Brownie Batter Bites

 

What do you do when a pan of brownies doesn’t turn out right?

I tried out a new recipe a few days ago for toffee brownies, and while they tasted delicious, they weren’t exactly the fudgy texture I was looking for.

So there they were – a 9×13 pan of perfectly fine cooked brownies, sitting on my counter, waiting to be eaten. Only I knew we wouldn’t eat them as they were. And I didn’t want to throw the entire pan into the garbage.

And then I had an idea.

Brownies + homemade chocolate icing + chocolate shell.

All in one bite.

A brownie batter flavor and consistency, the best part of brownies, made in a way that won’t make you sick if you eat it (even though I do it anyways).

All I can say is thank goodness for kitchen mishaps because this bad batch of brownies turned into one the best (and messiest and most fun) treats to ever come out of my kitchen.

These brownie bites may be messy, but they’re extremely easy: a pan of fully baked brownies, crumbled, and mixed with frosting. Rolled into balls and covered in chocolate.

But better.

Because the middle really tastes like brownie batter.

They are rich.

They are chocolate, in chocolate, and wrapped around more chocolate.

And they are good.

 

Brownie Batter Bites

• 1 9×13 pan of cooked brownies, recipe of choice (I based mine off of this recipe)
• 16 oz. chocolate frosting of choice – preferably homemade*
• 2 cups good semi-sweet chocolate chips
• sprinkles

1. Once brownies are cooked and completely cooled, crumble the entire pan into a large bowl.
2. Add frosting to brownie crumbs and mix together. It will be messy, but fun.
3. Roll into balls (it will make 40-50, depending on the size) and put on a baking sheet in the fridge. Let them rest and settle for at least 30 minutes.
4. Take out of fridge and melt chocolate.
5. Coat each brownie bite in melted chocolate, place on foil or wax paper lined baking sheet and douse with sprinkles.
6. Let sit until chocolate is hardened.

*Homemade Chocolate Frosting

• 1/2 stick of butter, softened
• 2.5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch salt

1. In large bowl, mix together the sugar and cocoa.
2. Blend the sugar with the softened butter until light and smooth.
3. Add in milk, vanilla, and salt until combined.
4. If it isn’t at your desired frosting consistency, add powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it has thickened up.

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Pancakes and Memories

In my almost 28 years of life, there are only 4 Valentine’s Days that I vividly remember.

The first, in 8th grade, involved my very first boyfriend, an embarrassingly huge balloon and a great big stuffed teddy bear that I got to carry around all day at school.

You know, in the 8th grade, Valentine’s Day is such a big deal. You’re past the tiny cartoon cards and it’s all about “showing your love”. Because in the 8th grade, you’re grown. And you know everything and you’re so mature and romantic. Or so you think. Even looking back now and seeing how ridiculous my friends and I were in the 8th grade, it was a fun Valentine’s Day because it was my first time to ever get gifts like that from a boy.

The second one I remember has nothing to do with romance at all. In fact, it has to do with my parents. When my sisters and I were growing up, my parents would always have little gifts for us for Valentine’s Day – candy, earrings, stickers, little toys, things like that. But one year they totally surprised my older sister and me by getting us our very own phone line.

Can you imagine? Our OWN phone line! We could call whoever we wanted, at any time, and not have to share the phone. I could talk to my friends all day long. Or call boys. Or have boys call me. On my own, personal, phone line.

And our phone was incredible. It was a clear phone with neon wires that lit up when it was ringing, like this one.

Pretty sweet, right? I bet Kelly Kapowski had one like this in her room. I’m not exactly sure why this Valentine’s Day has stuck with me, but it’s a fun, yet totally random, memory.

The third Valentine’s Day I remember isn’t exactly romantic, either, but it’s one of many memories I hope I never lose. While this Valentine’s Day celebration began with heart-printed silk boxers as prank gifts for some of our guy friends from church, it ended with a dinner and the first roses I was ever given. All through high school, I participated in District Chorus, and that year, our concert happened to fall on Valentine’s Day. From 8 am until 3 pm that day, I was in rehearsals and was given just enough time to get home, get changed, and get back to the school for the concert at 7 pm that evening.

Since our day was filled, my family ended up going to dinner at Ruby Tuesday’s after the concert was over and we were joined by some very important guys in my life, ones that shaped my world back then and who, while they may not know it, showed me what friendship and love could be and what they should be.

