Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes are the perfect way to use up those ripe bananas. These fluffy pancakes have a bit of applesauce for added moisture with plenty of fresh banana and chocolate chips for added sweetness.
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Specializing in Brunch, Desserts and Cocktails
Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes are the perfect way to use up those ripe bananas. These fluffy pancakes have a bit of applesauce for added moisture with plenty of fresh banana and chocolate chips for added sweetness.
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by Holly 16 Comments
This Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole has a warm, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon sauce. It is my family’s favorite breakfast recipe of all time. A generous heaping of Granny Smith apples gets coated with a light dusting of cinnamon and sugar before baking it in the oven. The perfectly, moist and sweet french bread absorbs all the eggy goodness overnight. Ohhh that sauce, that sauce, that sauce! It just makes my mouth water thinking about it.
Um, did I mention that sauce yet? Look how it just gets poured over those beautifully baked apples. The aromas from this dish are just pure punishment when you have to wait for your company to arrive. Maybe just a little nibble won’t be noticed. 🙂 Have you ever just said heck with it and ate a bite or 2? I plead the 5th on this one.
An overnight brunch recipe makes life soooo much easier in the morning when you are expecting guests and have other stuff to cook (and a few more piles of toys to hide from company still). I am still working on engineering a toy trap door that is able to suction all toys into a secret compartment not to be found by anyone. Oh well, we do what we can…clean house (uncheck), happy kiddos (check), happy tummies from french toast (check, check).
I think it is becoming alarmingly apparent that I have an unhealthy obsession with all things cakey and sweet. This is an unfortunate genetic defect that has affected my ability to eat other foods since childhood. I am happy to announce that I have successfully transitioned to a balanced diet after years of eating french toast for dinner as a child. Yes, I was a bit picky and spoiled…my mini me is following in my footsteps (headache approaching).
If you like this Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole, check out this Peach French Toast with Rum Chata Sauce, or Pumpkin French Toast with Butterscotch sauce (yummmmmy)!
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Add milk; continue mixing until mixture is bubbly and thickens.
This Green Smoothie with Spinach is perfect for a healthy snack or breakfast with green apple, pineapple, banana and a bit of fruit juice. Add a scoop of Chia seeds for added health benefits including fiber and protein.
It is so easy to grab unhealthy snacks when life gets hectic, so I’m always trying to think of ways to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet. A smoothie is by far the easiest way to load up on multiple servings of them. I like to alternate between a Kale and Berry Yogurt Smoothie or this leafy green one. Banana Split Overnight Oats are also a great, quick and easy breakfast to start your day off right.
I love that you can easily pack in 2 or 3 cups of spinach into one of these beauties. Pineapple and green apple keep things green and vibrant with the added benefit of an extra bit of sweetness. In fact, enough to make this healthy drink enticing to even the pickiest 4 year old (miracle). You just have to sneak in veggies however you can, right?
I like to use skim milk in mine but a milk substitute would work as well. I used white grape juice in this recipe to maintain the green coloration and add additional flavor. You could also add a bit of pineapple or apple juice. Whatever is on hand would do just fine. Smoothies are quite versatile, just do a quick taste test and add additional items as needed to make it to taste.
Since you saved calories by drinking a healthy Green Smoothie with spinach, you are now enjoy a Blueberry Lemon Muffin or S’mores Granola Bar.
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This Green Smoothie with Spinach is perfect for a healthy snack or breakfast with green apple, pineapple, banana and a bit of fruit juice. Add a scoop of Chia seeds for added health benefits including fiber and protein.
Add all ingredients to a blender bowl and blend until smooth.
These flavorful, Banana Split Overnight Oats are the perfect quick and healthy breakfast idea. Quick oats get combined with your choice of milk with vanilla Greek yogurt, fresh strawberries, bananas and crushed pineapple. A bit of honey gets added for sweetness with the option of Chia seeds or your favorite chopped nuts.
