Bridget's {Banana Apple} Bites

Think bananas, apples, oats, cinnamon, and nuts all rolled into one delicious sweet bite! My banana apple bites are sure to please everyone- from those with a sweet tooth (like myself) and even those who have a more savory palette! Plus, they have 2 servings of fruits and are high in fiber, so they’re guilt free, HEALTHY! Why wouldn’t you want to recreate this simple recipe this weekend?

One of my counseling tactics that I put at the forefront in my business is creating a fun food environment through revolutionizing, unique recipes that are full of flavor, high in nutrition, and debunk the myth that healthy food is boring (because it most certainly is NOT!). Some of my clients have a challenge in eating fruit and/or increasing their daily fruit intake. Their taste preference is more savory, so eating vegetables isn’t an issue (thank goodness), but I find myself wondering how we can increase fruit intake in a fun, creative way. I have worked with children for so long that I am accustomed to being very creative when it comes to increasing vegetables in a child’s diet (children are more inclined to eat fruit than vegetables). Developing innovative ways to ‘up’ the fruit hype has been a new professional goal for myself in this new chapter of my career. And… this is where the Banana Apple Bites become relevant to the conversation!

If you have ripe bananas and old fashioned olds in your kitchen, you are set for success in creating these tiny bite sized pieces of fruit heaven! They’re so simple- only 2 ingredients is all you need! But… let’s have some fun and put some love into these delicate sweet snacks. These are completely customizable, so pretty much whatever you have on hand you can use! My version of this recipe includes apples, nuts, flax seed, cinnamon, and the tiniest bit of creamy peanut butter! Talk about healthy yumminess! Now, I must warn you, the aroma is intoxicating once these hit the oven! The richness and pungent smell of bananas, nuts, and cinnamon being baked together is mouth watering, so make enough to last more than a few minutes! You’ll thank me later!

Ingredients:

2 c old fashioned oats, uncooked

2 ripened bananas

Optional Additions:

¼ apple, diced, with skin on

½ c powdered PBFit peanut butter (or any nut butter)

1 Tbs. cinnamon powder

1 Tbs. ground flax seed

1 Tbs. slivered almonds (or any nut)

Dried cherries or 1 semi sweet chocolate chip for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mash banana and combine oats.

Add in any additional ingredients.

Mix well.

Spray baking sheet with non stick cooking spray.

Using a teaspoon (or tablespoon for larger “bites”) spoon mixture on baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes or until browning begins.

Garnish with dried cherry or semi sweet chocolate chip!

Note: Let these cool completely before transferring to storage container. These will store well in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Happy & Healthy,

Bridget