My sister and I made heart shaped brownies to give to the guys, but they topped us that night. They showed up with red roses and baby’s breath for each of us girls: my mom, my sister, me, and my Mammaw. With each flower, they gave us a hug and kiss on the cheek and it was one of the sweetest nights in my high school years.

And finally, the fourth, and most important, Valentine’s Day.

My first real date with Nick.

Nick and I met through mutual friends – he was roommates and best buddies with my guy friends in college from back home, so we knew each other for over a year before we started dating.

Nick wouldn’t ask me out because I had a bad perm (I did) – or so he says ; )

So a few months later, after hanging out as friends, I got rid of the perm and we started hanging out more. And one night, we were at a basketball game with a group of friends and he was telling me how cute he thought my roommate was. Well, I was against that. I wasn’t sure at that point if I thought we would date, but I certainly didn’t want him dating her – if he was going to date anyone, it was going to be me!

When I went back to my room that night, I told her that Nick thought she was cute but that she shouldn’t date him. Turns out, she had just started dating someone else anyways, so it didn’t matter.

But as soon as I thought he liked her, I wanted to date him instead.

So his trick worked. We started hanging out more often and, finally, our first date just happened to land on Valentine’s Day.

He cooked me dinner. Chicken and homemade biscuits.

And that was that. I was a goner.

He could cook! He was funny and sweet and incredibly handsome and he was friends with my friends and he did cool things like rock climbing and skateboarding and I fell head over heels for him in, what felt like, a matter of seconds.

So, yes, I guess you could say good biscuit baking runs in his family. As does tricking girls into going on dates with you and being too cute for their own good.

And while I’m not making chicken and biscuits for our Valentine’s Day breakfast, I did want to do something bigger if for no other reason that it’s Monday morning. But it is also the 9th anniversary of our first date, and that calls for something special.

Besides, when you marry into a family that thrives on breakfast foods, you have to learn fast to hold your own.

I think I’m getting there.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes

• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Tbsp light oil or melted butter
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Mix the oats and buttermilk in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes, or, ideally, overnight.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Add the beaten egg and oil/butter to the oat and buttermilk mixture and stir together.
4. Add the oat mixture to the flour mixture, and stir to blend.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brush or spray with oil. *Tip: To make sure it’s hot enough, wet your fingers under the faucet and sprinkle a few droplets of water onto the pan. If they sizzle, it’s ready.
6. Scoop the batter, 1/4 – 1/3 cup at a time onto the pan. *This is where I added the chocolate chips – just drop a few onto the top side of the pancake while the batter is still wet. You could also add berries, nuts, bananas, or any other mix-in you’d like at this point.
7. When the bottoms are browned and the top is set around the edges, flip the pancakes. Cook until the second side has browned.
8. Re-spray/grease the skillet if needed, and repeat with the remaining batter. If the pancakes begin to brown too quickly, lower the heat just a bit.
9. Serve hot, with maple syrup and raspberry sauce.

 

Raspberry Sauce

• 5 oz. frozen raspberries
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 Tbsp water

1. Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Let cook until raspberries have thawed and broken down and the sauce has thickened slightly.
3. Serve warm over pancakes, crepes, or ice cream.

 

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Chocolate Covered Toffee

I’ve been debating whether or not to share this recipe for an entire week.

Do you ever do that with new recipes you’ve come up with? Struggle with the decision to share it or keep it as a secret recipe to yourself?

I haven’t ever had such a hard time with a recipe as I’ve had with this one. But it turned out better than I thought it would.

I knew I couldn’t keep it a secret for long.

This vegan toffee tasted spot on: buttery, rich, sweet and salty.

And while making toffee seems like such a hard thing to do, it’s actually really easy. You just need to have the time to get it cooked to the right temperature and the rest will take care of itself.

Just remember I warned you to use a candy thermometer and don’t go by the color like I did.

Yours will probably turn out even better than mine if you do things the right way.

Put Earth Balance, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan and heat on medium high heat until melted.

Bring to a boil and let cook until mixture reaches a hard crack stage (about 290-300 degrees).

Nick and I have made regular (non-vegan) toffee as Christmas gifts the past two years and have found that going by the color is better than the temperature. We burned our very first batch, but again – the temperature is the best way to do it! Just make sure you’re also paying attention to the color and smell of the candy.

This part will take 10-15 minutes.

Once your toffee is to the right temperature (or color), take off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

The mixture will bubble up quite a bit when you stir in the vanilla – that’s okay!

After the vanilla is mixed in, pour your toffee onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out into an even layer.

Let the toffee sit 20-30 minutes or until hardened.

Heat chocolate in microwave and spread onto toffee.