I eat oatmeal for breakfast almost daily and have been a huge skeptic of the idea of eating it cold. I decided to finally give it a whirl and wanted to ensure it was anything but bland. The thought of having a banana split for breakfast just gives me all the right feels. I must say this combination definitely doesn’t disappoint. The sweetness from the fruit with a bit of honey has me feeling like I’m really treating myself in the morning. I’m ready for all the colors and sweetness of spring. Get out of here 4-8 inches of snow tomorrow!
You can use cow’s milk for these Banana Split Overnight Oats or your favorite substitute. I used good old fashioned skim milk for mine. A small scoop of Chia seeds will give you added calcium and fiber for a happy (and dare say regular) digestive tract. You can use this recipe as a base recipe for numerous additions such as cocoa powder, peanut butter, coconut, chopped nuts and your favorite fruits. The combinations are limitless and add so much excitement to an otherwise boring weekday breakfast menu.
I have trouble with time management (must be hereditary) and try to prep these after I make my kids’ lunches for school. It is a huge relief not to worry about what to have for breakfast in the morning and a huge time saver. No cook time and no waiting for hot oats to cool off. This gives me more time to herd cats in the morning which can be quite relentless.
Looking for more quick breakfast ideas? Homemade Smore’s Granola Bars are popular with the kids and make a great base recipe for your favorite dried fruits and nuts. A Kale and Berry Yogurt Smoothie is nutritious, creamy and delicious.
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These flavorful, Banana Split Overnight Oats are the perfect quick and healthy breakfast idea. Quick oats get combined with your choice of milk with vanilla Greek Yogurt, fresh strawberries, bananas and crushed pineapple. A bit of honey gets added for sweetness with the option of Chia seeds or your favorite chopped nuts.
Combine oats, yogurt, Chia seeds and milk in a mason jar.
Top with strawberries, bananas, crushed pineapple and honey.
Seal and chill overnight.
by Holly 31 Comments
Add a festive Candy Cane Crescent Roll Breakfast Pastry with a cream cheese and cherry filling to your Christmas brunch. It is sure to impress with minimal effort for a breezy Christmas treat. Beware, little hands are guaranteed to snatch it up for a taste of that yummy glaze drizzled over the top.
Candy canes have been on my mind the last few days with the arrival of December. How the heck did that happen? Anyway, it doesn’t get more festive than a candy cane inspired treat! I’ve been wanting to experiment with a crescent roll pastry and thought it would make the perfect looking candy cane with a cherry topping peeking through. I couldn’t do just cherries, so I added some cream cheese filling for one of my favorite pastry flavor combinations. Feel free to use strawberries as well if you aren’t a cherry fan! I’m in love with the flaky outer layer smothered in glaze…hello lovely!
The most difficult party of this recipe is getting the candy cane shape right. I did have to move things around a couple of times to get the curve that I wanted. After that, it was super easy adding the cheese and cherry filling, and folding over the triangle ends over for a lovely striped effect. I ended up adding 2 extra triangle ends to the top of the candy cane to make the stripes more symmetrical. It did take every last inch up of my cookie sheet as you can see.
My 5 year old daughter has turned into quite the little photography assistant. She loves doing hand modeling and holding reflector boards (minimal hand shake involved). However, her favorite part is biting into the finished product. She told me her favorite part was the white icing (more sugar please for optimal hyperactivity). Okay, I literally just caught her licking the icing off of another piece of this Candy Cane Breakfast Pastry. Hold on now…time to drop them off at Grandma’s house!
No Christmas brunch would be complete without a Cranberry Orange Mimosa Float and my favorite Broccoli Cheddar Strata with Blender Hollandaise sauce…SO good! Once brunch is officially consumed, have a Crockpot full of Cranberry Mulled Wine on stand by to keep things interesting. Be sure to visit my Cocktail Page for more great ideas.
HOLIDAY FAVORITES
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts are bursting with flavor from concentrated cider and applesauce. A cinnamon and sugar topping adds the perfect extra bit of sweetness for a delightful fall treat!
