Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

Chocolate Banana Bread

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Last Thursday I was supposed to have a 5:30am client, so I got up, got dressed, ate, drank coffee, and was about to head out the door at 5:00 when I see a text, “I’m not feeling well, can we push our session out to tomorrow?”

Ugh.

Typically I would have said no and burned the session, but due to other circumstances I let it slide and pushed the session out to the next day.

So there I was awake at 5:00am and I decided to make some chocolate banana bread.

chocolate banana bread

Most people probably would have gone back to bed, but I decided to take advantage of the peaceful morning hours that I don’t typically see. Plus, there was some sort of rain-snow situation going on outside, so baking a warm chocolate-y loaf of banana bread just seemed right.

And then I had a loaf of chocolate banana bread at my fingertips to enjoy, soooo… no complaints.

chocolate banana bread

This chocolate banana bread recipe is adapted from this basic banana bread, but I replaced some of the flour with cocoa powder and traded the walnuts for chocolate chips. The wet ingredients are mixed into the dry before pouring the batter in a loaf pan. I decided to sprinkle some coffee grounds on top for an extra crunch and a light hint of coffee flavor to balance out the chocolate. I really liked it, but you could totally skip it if you wanted. It’s simple to make, even in the wee hours of the morning while your eyes may only be half-open.

The result is a delicious, moist loaf of banana bread with just the right hint of chocolate. It’s perfect for a mid-morning snack, but I wouldn’t argue with you if you ate it for breakfast and/or dessert.

chocolate banana bread

Oddly enough I posted that basic banana bread recipe almost exactly one year ago. Isn’t that weird? I can still clearly remember sitting down to type up that post as the banana bread was baking in the oven.

My life is so different now than it was then: Minneapolis to Denver. Supply Chain to Personal Training. Owning a condo to renting a garden level duplex. Lakes to mountains. Family close by to family far away. Not different in a bad way, just different.

chocolate banana bread

I haven’t quite gotten into my groove here in Denver, but now I’m ready to start hustling.

The chocolate banana bread helps with the motivation.

chocolate banana bread

Chocolate Banana Bread
 
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This chocolate banana bread is moist and delicious with the perfect hint of chocolate. It's perfect for a mid-morning snack accompanied with a big mug of coffee, but would be great for breakfast and/or dessert as well!
Serves: 12 slices
Ingredients
  • 1 ¼ white whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 2 medium overripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon coffee grounds (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, mashed bananas, vanilla extract, eggs, and buttermilk. Whisk until combined.
  4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.
  5. Stir in the chocolate chips, saving some for the top of the loaf.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan then sprinkle with the coffee grounds and remaining chocolate chips
  7. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
  8. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
You can make your own buttermilk by adding a little bit of lemon juice to regular milk (soy, dairy, almond, etc) or yogurt.
This bread will keep for a few days wrapped in plastic wrap or in the freezer for a few months.

Side note: I brought a majority of this loaf into work and crossed my fingers that the other trainers wouldn’t shame me and hate me for bringing in something not so healthy. They didn’t. They ate it and they loved it. I can’t explain to you how happy it made me.

chocolate banana bread

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Coconut Quinoa Matcha Parfaits + My 1-Year Blogiversary!

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It has been one year (ONE YEAR!!) since I have launched Just J.Faye. It’s just insane. What an incredible year it has been.

But more on that later, first these coconut quinoa matcha parfaits.

Coconut Quinoa Matcha Parfaits

These parfaits are just little jars of happiness – delicious, healthy, easy, pretty. The whole package, right here.

This is what we have going on in these jars:

  • Layer 1 = quinoa cooked with coconut milk.
  • Layer 2 = coconut Greek yogurt mixed with matcha powder and chopped banana.
  • Layer 3 = whipped coconut cream.
  • Layer 4 = sprinkles of flaked coconut and chopped pistachios.

Prepare each layer then go ahead and assemble! You can even make everything in advance the night before, store in the refrigerator in separate containers, and then put them together in the morning. Easy!

Coconut Quinoa Matcha Parfaits

Plus, things just taste better in jars, don’t they?

No, it’ll taste the same in a bowl, but jars are fun.

Coconut Quinoa Matcha Parfaits

By the way, did you notice all the ingredients? Quinoa and Greek yogurt for protein, matcha powder for energy and antioxidants, and coconut for healthy fats. Isn’t it just the best when delicious and pretty food is good for you?! Kinda like this salad.

Coconut Quinoa Matcha Parfaits

Oddly enough my first recipe way back 1 year ago also included quinoa, bananas, nuts, and coconut. Coincidence? Sort of. I was dreaming up these little parfaits for a few weeks and once I realized the similarities between the two recipes, I knew it would be perfect to post as my 1-year “blogiversary” recipe.

I have learned SO MUCH in the past year – about photography (ummm… have you noticed here to here), recipe development, exercise, SEO (I know what it means now), work/life/blog balance, blogging in general, etc. It’s just been so much fun. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m pretty excited about it.

Thank you to everyone who has been following along from the start, to everyone who has picked up along the way, to everyone who has made a recipe or tried a workout, to everyone who has commented on/pinned/linked/shared posts, to everyone who just stopped by that one time for 5 seconds. I love you all.