Once the chocolate has set, break toffee into bite size pieces.

Chocolate Covered Toffee – Vegan!

• 1 cup Earth Balance
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks

1. Put Earth Balance, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan and heat on medium high heat until melted.
2. Bring to a boil and let cook until mixture reaches a soft crack stage (about 285 degrees). This will take 10-15 minutes.
3. Once your toffee is to the right temperature (or color), take off the heat and stir in the vanilla. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit when you stir in the vanilla – that’s okay!
4. After the vanilla is mixed in, pour your toffee onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out into an even layer.
5. Let the toffee sit 20-30 minutes or until hardened.
6. Heat chocolate in microwave and spread onto toffee.
7. Once the chocolate has set, break toffee into bite size pieces.

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Dough Ball Envy

I first tried Annie the Baker’s Dough Balls at the Foodbuzz Festival’s Tasting Pavilion in 2009, and her toffee milk chocolate chip dough balls were love at first bite.

Then recipes started floating around and I remembered just how good they were. Plus, Danica has them all the time and it’s just not fair ; ) Every time I see them, I want them more!

So after drooling over recipe after recipe online, I decided to finally make my own.

While these aren’t the same as her toffee milk chocolate chip dough balls, these are just as tasty. The roasted almond butter and dark chocolate chips give these cookies a deep, rich quality that makes them irresistible.

And they are rich – very rich and very sweet – but you’ll be fighting for the last one, no matter how many you’ve already eaten.

In fact, I think it’s time I make some more. I only I had 3 out of this batch, and Nick ate the rest.

I told you he was a cookie monster.

 

Almond Butter and Dark Chocolate Cookie Balls

Slightly Adapted from Mama Pea’s Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls

Makes 24 cookie balls

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Cream together butter and sugars.
2. Mix in almond butter and vanilla.
3. Beat in baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add flour to sugar mixture and mix until combined.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Chill dough for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Take dough by the tablespoon and roll into a ball. Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake 12 minutes.
9. Let them sit on the pan for a minute before moving to a cooling rack.

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Reader Request: Just Call me Dumplin’

Remember a few weeks ago when I had that CSN giveaway and asked you guys to tell me what recipes you’d like to see me make?

Well, thanks to YOU, I now have a full page of ideas (double sided) and I’m happy to say that this is the first off of that list.

There are a few dishes that still scare me when I think about making them on my own. Things like chicken pot pie, homemade pastas, and the ever elusive perfectly-even layer cake.

But it’s those dishes that are inherently southern that really get me.

Sure, I grew up in Virginia, but I didn’t grow up eating chicken ‘n’ dumplings. The closest I got to having them was at Cracker Barrel, and I knew I could make my own version that tasted better and was healthier for me, too.

If you like your dumplings thinner and more like a thick pasta, these are not for you.

These dumplings are thick and doughy and perfectly tender, with a slight tang from the buttermilk. Almost like biscuits without the butter.

I still may be lacking in my deep-south cooking adventures, but I’m getting there. And make sure you’re ready to put these in your regular dinner rotation – it was love at first bite for me and Nick.

 

Chicken ‘n’ Dumplings

• 1 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 cups broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1.5 tsp salt
• .5 tsp pepper

Dumplings:

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk

Heat oven to 350. Sprinkle chicken with some salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 1 hour.

While chicken is roasting, heat large pot over medium heat.

Add olive oil, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper and saute until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

 

Sprinkle veggies with flour and stir to combine.

 

Once you can no longer see any white flour and the veggies have a gummy-looking coating, pour in your broth and water, a little at a time, stirring constantly.

Each time you add the broth and water, the coating on the veggies will release a bit more, helping to thicken the cooking liquid.

Once all the broth and water have been added, bring mixture to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.

In separate bowl, mix your dry ingredients for the dumplings.

Pour in the buttermilk and stir until dough just comes together (it will be a little sticky – that’s perfect!).

Right before you add your dumplings, take the chicken off the bone and cut into bite size pieces. Add chicken to the pot (along with the frozen peas) and return to a simmer.

Drop dumplings by the spoonful into the broth until all your dough is in the veggie mixture.

Cover and let simmer about 15 minutes or until the dumplings are fluffed.

Spoon dumplings and broth mixture into bowls and serve.

You made me do it, and I couldn’t be happier.

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Pace Yourself Enchilada Casserole

I have no list of Superbowl snacks to share. No compilation of dips and chips and fried stuff with cheese.

