Banana & Peanut Butter Flapjacks

Banana & Peanut Butter Flapjacks


Healthy and nutritious banana and peanut butter flapjacks sweetened with honey. The flapjacks are gluten, dairy and refined sugar free.
Banana and Peanut Butter Flapjacks


I make flapjacks (or oat bars as they are known in the US) a lot, and these Banana & Peanut Butter flapjacks are one of my favourites at the moment. Packed with protein and refined sugar free, they make fab healthy breakfasts on the go. I often go swimming in the morning after the school run, so I take one of these to have in the car after my swim and they keep me nice and full until lunchtime.

Using Up Over Ripe Banana's

I'm always looking for recipes to use up those pesky black banana's in the fruit bowl. These banana and choc chip muffins are my usual go to recipe, as is this yummy banana cake, but I wanted to find another way to use up over ripe banana's. Who knew banana's in flapjacks were so good? They make the flapjack lovely and squidgy. Just the way I like them!

Banana and Peanut Butter Flapjacks

Favourite Flapjack Recipes

I've got quite a few flapjack recipes on the blog, but by far and away the most popular are these Honey and Peanut Butter Flapjacks

Honey and Peanut Butter Flapjacks

I also really like these flapjack recipes from fellow food bloggers:
Carrot Cake Flapjacks from Tin & Thyme
Pineapple, Banana and Chocolate Flapjacks from Tinned Tomatoes
Cherry Oat Bars from A Mummy Too

Step By Step Banana and Peanut Butter Flapjacks

Melt the peanut butter and honey in a heavy bottom saucepan over a medium heat. Keep stirring to prevent the mixture catching on the bottom of the pan.

Honey and Peanut Butter

Next you need to mash the over-ripe banana's with a fork and add it to the peanut butter and honey mixture.

Mashed Banana

Then its time to stir in the gluten free oats. I added in a handful of chopped walnuts too but it's completely optional.You could try chopped dried apricot if you wanted to make them more fruity.

Making Flapjacks in a saucepan

Press the flapjack mixture into a lined baking tin and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Leave to cool before cutting into squares. They will keep for up to 10 days in an airtight container.

Banana and Peanut Butter Flapjacks


Top Tips For Making Banana and Peanut Butter Flapjacks

  • These flapjacks are refined sugar free but if you like your flapjacks on the sweeter side add 150g light brown sugar when you melt together the peanut butter and honey.
  • Add chopped dried fruit or nuts such as walnuts or pecans for added texture and taste. A large  handful should be enough.
  • If you're not too keen on peanut butter, replace it with salted butter. The same goes for honey, if you prefer golden syrup use that instead. The result will be a lot sweeter (and obviously not refined sugar free anymore!
Banana and Peanut Butter Flapjacks

Banana and Peanut Butter Flapjacks


Banana & Peanut Butter Flapjacks
Baking
Baking, Gluten Free
Yield: 12

Banana & Peanut Butter Flapjacks

prep time: 8 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 28 mins
Healthy and nutritious banana and peanut butter flapjacks sweetened with honey. These are gluten, dairy and refined sugar free.

ingredients:


  • 200g Peanut Butter
  • 200g Honey
  • 3 Over Ripe Banana's, mashed
  • 400g Gluten Free Oats

instructions:


  1. Preheat the oven to 180° (160°fan) and line a 20x30 baking tin with baking paper.
  2. In a heavy bottomed pan melt the peanut butter and honey over a medium heat.
  3. Stir through the mashed banana's then mix in the oats. Keep stirring until everything is combined.
  4. If you want to add any extra's like chopped dried fruit or nuts, now is the time. Press the mixture into a tin and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Check after 15 minutes.
  5. Let the flapjack cool before cutting into 12 squares.

NOTES:

Calories and nutrition for 1 flapjack
calories
301
fat (grams)
10.7
sat. fat (grams)
2.2
carbs (grams)
46.3
protein (grams)
8.9
sugar (grams)
19.2



Nutrition Information




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Banana & Peanut Butter Flapjacks

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Golden Syrup and Oat Cookies

These golden syrup and oat cookies are perfect with a cuppa or glass of milk for the kiddies. They taste very much like flapjacks too!

