Banana Split 2.0
Of all the fruits, bananas should be crowned a super fruit!
Did you know that one medium sized banana can be a good source of
cholesterol-helping fiber, blood pressure-heling potassium, and immune-helping
vitamin C[1]?
If that doesn’t make you want to eat a whole bushel of them right now, I’m not
sure what will! If you find yourself split between eating something healthy or
eating something sweet, grab yourself a banana and keep reading below about
some banana desserts that will cure your sweet tooth without affecting
waistline.
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Looking for some naturally sweet banana recipes that you can
feel good about whipping up? Everyday Health1
is here to deliver. Check out you next healthy indulgence below.
1.
Get Out a Cookie Sheet and Roast Bananas
Heating bananas brings out their natural
sweetness, and what better way to do so than in a Roasted Bananas with Salted
Coconut Cream, Dark Chocolate, and Pistachios dessert? “I love that this recipe
uses banana to create an easy and elegant dessert,” says Rachael Hartley, RD.
“Roasting the banana adds a delicious caramel flavor. Because the banana is the
star of the dish, it has very little added sugar."
2.
Whip Up a Frozen Banana Truffle
Why not combine banana, peanut butter, and
dark chocolate for a healthier frozen treat? These frozen truffles from Lindsey
Pine, RDN, do just that. Would you rather have your chocolate between banana
slices? Try a frozen banana sandwich: Simply spread melted dark chocolate
between two banana slices, and freeze in an airtight container. “These work as
a snack or dessert that's balanced by healthy fat to satiate without spiking
blood sugar,” says Therese Bonanni, RDN, who suggests eating three “sandwiches”
for a portion-controlled serving.
3.
Add Bananas to an Easy No-Bake Pie
Hello, Vegan Chocolate Banana Pudding Pie!
“I love this pie because it’s no bake, easy to make, and looks impressive for
entertaining,” says Chelsey Amer, RDN, a private-practice dietitian in New York
City. “Plus, it has almost no added sugar and is loaded with fiber and healthy
fats.”
4.
Blend Bananas Into a ‘Nice’ Cream
Here’s a fruit-based frozen dessert you
can’t help but love. “This simple and fun treat uses bananas to create a simple
'nice cream' to use in place of ice cream, which can contain excess added sugar
or cream,” says Brynn McDowell, RD. And who doesn’t love a dessert on a stick?
5.
Prep a Comforting Loaf of Classic Banana
Bread
This list wouldn’t be complete without
banana bread — and this tasty version from Basheerah Enahora, RD, a
private-practice dietitian in Charlotte, North Carolina, combines ripe bananas
with oats, hemp seeds, flax meal, and avocado. “This is not your average banana
bread,” she says. “It’s super moist, high in fiber, and low in added sugar.”
Prefer your bread in muffin form? Try a whole-wheat flour and Greek yogurt
version. “This recipe is beyond easy to make,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN. “Even
my kids used to bake it for me on Mother's Day.”
6.
Use Bananas to Create a Delicious Dessert
Sushi
Sushi isn’t just for dinner! This dessert
sushi coats banana with nut butter, hemp seeds, and cinnamon. “Get better
nutrient balance, better blood sugar impact, and a delicious taste,” says
Ashley Koff, RD, a private-practice dietitian in Columbus, Ohio. Prefer these
ingredients in frozen treat form? The Frozen Chocolate and Hemp–Smothered Bites
from Liz Weiss, RDN, host of Liz's Healthy Table podcast in Lexington,
Massachusetts, will do the trick. “The portion can be one, two, or three
bites,” says Weiss. “If you have kids at home, they can help by doing the
dipping.”
7.
Make a Mini Banana Split for a
Portion-Controlled Treat
Banana splits don’t have to be pure
decadence! Here’s a healthier version that combines caramelized bananas with
Greek yogurt, walnuts, and chocolate chips. “This is the perfect after-school
snack for the kids — or a sweet and healthy dessert for any and all of us,”
says Jenny Shea Rawn, MPH, RD, a private-practice dietitian and healthy recipe
developer in East Falmouth, Massachusetts. “This banana split is also the
perfect way to utilize overripe bananas.”
8.
Mix Up a Tray of Cupcakes by Adding Bananas
Have you had bananas in a cupcake yet? This
Garbanzo Berry Cupcake recipe uses the natural sweetness of ripe bananas to
keep added sugar to just ½ teaspoon of honey or maple syrup per unfrosted
cupcake. “It also utilizes chickpea flour, which increases the protein and
fiber content to bring more balance to the treat and increase fullness,” says
Kelly Jones, RD.
9.
Blend Bananas Into Naturally Sweet Cookies
Last but not least: banana cookies! “The
addition of a ripe banana doubles as a natural sweetener and a binding agent to
hold the cookies together,” says Kara Hochreiter, RDN, a private-practice
dietitian in Columbus, Ohio. Combine bananas with oats, oat flour, peanut
butter, and dark chocolate chips to create Peanut Butter Banana Cookies. “You
won't end up with a post-dessert sugar crash, since the cookies are packed with
whole grains, fruit, and healthy fats,” says Hochreiter. Or get a double hit of
chocolate from chocolate chips and unsweetened cocoa powder in Double Chocolate
Banana Cookies from Kelli Shallal, RD. Or how about a pizza-cookie hybrid?
“These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pizookies use bananas in two ways, in the oatmeal
chocolate chip cookie and in the ‘ice cream’ on top,” says Angie Asche RD.
Bonus: Each cookie is a good source of blood-pressure-helping potassium,
providing 527 milligrams.
A banana dessert is a great split-decision choice because
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Works Cited:
1.
Gorin, Amy. “9 Yummy Banana Desserts That
Registered Dietitians Love.” Everyday
Health. 4 January 2019. <https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/healthy-delicious-banana-desserts/
>.