Truth be told, as much as I LOVE college football, I’ve never been as interested in the NFL. It’s just not as much fun as college ball!

That being said, we do usually watch the Superbowl.

And you definitely need good food during the game.

My family got here last night to spend the weekend visiting. But since they’ll be heading back Sunday afternoon, we won’t get to watch the game with them.

So a good Friday night dinner was necessary!

Thanks to Foodbuzz and the Tastemaker program, I received some Pace Picante salsa to use to make a dish good enough to serve during the big game.

Everyone loved it!

And the best part is that it’s pretty healthy – so if you have this for your main meal on Superbowl Sunday, you’ll still have some room for your favorite game time snacks and treats.

 

Pace Yourself Enchilada Casserole

• 3 scallions, sliced
• 1.5 cups red lentils
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 2 cups broth
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp smoked (or regular) paprika
• 28 oz. green enchilada sauce
• 1 jar (8 oz) Pace Picante sauce
• 16 corn tortillas
• 1 cup queso fresco

 

In large skillet, saute scallions until tender and add lentils and broth.

Bring to a boil and let cook 10 minutes.

Chop kale into bite size pieces.

Add kale, 1 cup of enchilada sauce, spices, and Pace Picante to the lentil mixture.

Let lentil mixture cook 10-15 minutes more until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils and kale are tender.

Preheat oven to 375 and cut tortillas into 4ths.

Pour 1/2 cup of Enchilada Sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and top with a third of the tortillas.

Put 1/2 of lentil mixture on top of tortillas and repeat (tortillas, lentils).

Once the last of the lentil mixture is layered, top with the last third of the tortillas and pour on 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce.

Top with cheese and bake 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling.

Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

We actually had ours with a fried egg on TOP – and it. was. incredible. But I ate it too fast to get a picture with the egg ; )

Whatever you’re making for the big game, enjoy it!

I know I’ll be enjoying these leftovers.

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Stovetop Granola

In a quest to save time in my kitchen last week, I tried making some basic granola on the stovetop.

I love homemade granola, but hate the long baking time and the need to stir it every 15 to 20 minutes. I don’t always have the time to do that…or rather, I often forget to stir it and end up with not-so-good granola.

And guess what? It worked beautifully, was super easy, and took me 15 minutes, max.

Basic Stovetop Granola

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 Tbsp light oil, Earth Balance, or butter (could use canola, safflower, coconut, etc)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch salt

Heat skillet over medium/high heat and toss in oats.

Toast oats, 5-7 minutes, until they turn a slight golden color and smell, well, “toasty”.

Remove oats from pan and add oil/butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt.

Stir together and let cook 1 minute or until fragrant.

Toss in the oats, stir to coat, and let cook together 2-3 minutes.

Once oats are completely covered with the syrup mixture, pour into bowl or onto baking sheet to let cool.

I made mine very basic (oats only), but that’s only because I always change my mind for mix-ins. This lets me add whatever I want right then! Nuts, dried fruit, seeds, chocolate chips – there’s no limit to the combinations you could make.

So far, I’ve used this in Stonyfield Whole Milk yogurt as a snack at work and just as bowls of “cereal” with some nuts, almond milk, and sliced banana.

The possibilities are endless!

I can’t wait to make more.

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German Chocolate Cookie Bars

I’m not sure what it is, but I am obsessed with coconut right now.

Maybe all this winter weather is simply too much for me, and, in response, I’m making things that remind me of the light and airy days of summer.

Whatever the reason, I’m okay with it.

First there was the Banana Pina Colada Muffins. Then German Chocolate Cupcakes.

And now…something I’m calling German Chocolate Cookie Bars.

But I guess they could also be called “I made too much German Chocolate icing and need something else to use it in” bars. Or “those cupcakes disappeared too quickly and we need a new sweet treat in the house” bars.

Even if you don’t have a good reason to make these, do it anyway. You won’t regret it.

 

German Chocolate Cookie Bars

Crust:

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

Icing (see this post for icing directions):

• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp Earth Balance
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp water
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 –1 cup pecans

Chocolate Topping:

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate
• 1 tsp coconut oil

 

Cream Earth Balance/butter and sugar.

Beat in flour, vanilla, and salt.

The crust will be ready when the mixture is combined but still crumbly and when it clumps up when you press it together (like above).

Dump crust into 8×8 baking dish and press into an even layer.

Bake crust at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until set and golden around the edges. Let the crust cool completely.

Once the crust is cool to the touch, spread on your cooled icing into an even layer on the crust.