Golden Syrup & Oat Cookies

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Beth Sachs
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Roasted Rhubarb with Orange & Honey

Roasted Rhubarb with Orange & Honey


Roasted rhubarb with an orange and honey glaze. A perfect accompaniment to Greek yogurt for a healthy breakfast.

Roasted Rhubarb with Orange & Honey

I love rhubarb, particularly the colour and delicate taste of forced rhubarb, which is a lovely vibrant pink and quite sweet compared to its outdoor counterpart. I found myself with a bag of forced rhubarb the other day and decided to roast it with orange and honey to make it into a chunky compote. It's fabulous served with plain Greek yogurt, but also good with a bowl of creamy custard. Does anyone  remember those rhubarb and custard boiled sweets you used to be able to get from the newsagents? I loved those!

Roasted Rhubarb with Orange & Honey

Forced Rhubarb & The Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle

You can find forced rhubarb from mid December to early March, with field grown rhubarb usually available from April to June. The famous Yorkshire rhubarb triangle is a nine square mile concentration of forcing sheds between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell. Mature plants (often two or three years old) are 'forced' by being lifted from the soil late in the year and grown in warm, dark sheds, where they send out bright pink tender stalks with pale green leaves. Traditionally, harvesting the rhubarb takes place at nighttime using candlelight, and when it's quiet in the forcing shed, you can often hear the creaking of the rhubarb stalks as they grow.

Health Benefits

Forced rhubarb stalks contain high levels of polyphenols known for their anti-oxidant properties, and are packed with vitamins and minerals including calcium. Rhubarb is also really low in fat too. Be careful not to eat the leaves though, as they are very poisonous. 

Roasted Rhubarb

Step by Step Instructions for Roasted Rhubarb

Trim the rhubarb stalks and give them a quick wash under the tap. Cut the rhubarb into 3cm lengths and place in a baking tin.

Rhubarb


Squeeze over the juice of an orange, a little dark brown sugar and honey and make sure the rhubarb is coated in this orange honey glaze.

Roasted Rhubarb with Orange & Honey


Cover with foil and roast in the oven until it is cooked through and tender - which usually takes 15 minutes or so.

Rhubarb covered in foil


Once the Rhubarb is cooked, let it cool down to room temperature before spooning into an airtight container.

Roasted Rhubarb
The rhubarb can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. In my opinion it's best served with thick Greek yogurt for a healthy breakfast or snack. You can also use it as the base for a quick crumble.

Healthy Breakfast Idea's

The new year always see's me (and this year my husband too) on a healthy eating kick. Below are a few more idea's for healthy breakfasts.

Slow Cooker Porridge

Slow Cooker Porridge

All the hard work gets done the night before with this slow cooker porridge (and it really isn't very hard), so in the morning all you need to do is lift the lid off the slow cooker and serve. A yummy warming breakfast for colder days.

Fruit and Nut Oat Bars

Fruit and Nut Oat Bars

These healthy fruit and nut bars are great for breakfasts on the run! I take a few of these to work with me as I try and go swimming first thing and eat breakfast at my desk. These can be frozen so I tend to make a big batch, freeze them individually, then pull out however many I need the night before.

Cherry & Almond Muffins

Cherry and Almond Muffins

These cherry and almond muffins also make great on the go breakfasts. You can alter the berries to what's in season. Blackberries would work well, as would blueberries.