I’m looking forward to a great Year 2 here on Just J.Faye and I hope you are too!

Coconut Quinoa Matcha Parfaits

Let’s go make ourselves a happy, healthy little breakfast treat, pour a cup of coffee, and be glad.

Coconut Quinoa Matcha Parfaits + My 1-Year Blogiversary!
 
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These Coconut Quinoa Matcha Parfaits are layers of coconut quinoa, matcha coconut Greek yogurt, and whipped coconut cream - a healthy and delicious breakfast!
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ cup quinoa, rinsed
  • ¾ cup + ¼ cup lite coconut milk, divided
  • 5.3 oz coconut Greek yogurt
  • 1 banana, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon matcha powder
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Additional toppings: unsweetened coconut flakes and chopped pistachios
Instructions
  1. For the coconut quinoa: In a small saucepot stir together the quinoa and ¾ cup of lite coconut milk. Bring to a boil, decrease to simmer, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  2. For the matcha Greek yogurt: In a small bowl stir together the coconut Greek yogurt, chopped banana, and matcha powder until well combined. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  3. For the coconut whipped cream: Flip the can of chilled coconut milk upside-down. Open the can and pour the water out to another container. Save for another use. Place the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix with a hand blender or a stand-up mixer until it reaches the consistency of whipped cream. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  4. To assemble: Split the coconut quinoa into two bowls (or mason jars!), then divide the matcha Greek yogurt between the two. Top with coconut whipped cream, coconut flakes, and chopped pistachios.
Notes
Everything can be prepared the night before, stored separately in the fridge, and then assembled in the morning!

To make this vegan, use almond or coconut yogurt instead of Greek yogurt.

If you are not a coconut fan, feel free to use almond milk instead of coconut milk in the quinoa, vanilla or plain Greek yogurt instead of coconut Greek yogurt, and regular whipped cream instead of coconut whipped cream. It will still taste delicious!

As if my 1-year blogiversary wasn’t enough to celebrate today, it’s also my big brother’s birthday. He’s one of the most intelligent and frustrating people I know. His hobbies, drive, and sense of humor never cease to surprise me. Today he turns 30.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JON! I’m excited to celebrate later today.

happy birthday jon

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Healthy Almond Banana Bread Bites (vegan, gluten-free, paleo)

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Sometimes it’s ok to eat ugly food, you know? Not every.single.thing you put in your mouth has to be pinterest-perfect gorgeous. These almond banana bread bites are perfect examples.

healthy almond banana bread bites So, no. These little guys aren’t the most attractive things I have ever made, but it’s ok and I will give you three reasons why it is ok:

  1. They are good for you. These are healthy, vegan, gluten-free, paleo “cookies” full of good for you ingredients.
  2. They are super simple. These bites can be made entirely in a food processor and only require 6 ingredients, one of which is water.
  3. They are, most importantly, delicious. They taste like little bites of banana bread (which leads them to be very appropriately named).

Is that enough to convince you to dust off your food processor and find a ripe banana?

Good gracious, I hope so.

healthy almond banana bread bites These healthy almond banana bread bites are perfect for so many occasions: breakfast, morning snack, lunch dessert, afternoon snack, afternoon snack dessert, pre-workout snack, post-workout snack, dinner dessert, mid-night snack. Basically, they are perfect for any time of day.

Now that I am a few weeks into marathon training, I am hungry all of the time. It’s key to have something that I can grab for a quick tie-me-over-until-my-next-meal snack and I already overdose on raw fruits and veggies as it is. Or I’ll just round out my handful of carrots with one of these guys.

These bites seem like sinful cookies, but they are not. They seem like a guilty treat, but they are not. They seem ugly, but they… are.

Looks are not everything, people! It’s what is inside that counts. Inside these we have almond butter, almond meal, banana, flax, and a little bit of maple syrup to sweeten things up – all simple, delicious, good for you, happy ingredients!

After plopping 6 plops onto a baking pan I decided to add chocolate chips to the remaining batter. These are for the days when I’m all like, “I don’t care if chocolate chips aren’t vegan, gluten-free, or paleo. I am none of those things either and today I will eat chocolate. Plus, antioxidants.” Add them. Don’t add them. Find vegan, gluten-free, paleo chocolate chips. Whatever choice you decide to make is the right one.

healthy almond banana bread bites Now let’s talk about how these are made. I essentially made my own almond butter by toasting almonds in the oven and processing them in a food processor. Then I added the remaining ingredients and processed until everything was combined. Ta da! The batter is done.

If you already have almond butter (peanut butter would also work) on hand you are more than welcome to use that. Just know that oftentimes store-bought brands come with extra oils and sugars. If you have never made your own almond butter before I encourage you to try it out!

I am still pretty new to using almond meal in recipes, but I like it. I found mine at Trader Joe’s, but I am sure they sell it elsewhere. If you aren’t able to find some, throw an extra cup of almonds in the food processor and process them until they become very, very small almond crumbs. Then take out a cup and let the remainder become butter.

