. Bananas are a great source of potassium, which strengthens your dog’s heart. Carrots contain lots of vitamin A, which is vital for a healthy vision and skin. I used coconut oil in this recipe, too, because coconut oil aids digestion, it can improve their coat, and help prevent infection. Of course dogs should not eat a large amount of coconut oil, but a little bit of it is just as healthy for them as it is for us humans. I used chia eggs in this recipe, mainly because I didn’t have eggs in stock, but mostly because chia seeds are also extremely beneficial for your dog’s health. They help strengthen their immune system and have amazing anti-inflammatory properties. If you don’t feel comfortable with using chia seeds for your dog, then just use one egg instead.

I also shot a YouTube video for these healthy dog treats last week, so you can even see Balu and I in action.

I hope your dogs will love them just as much as Balu did!

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