Roasted Rhubarb Recipe

Roasted Rhubarb
Breakfast, Fruit
Yield: 4

Roasted Rhubarb with Orange and Honey

prep time: 5 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 25 mins
Roasted forced pink rhubarb with an orange and honey glaze. A perfect accompaniment to Greek yogurt for a healthy breakfast.

ingredients:


  • 5 Rhubarb Stalks, washed, trimmed and then cut into 3cm lengths
  • 1 TBSP Dark Brown Sugar
  • 100ml Honey
  • Juice of 1 Orange

instructions:


  1. Preheat the oven to 180°c (160° fan). Place the trimmed rhubarb in a roasting tin.
  2. Sprinkle the sugar over the rhubarb then squeeze over the juice of 1 orange and drizzle over the honey. Make sure the rhubarb is coated in the glaze. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
  3. After 15 minutes take the foil off the rhubarb and place back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
  4. Let the roasted rhubarb cool before transferring to an airtight container if not using immediately. Otherwise, spoon the rhubarb and juice over some thick Greek yogurt.

NOTES:

Calories and nutrition is for 1 serving only
calories
119
fat (grams)
0.2
sat. fat (grams)
0
carbs (grams)
31.3
protein (grams)
1
sugar (grams)
28.4


Nutrition Information


More Ways To Use Rhubarb

Rhubarb & Strawberry Crumble

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

Simple Rhubarb and Gin Jam from Fab Food 4 All
Rustic Rhubarb Galette from Tin and Thyme
Rhubarb Curd from Foodie Quine

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Roasted Rhubarb Pin

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Apple & Blackberry Crumble

I'll let you into a secret. I often have leftover crumble for breakfast (well, it is kind of healthy as long as it doesn't have too much sugar) and this one is really yummy!

Apple and Blackberry Crumble

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Beth Sachs
3 Comments
Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken


Slow cooked tender chicken strips, vegetables and pineapple chunks in an easy homemade sweet and sour sauce. The kids will love it!

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

It's turned a bit chilly here in Cornwall over the last few days, and when the weather turns cold, I turn to my trusty slow cooker for meal inspiration. This yummy sweet and sour chicken recipe is made in the slow cooker, but the sauce is finished on the hob to get that beautiful glossy sheen. It really is very easy but more importantly super tasty.

I love my slow cooker (I think I might have mentioned that before!). Such little effort needed for great tasting food in return. However, I've always had a bit of an issue getting a sweet and sour sauce just right. When I've made it in the slow cooker previously, it's turned out a bit watery (still tastes great though). This time I decided to reduce the sauce on the hob with a cornflour paste and a bit of sweet chilli sauce, to help thicken it. It made a huge difference to the finished dish and was well worth the extra 5 minutes of effort just before serving up.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

Tried and Tested Slow Cooker Recipes 

Before I let you in on the secret recipe, it's probably a good time to tell you that I have lots more slow cooker recipes on the blog. All equally yummy and take just minutes of preparation. Here are some of my favourites.
Slow Cooker Bolognese

Slow Cooker Chicken and Sweet Potato Korma

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

Step By Step Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

Back to the recipe and this slow cooker sweet and sour chicken couldn't be easier to make. Firstly, place your chopped veggies at the bottom of the slow cooker basin. You can use any veggies you like, but I used carrots, peppers, onions and garlic. Keeping it simple for the kids is the way to go...unless you have very unfussy kids.

Veggies for the Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour
Then cut the chicken into bitesize pieces, coat in a little flour and place into the basin on top of the veggies.

Chicken

The sweet and sour sauce is made from a mixture of cider vinegar, soy sauce, tomato puree, sugar, pineapple juice and stock. Just mix it together in a saucepan before pouring on top of the chicken and veggies.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
Once everything is in, pop it on low for between 6 - 8 hours and add the pineapple chunks right at the end (to stop them turning to mush). As I mentioned before, once it's cooked I remove the chicken and veggies to a plate and pour the sauce into a saucepan, adding 3 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce and a paste made from cornflour and water. Whisk the sauce over a medium high heat until it comes to the boil and starts to thicken. Then you just continue to cook it until you get your desired consistency.

Thickening Granules

It's worth mentioning the thickening granules I sometimes use in place of cornflour, to thicken sauces. You can usually find them by the gravy and stock cubes in the supermarket. You just add the required number of teaspoons based on the volume of liquid you have and just like magic it thickens up almost instantly. If you see the thickening granules when you're next in the supermarket, I'd definitely give them a go!

