Most breakfast treats have large amounts of sugar in them and not much nutritional value. These Banana Oat Cakes are different. Yes, they do have sugar in them, but it's a modest amount, and, if you want, you can omit the step of dusting the tops of the cakes with sugar before baking them (although, the sugar on top does taste good!). The Banana Oat Cakes are soft, moist, and get much of their taste and sweetness from ripe bananas. Coconut also adds sweetness and richness to the cakes. A full teaspoon of nutmeg gives the Banana Oat Cakes warmth. The little cakes smell wonderful while baking and are great for dinner and snacking besides for breakfast. Best of all, the Banana Oat Cakes are full of whole grains and low in fat as well as sugar. So you--and Mom--don't need to feel guilty about eating one!
Banana Oat Cakes -- Makes 8
1 egg
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract
2 medium-large ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup of white whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup of regular oats (old fashioned)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
1-2 tablespoons of raw (turbinado) sugar (optional)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, and sugars. Whisk in the extracts and then stir in the mashed bananas. Add the white whole-wheat flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg, stirring them into the sugar mixture just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the coconut. Drop 8 mounds of batter (about 1/4 cup each) onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a spatula or your moistened fingers to shape the dough into rounds about 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle a little raw sugar on top of each mound, if you like. Bake the banana oat cakes for 15-20 minutes until firm and browned on top. Let them cool a few minutes before eating them.