I’m so obsessed with these doughnuts! Last year, I did Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts with a cream cheese icing, so I wanted to do something great again for fall. My family trip to Eckert’s Farm left me with a gallon of beloved apple cider and I couldn’t think of anything better than cider with doughnuts (besides booze).
Losing that luscious apple flavor was a major concern due to the sweet topping and bit of spice. I decided to amp things up by using concentrated apple cider; which is easily accomplished by boiling a cup of apple cider on medium/high heat until it is reduced by about half. I added a bit of apple sauce for extra flavor and moisture. How could things get any better than that? Well, they sure did! I mixed my remaining concentrated apple cider with a bit of melted butter for the topping. Complete apple cider overkill at its best!
Don’t be afraid to really coat’em in that sweet, cinnamon goodness!
That cinnamon sugar topping tho! I brushed on a bit of my apple cider and butter mixture and gave them a good dip on both sides. It is highly recommend that you eat these beauties while they are still warm for maximum enjoyment. They are easily stored in a bowl covered with foil to avoid that sweaty effect that you get from storing certain confections in Tupperware. The doughnuts remained fresh and the topping stayed on beautifully.
I can’t tell you how scrumptious these appley beauties turned out. Just remember to hide several for yourself before they are demolished without warning. I think we ate the full dozen of these in a few days. You know when you tell yourself , just a half and the other half beckons to you like an evil siren. Resistance was futile!
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These Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts are made with concentrated apple cider and are topped with cinnamon and sugar.
Add the apple cider to a small saucepan and heat to medium/high until the apple cider begins to boil. Continue boiling; stirring occasionally until the apple cider is reduced to around half. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat until combined. Pour in the melted butter, buttermilk, apple sauce and apple cider; continue beating until combined.
Add the batter into greased doughnut pans; filling no more than 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for around 12 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.
In a small bowl; combine cinnamon and sugar for the topping.
Brush the melted butter over the cooked doughnuts and dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated.
Serve warm for best results!
These delectable, Blueberry Pancake Bites are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast for busy weekday mornings. Top them with a maple glaze or serve them warm with a side of syrup. They will disappear in a flash.
My kids are absolutely obsessed with all things pancake or waffle for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The possibilities are just endless with lemon poppy seed, pumpkin spice, tiramisu, chocolate mint , red velvet (you get the point). Yes, we do have the occasional brinner around here and it makes us all the happier. I’m not what you would call a morning person, so these are the perfect weekday breakfast solution. Make these ahead of time and pop them in the microwave in the morning and get an extra 30 minutes of sleep…you’re welcome!
A cookie scoop is just perfect for filling up mini muffin cups. Press a few blueberries on top and add an easy, maple glaze. This is particularly useful, when your kids hide their Kindle under their pillow at night and won’t get up in the morning. No need to wait around for them to eat…just hand them a little bag and off you go. God, I love mornings and Blueberry Pancake Bites!
I added a bit of maple syrup and glazed around half of this batch. You can skip the glaze and dip’em if you so desire. My daughter ate several of them as a snack after school and seemed to like them just as much without it. I’m still trying to figure out how she suddenly became a fan of blueberry pancakes only in bite-size form. I literally, thought there was going to be a war when her uncle started eating the leftovers. You just don’t mess with a girl’s pancakes.
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IS IT FRIDAY YET?
These Blueberry Pancake Bites are the perfect on-the-go breakfast with a maple glaze.
Whisk together lemon juice and milk; set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a mixing bowl; combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture; add egg and lightly whisk.
Add milk mixture, vanilla and melted butter. Lightly stir until combined.
Fill greased muffin tins around 2/3 of the way full. Lightly press 3 blueberries in each top.
Bake for around 11-12 minutes or until baked through.
In a medium bowl; combine powdered sugar, maple syrup and milk. Whisk together until smooth and drizzle over the tops of cooled muffins.