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

Top Tips For Making Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

  • If you like your food hot, add a chopped red chilli along with the vegetables.
  • The recipe can be easily doubled to feed a crowd.
  • Alternatively the sweet and sour chicken freezes well too, so why not make double and freeze half for another day?
  • Make it veggie by omitting the chicken and adding extra vegetables.
  • Serve the sweet and sour chicken with long grain rice.
Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken


Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken
Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker
Yield: 4

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

prep time: 15 minscook time: 8 hourtotal time: 8 hours and 15 mins
An easy slow cooker sweet and sour chicken recipe with red peppers, carrots, pineapple.

ingredients:


  • 400g tin Pineapple rings in juice (you need 2 rings (chopped) and all juice reserved for this recipe)
  • 1 Carrot, peeled and cut into batons
  • 1 Red Pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 Onion, sliced
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  • 2cm Ginger, peeled and chopped
  • For the sauce:
  • Reserved juice from the tin of pineapple
  • 2 TBSP Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 TBSP Tomato Puree
  • 50ml Cider Vinegar
  • 1 TBSP Soy Sauce
  • 1 Chicken Stock Pot
  • Other ingredients:
  • 4 Chicken Breasts, cut into chunks
  • 1 TBSP Plain Flour
  • 3 TBSP Sweet Chilli Sauce
  • 1 TBSP Cornflour plus enough water to make a thick paste
  • 2 Spring onions, chopped to garnish plus 1 TBSP sesame seeds.

instructions:


  1. Place the carrot, pepper, onion, garlic and ginger at the bottom of the slow cooker.
  2. Toss the chicken with 1 TBSP flour and place in the slow cooker.
  3. Make the sauce by whisking together the sugar, tomato puree, cider vinegar, soy sauce, pineapple juice and stock pot and add 2 TBSP boiling water to melt the stock pot. Pour onto the chicken and veggies.
  4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir through the pineapple chunks then spoon the chicken and veggies onto a plate. Pour the sauce into a saucepan on a medium high heat on the hob. Mix in 3 TBSP of sweet chilli sauce and the cornflour paste and whisk until the sauce boils. Keep stirring until you get the desired consistency. Spoon the chicken and veggies back into the sauce and serve with rice, chopped spring onion and sesame seeds.

NOTES:

Nutrition is for 1 serving.
calories
419
fat (grams)
6.1
sat. fat (grams)
1.6
carbs (grams)
32.4
protein (grams)
56.8
sugar (grams)
25.5


Nutrition Information



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Sweet and Sour Chicken in the Slow Cooker

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Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne

This slow cooker beef chilli is probably my favourite slow cooker meal of all time, although this sweet and sour chicken is going to run it pretty close I think. 

Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne

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Beth Sachs
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Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese


Ever fancied a Hawaiian Pizza in pasta form? This Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese recipe combines salty gammon, sweet pineapples and sun dried tomatoes with creamy mozzarella. Perfect comfort food!

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese
Regular readers will know I'm a bit of a macaroni cheese fiend. I have various incarnations of macaroni cheese on my blog, my favourite at the moment (apart from this one of course), and perfect for using up odds and ends of cheeses from Christmas, is my Leftover Cheeseboard Macaroni Bake. Macaroni Cheese is my ultimate comfort food, especially in the winter when it's dark and cold outside. It really is a hug in a bowl and the more cheesy the better.

If a recipe has cheese and pasta in it, I'm already won over. I do enjoy pimping up my basic recipe though, which is how this Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese was born. I'm a pineapple on pizza lover (although if you're not just don't add it in) and I can't believe how good it was in this macaroni cheese. The sweetness of the pineapple complemented the salty gammon and creamy mozzarella perfectly.

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese

Favourite Pasta Recipes

Here a few more of our favourite family pasta recipes to try. They are all really easy to make and you'll be pleased to know all include cheese!