To make the chocolate topping, put your dark chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute, stirring every 20-30 seconds or until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Dump chocolate on top of icing and smooth out, covering the entire dish.

Let sit at room temperature until chocolate layer is set.

I cut these into 16 pieces (from an 8×8 dish), and I’m glad I didn’t cut them any bigger!

These bars are delicious, but very rich, thanks to the coconut icing.

But the richness didn’t stop me from having two of them right away.

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Vegan German Chocolate Cupcakes

Three years ago, I made my first layer cake.

To be honest, it was horrible.

The cake itself tasted good (it was a box mix and canned icing, so at least I didn’t mess that up), but it was uneven and the top kept sliding off and I didn’t have an actual cake stand so my upside-down bowl crushed the icing from the sides of the cake.

Thankfully, Nick didn’t really care what it looked like after the first night, and we ate it anyways.

The sad part? That sad, sloppy cake was his birthday cake that year.

I knew I had to make it up at some point. And I think these cupcakes did just that.

See, Nick loves German Chocolate Cake. And so do I! The rich coconut and pecan icing and delicate chocolate cake is one of my favorite combinations.

And while I DO have a real cake stand now, I wanted to try my hand at my own recipe for the cake and icing. Since I was already taking a risk making up a healthier recipe, I didn’t want to chance having another ugly layer cake.

So cupcakes it was!

If you would have told me last year that I would be making up my own vegan recipes, I would never have believed you.

And if you would have told me that not only would my husband love these cupcakes (and not know they were whole wheat and vegan) but also that I could fool coworkers – I might have laughed in your face.

But thank goodness I went through with it. Because these are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made – no comparison.

German Chocolate Cupcakes (Vegan!)

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Frosting:

• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp Earth Balance
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp water
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 –1 cup pecans

In large bowl, mix almond milk with vinegar and let sit 5 minutes or until milk has “curdled”.

Whisk sugar, oil, and vanilla into milk mixture until some bubbles stay on top of the mixture.

Whisk in the cocoa, then whisk in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Once the mixture is smooth, pour into cupcake liners or a sprayed muffin tin, filling each one about 3/4 of the way.

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the cupcakes are baking, heat the almond milk, sugar, and Earth Balance on the stove top until it comes to a boil.

In separate bowl/dish, mix cornstarch and water together.

 

 

 

 

 

Once milk mixture comes to a boil, put 1-2 spoonfuls into the cornstarch mixture and stir together.

Add cornstarch mixture back to milk/sugar and stir.

Bring mixture back to a boil until thickened. Take off the heat.

Stir in the vanilla, coconut and pecans, and let sit to cool.

Once the cupcakes and icing have cooled, dollop a spoonful of the icing on each cupcake and smooth out to the edges.

Serve to your family who think they don’t like anything “whole wheat”.

Give some to your friends who freak out when they hear the word “vegan”.

Then just sit back, relax, and watch their reactions.

And make sure to not tell them that these cupcakes are actually pretty healthy, whole wheat, and vegan until after they’ve had a few.

It’s more fun that way.

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Banana Pina-Colada Muffins

Winter is not leaving anytime soon. I normally don’t mind this season but this winter is not getting any better.

I am ready for a break.

The snow is pretty but I hate when it gets slushy and murky.

Cold weather itself isn’t horrible, but I would like the –4 degree wind chills to be gone.

Basically, I need a little warmth and there’s only so much hot tea I can drink.

Thankfully, I had some bananas waiting on the counter, just for this reason!

If I can’t get to the tropics this winter, I’m going to bring them to me.

Banana Pina-Colada Muffins – Vegan!

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (I used Tropical Traditions)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (I used unsweetened, but either type would be fine)

Streusel Topping:

• 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp Earth Balance
• 2 Tbsp coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, mash bananas.
3. Stir pineapple, coconut oil, and vanilla into bananas.
4. Add brown sugar to banana mixture.
5. Mix in dry ingredients (flour through coconut) until just combined.
6. Fill muffin tin 3/4 full.
7. In small bowl, mix together streusel topping and sprinkle streusel on top of muffins.
8. Bake 25-27 minutes or until golden on top and toothpick comes out clean.

I knew these would be good as soon as I smelled the bananas with the pineapple and coconut oil.

And I’m not sure about you, but I’m a sucker for a streusel muffin. I don’t know what it is about that crumbly, buttery topping, but it’s addicting in the best way.

If you can’t make it to an island this winter or have no plans to lay on a beach until June, you probably need these, too.

It may still be winter outside, but your kitchen will smell like summer.

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