Once you’re set, plop rounded tablespoons of the batter on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. I kept mine closer to the under-baked side of the spectrum so they are nice and chewy.

I like to keep these almond banana bread bites in the freezer, because I like eating cold things. Plus, they will last longer that way; however, if you make these and eat the whole batch (a delightful baker’s dozen) within four days I wouldn’t feel guilty about it.

healthy almond banana bread bites Oh, and you know what!? These would be perfect little snacks to keep in your purse/pocket/backpack for when you need some healthy sustenance in between green beers, assuming that you are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day today. I am celebrating it in Chicago and shortly after I press the “submit” button to this post I will be out the door to go awe at the green-dyed river and partake in some festivities!

If you aren’t celebrating St. Patrick’s Day today, you can still make them and keep them in your purse/pocket/backpack for when you need some healthy sustenance.

Healthy Almond Banana Bread Bites (vegan, gluten-free, paleo)
 
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These almond banana bites are super healthy and easy to make! They only require 6 good for you ingredients and can be made completely in a food processor. These bites are delicious, healthy snacks that will keep you happy and satisfied. Add some dark chocolate chips for an extra treat.
Author:
Serves: 13
Ingredients
  • ½ cup raw almonds (or roasted almonds, almond butter, or peanut butter)
  • 1 tablespoon flax meal
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat map.
  2. Make the flax egg by combining the flax meal and water in a small cup.
  3. Spread the almonds on a bake sheet and pop them in the oven. The oven doesn’t have to be fully preheated to 350 at this time. Toast them until fragrant, but be careful not to burn them, usually 5-10 minutes. (If you have roasted almonds you can skip this step)
  4. Place toasted almonds in the bowl of a food processor and process until it reaches the consistency of almond butter. This can take anywhere 5-10 minutes depending on the power of your food processor. (If you are using store bought almond or peanut butter you can skip this step too).
  5. Add the remaining ingredients (including the flax egg) to the bowl of the food processor and process until everything is combined.
  6. Drop “batter” by the rounded tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let them sit on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. Keep almond banana bread bites in an airtight container for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Notes
You can replace the raw almonds and use store bought almond or peanut butter instead. Just skip the 2nd and 3rd steps.

You can make your own almond meal by processing almonds in a food processor until it reaches a fine crumb.

If you don't have a food processor a high-powered blender should work just fine. If you don't have either of those use store bought almond butter and mix everything together with an electric mixer.

healthy almond banana bread bites

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Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread

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Let’s kick off this week with some bread. Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread  Brown bananas are a little bit ugly, but beautiful at the same time and filled with so much delicious potential! Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread What to make, what to make… I was brainstorming as I watched these bananas slowly turn browner with each passing day. Then I decided: chocolate banana bread. With some cacao nibs. And a little bit of Greek yogurt. Delicious, yes?

Have you ever heard of or tried cacao nibs? They are basically pieces of cacao beans that have been chopped up and roasted. If you were to grind them up with some sugar you’d have chocolate! Cacao nibs themselves aren’t very sweet, but still have a light chocolate flavor to them. They also have a nice crunch, kind of like a roasted coffee bean. As an added bonus cacao nibs are pretty healthy. They are full of antioxidants as well as magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium. Plus, they can elevate your mood and give you an energy boost! Soooo… let’s eat some. Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread My mom had given me some a while back to try, but I had stuck them in my cupboard and forgot about them. Out of sight, out of mind, you know? Then when I was in Costa Rica I came across some dark chocolate covered cacao nibs, which led me to remember the long-lost cacao nibs in my cupboard, which led me to buy the chocolate covered ones, which led me to want to make something delicious with them, which is now leading me to this bread with my brown bananas. Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread Isn’t that a nice little chain of events? It led to such a delicious place.

This chocolate banana bread isn’t overly sweet. The melted butter and Greek yogurt give it the perfect level of moist-ness (is that a word?) and density. The cacao nibs add a nice crunch. You can have it for breakfast with some jam or, better yet, some almond butter. Or you could have it for a mid-day snack or a post-dinner dessert. Or you could just eat it all day, every day for the rest of your life, but I’ll let you make that decision.

Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread So the next time you have some brown bananas on your counter staring you in the face, you should probably make this bread. You can track down cacao nibs (plain, chocolate covered, or both) in Costa Rica, but also Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s if that’s more convenient for you. If you aren’t interested in cacao nibs, that’s ok! You can replace them with chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or nothing at all.

Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread

Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread
 
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A delicious chocolate banana bread studded with cacao nibs. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Author:
Serves: 1 loaf
Ingredients
  • 1½ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter (1 stick)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed (~1-1 ½ cups)
  • ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cup cacao nibs (I used a mix of plain and chocolate covered cacao nibs)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Let is cool slightly.
  4. Whisk in the eggs. Then add the brown sugar, bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
  5. Add in the dry ingredients and stir until combined, being careful not to over mix.
  6. Stir in the cacao nibs.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
  8. Let the bread cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then take it out and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
  9. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
I used a mix of plain and chocolate covered cacao nibs, but feel free to use one or the other.
The cacao nibs can be replaced with a mix of chopped nuts and chocolate chips.

Chocolate Cacao Nib Banana Bread

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