Spicy Sausage Meatball  Pasta Bake

Spicy Sausage Meatball Pasta Bake

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

Honey Ale Mac 'n' Cheese

Honey Ale Macaroni Cheese

Step By Step Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese
Making macaroni cheese from scratch is pretty simple. First you need to make a roux by melting 50g butter in a pan over a medium heat.

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese
Once the butter has completely melted stir in 50g plain flour and cook for 2 minutes. This roux thickens the sauce and makes it lovely and silky. Slowly add the milk whilst whisking continuously over a medium heat until it starts to thicken. Take the pan off the heat ready for the next stage.

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese
Now it's time to add your cheese and the other ingredients. Here we've got 200g Extra Mature Cheddar and 200g Mozzarella, a dollop of Dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper and 1 tsp of oregano. I also sometimes add a splash of cider vinegar, which gives it a lovely subtle tang.

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese
This Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese wouldn't be complete without the chopped gammon (I used leftover gammon from Christmas), chopped pineapple and a good tablespoon of red pesto for a bit of added flavour.

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese
Then it's just a case of stirring in the cooked macaroni (I've used 200g here) and scattering over some sun dried tomatoes and a bit more mozzarella. To finish the recipe, place the pan under the grill until the top is golden and bubbling.

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese

Top Tips for making Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese

  • Make it spicy by adding a pinch of chilli powder at the same time as the cayenne pepper.
  • Make it veggie by omitting the gammon and replacing it with cooked and chopped vegetarian bacon or sausages.
  • Fresh basil leaves scattered on the top would be a colourful addition to the dish.
  • Use different cheeses such as Stilton and Gruyere.
  • Make a double batch and freeze half for another day. The recipe given here serves 5 with a side salad.
Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese
Pasta, Dinner
Pasta
Yield: 5

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese

prep time: 15 minscook time: 10 minstotal time: 25 mins
Fancy a Hawaiian pizza in pasta form? This Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese recipe is comforting and decadent and combines salty gammon, sweet pineapples and tomatoes and creamy mozzarella, finished with a sprinkling of oregano.

ingredients:


  • 50g Butter
  • 50g Plain Flour
  • 600ml Milk
  • 200g Extra Mature Cheddar, grated
  • 200g Mozzarella, grated (plus extra handful for the top)
  • 1/4 TSP Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 TSP Dried Oregano
  • 1 TBSP Cider Vinegar
  • 1 TSP Dijon Mustard
  • 3 Pineapple Rings, Chopped
  • 200g Cooked Gammon or Ham, chopped
  • 1 TBSP Red Pesto
  • 200g Cooked Macaroni Pasta
  • 6 Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped

instructions:


  1. In a large pan, melt the butter then stir in the plain flour. Cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Whisk in the milk and keep whisking over a medium heat until it starts to thicken.
  3. Take the sauce off the heat then stir in the cheese, cayenne, oregano, Dijon mustard and cider vinegar. Stir until the cheese is melted in.
  4. Spoon through the gammon, pineapple and red pesto, before adding the cooked macaroni pasta.
  5. Preheat the grill for a few minutes. Scatter over the extra mozzarella and the sun dried tomatoes then grill for a few minutes until golden and bubbling.

NOTES:

Calories and nutrition are for 1 serving.
calories
594
fat (grams)
41
sat. fat (grams)
24.8
carbs (grams)
24.6
protein (grams)
33.2
sugar (grams)
11.9


Nutritional Information



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Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese

Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese
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A salty and sweet macaroni cheese recipe using sweet potatoes and crumbly feta cheese. Perfect with a slice of garlic bread and green salad.

Sweet Potato Macaroni Cheese

More Recipes

For more comfort food recipes have a look at my recipe index and don't forget to follow Jam & Clotted Cream on Pinterest for lots of family friendly recipe inspiration. I'm also sharing my Hawaiian Macaroni Cheese with Easy Peasy Foodie for #CookBlogShare
Read more »
Beth Sachs
8 Comments
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