These Homemade S’mores Granola Bars are a great snack idea for the kids. They are easily made and require no baking with marshmallows, chocolate chips and crushed graham crackers. A bit of honey and molasses give these bars the perfect, chewy texture.
My kids are obsessed with these granola bars. As they are, with all things marshmallow and chocolate. I like to make a batch of these over the weekend and pack them for school snacks throughout the week (if I don’t eat them all myself). The biggest hurdle, is trying to keep little hands from stealing all the ingredients before getting everything in the mixing bowl. I’ve created mini little food blogging monsters. I caught them having a food photography session with their Leappad and fake kitchen food. My daughter, told me she wants to open a bakery when she grows up. The youngest wants to be a farmer. Sounds like a great opportunity for a farm to table bakery. Hopefully, the future farmer gets over her fear of animals…LOL.
You can easily, use this recipe as a good base and load’em up with all your favorite toppings. These bars would be great with nuts and dried fruit for a healthier option. A bit of flax-seed thrown in the mix never hurt the old digestive track anyways. The possibilities are just endless.
I started off this recipe by giving the oats a light toast in the oven for optimal granola bar flavor. While the oats are toasting, a bit of graham cracker gets crushed up in a baggie.
A bit of butter, brown sugar, honey and molasses get heated together to form the glue for a perfectly, chewy granola bar.
Allow the sauce to cool slightly; add the crushed graham crackers, chocolate chips and marshmallows. I found these Vanilla Mallow Bits at Target and they worked perfectly.
Transfer the sticky, oat mixture to a square baking pan and mash is down with the back of a measuring cup. Ensure you give the top an extra layer of marshmallow and chocolate chips!
Pop it in the freezer for around 30 minutes, cut it into rectangles and enjoy! I store mine an an air-tight container and it lasts for the week.
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These chewy, Homemade S'mores Granola Bars have crushed graham cracked, marshmallow and chocolate chips and require no baking.
Evenly spread the oats onto the bottom of a baking sheet and toast at 325 degrees for around 10 minutes; stirring around halfway through baking time.
While the oats are toasting, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan; melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Cook on medium/high eat until the sugar dissolves into the butter. Mix in the honey, molasses, vanilla and salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
After the butter mixture as cooled for a bit; stir in the oats until evenly coated. Lightly stir in the graham cracker, marshmallows and chocolate chips; reserving around 1/3 of the chocolate chips and marshmallows for the top of the granola bars.
Coat the bottom of a 9 inch square baking pan with strips of parchment paper; allowing the ends to hang over the sides for easy removal.
Add the oat mixture to the bottom of the baking pan and evenly spread the mixture. Top with the extra marshmallows and chocolate chips. Firmly press down the top with the back of a measuring cup.
Freeze for around 30 minutes until firm. Cut into desired serving size. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days for best results.
by Holly 2 Comments
These Glazed Orange Scones taste just like my favorite decadent treat from Panera! I’m in love with their cakey texture with crisp outer edges and that orange GLAZE! The perfect amount of sweet citrus taste to balance out these addictive confections.
I can remember seeing orange scones at Panera and thinking what are these biscuit-looking delights with a layer of glazey goodness? I’d never had the pleasure of sampling a scone and am so glad that I did! One bite later and I was addicted for life. I’ve dabbled with other great flavors, but have never found one that I liked as much as these beauties.
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by Holly 2 Comments
This Scrambled Egg Brunch Bread is so easy to throw together with crescent roll dough. It gets filled with layers of ham, scrambled eggs and cheese for a hearty breakfast treat that is perfect for entertaining.
My obsession with crescent rolls is evident with all the recipes I’ve been concocting lately. I just cant get enough of that crispy, flaky outer layer that can be used for the basis of so many different savory or sweet creations. I love using the dough for breakfast pastries and now, for this scrumptious brunch bread that I will be making again for Easter brunch.
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