Thursday 26 January 2012

We Should Cocoa - Healthy banana chocolate flapjacks





These banana flapjacks are made with no sugar and virtually no oil. Packed with lots of  fruit and nuts to add natural sweetness and flavour; and the best bit is that they are dipped in lovely tasty dark bitter chocolate which is full of anti-oxidants and really good for you. If you chill them in the fridge for a little while then bite into the chocolate it cracks just like on those naughty ice-cream filled, chocolate coated ice lollies! mmm...yummy...


To make my Banana Chocolate flapjacks you will need:



  • 200g porridge oats
  • 2oz of chopped nuts  
  • 2oz chopped stoneless figs
  • 1oz of dried cranberries
  • 1oz of pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tbsp ground almonds
  • 3 mashed very ripe bananas
  • 2 beaten egg whites
  • A little oil

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4
  2. Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl.
  3. Add the mashed bananas and beaten egg whites.
  4. Spoon the mixture into an oven proof dish lined with baking parchment and press down firmly with a spoon. 
  5. Bake for about thirty-five minutes until golden brown and set.
  6. Leave to cool for a little while and then place on a cooling rack.
  7. Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a double cooker or bowl over a pan of boiling water. Ensuring that the water doesn't touch the bowl.
  8. When the flapjacks are cool, cut into squares and dip into the chocolate. Leave to set before eating.


Perfect with espresso (unless detoxing)...and a chance to use one of my Christmas gifts, the cutest espresso set from H's boyfriend.  Little china cups and saucers called 'In The Woods' by Magpie, decorated with trees and fawns and all sorts of cute woodland creatures...I have half a mind to hang them on the wall...they are almost too nice to use and may be safer there I keep breaking my favourite things...I couldn't wait to show them off before I break these too...


I'm linking over to here and here today for we should cocoa 

10 comments:

  1. Delicious and healthy? Not there's a treat worth baking! And I really like those cute espresso plates- such a kind gift.

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  2. wow, what a brilliant recipe with no sugar!... genius... I would love this so much... divine!

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  3. I am so excited to try this tomorrow and I actually have all the ingredients...it was meant to be! Thanks.

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  4. I've been poring over recipe books recently to find healthy snacks I can make for the kids to take when they go back to school and this is just the sort of thing I've been looking for. Unfortunately we have a 'no-nuts' policy at our school so I might have to make a few tweeks but they also look perfect for a breakfast on the run (perhaps without the chocolate!). I make a similar recipe by British nutrionist Jane Clarke which is always a hit with the kids but it has sugar in it and no dried fruit so yours looks much superior - thanks!

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  5. I've been trying to hunt out no sugar deserts for a while now Caz. Fortunately the dried fruits in this, especially the dates and raisins are so sweet along with the ripe bananas I think if you added any extra honey or sugar, would actually be too sweet.

    Debx

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  6. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I tried it this weekend and it really was fantastic. I had to use dates instead of figs, but the rest was the same, and we really enjoyed it. I will be linking to it on my blog today.
    Thanks again.

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  7. Hi Natalie. You're very welcome. I'm glad you liked it. I did actually mean dates and not figs...I was probably writing the recipe really late at night...whoops...sorry. I think it would work with any dried fruits that you like to use, the sweeter the better to avoid any use of sugar. I keep a big glass jar on the kitchen counter and fill it with all sorts of nuts and dried fruits...the first port of call before the cake tin...and sometimes use them in crumbles and porridge.

    Thanks for linking over...I'll come pop over and check out your blog.

    Bye for now,
    Deb

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  8. What a brilliant recipe and I love the fact there is no sugar and you've used egg whites to help bind it together. I am bookmarking this one for sure.

    Thanks for entering WSC last month and linking to my blog. I didn't think I'd seen this in the round-up and have just checked it again. You don't seem to be there. It could be that you forgot to send an e-mail or it could be that your e-mail got spammed and was deleted by accident. I know Chele has had a few problems this month. I do hope this doesn't put you off entering ever again - you've got such great ideas. This month I'm hosting and the theme is savoury vegetarian - with chocolate of course.

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  9. Thanks Chocolette...I'm on a bit of a crusade to find sugar free recipes at the moment after reading recently how bad sugar is for you in so many different ways...

    Don't worry about not including me in the round up...I must have forgotten to email you... It was fun to join in and I will try to do so again this month. Especially with such an interesting theme...I can't wait to start experimenting...any excuse to eat chocolate...

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