Blueberry Banana Breakfast Bake

Alliteration at it's finest.  A healthy, breakfast bake that's tasty, too!  I am always looking for breakfast meals that I can make in advance.  I also actively search our recipes that don't use dairy (although I find butter to be not a problem - and if it is, just replace it with your favorite oil).  This breakfast bake can be made to eat on the day, but it's also great cooked in advanced - you can bake, cool, slice, and freeze.  Easy breakfasts or snacks during the day!  Enjoy!

A fresh slice of blueberry banana breakfast bake, ready to eat! 

Blueberry Banana Breakfast Bake
Makes one pie-dish size breakfast bake - serves about 8

Beat well, until nice and frothy:
2 small, overripe bananas
1/3 cup organic sugar
3 eggs

Add and mix thoroughly:
1 cup canned coconut milk (mix together the thick/liquid parts (can easily be done if you heat it all a little))
1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
6 Tbsp melted butter

Add, mixing until well combined:
3/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Fold in:
1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Pour into a buttered pie dish.  Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.  This stores perfectly in the refrigerator and you can reheat pieces any time!  Enjoy!

Freshly made blueberry breakfast bake! 

Real Pumpkin Donut Holes!!!

Delicious hot, gluten-free pumpkin donut holes, made with lots of freshly baked (or canned) pumpkin puree!  These were a huge hit among all the family and friends that enjoyed them together.  I was grateful the recipe made so many, so we had a few extras.  For us, it's the time of year when we celebrate Hanukkah by frying anything and everything. (Maybe not everything, but it's a fun excuse to make and eat fried foods.  Our favorite savory food to make is  latkes (potato pancakes).  They're delicious served with homemade applesauce or sour cream.  I love stacking them with smoked salmon and a dollop of sour cream.  But, it's also fun to make donut holes, too!  These are a fun late fall/early winter treat!  Enjoy! 

Real Pumpkin Donut Holes!!!
makes ~60 donut holes

I love to bake my own pumpkins, for that extra fresh pumpkin taste.  You can bake similar-style squash, like acorn squash, if pie pumpkins aren't available anymore. 

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 3/4 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 - 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Start heating 1" Avocado Oil (or other frying oil of your choice, but this makes the MOST delicious crisp edges on the donut holes) in a high-sided frying pan over medium to medium-high heat OR in a deep-fryer.  *I aim for 350F to 360F*

I have fallen in love with a small deep-fryer that I have now.  I find it eliminates a good deal of mess.  I tend to strain and then re-use frying oil several times, just adding extra oil as needed, particularly if frying non-meat/fish items like donuts.  I'll use this again for Navajo tacos, hand-held fruit fry pies,  samosas,  and even latkes (potato pancakes)! 

Add to your dry ingredients, and mix in thoroughly until smooth:
1/4 cup oil (i like avocado oil, but any will do)
1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (fresh, homemade or canned 100% pumpkin)
4 eggs

Mix with a spoon until thoroughly combined.  Let rest 5-10 minutes.

Line 1 cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper to place donuts after cooling a bit and/or rolling in cinnamon-sugar.  Line 1 cookie sheet with a double layer of paper towel to place cooked donuts to drain.

Prepare a small bowl of cinnamon sugar to roll donuts after frying:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon 

Use a small (1 Tbsp) sized cookie scoop to scoop pumpkin batter into the hot oil.

Let the pumpkin donut holes cook until browned on one side before flipping to the other side. (Often, I find they mostly flip themselves).  I usually give them about two minutes per side.  A lighter brown will give you a softer donut hole and a darker brown will give you a more crispy donut.  I prefer a darker brown.

Remove donuts to paper towel-lined pan to drain/cool.   Repeat with remaining batter.

When pumpkin donut holes have cooled enough for you to touch but are still hot, roll donuts in cinnamon-sugar and place on parchment paper or foil-lined pan OR transfer directly to foil or parchment-lined pan to eat later.

This tray was packed with donut holes by the end of frying. Yum!

Pumpking donut holes are delicious rolled in cinnamon-sugar

Enjoy!!!

I decided to make a GF pumpkin spice layer cake as an extra Thanksgiving dessert for one of my daughters who doesn't like pie unless it's a chocolate pie. But, I wanted something a little different in look and shape to accompany the pies.  My daughter LOVED this.  So much so, I made it the following week for a family dinner.  It's remarkably easy, but because of the layering, it has a fancy look.  A fun dessert that's delicious and looks beautiful.  Enjoy! 

Yum! A delicious slice of homemade pumpkin spice layer cake!

Layered & chilled. The frosting was piped for a neater look.

Serving a slice of pumpkin spice layer cake. This one was not chilled before slicing - we couldn't wait! Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a metal quarter-sized baking pan, approximately 9" x 13", 10" x 10", or 11" x 11" in size, with parchment paper.

Mix in a large bowl (It is important to mix dry ingredients first in gluten-free cooking, or you will end up with inconsistencies in the batter):
3/4 cup Kristin's gluten-free flour mix
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice + pinch of cloves (OR 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp ginger, pinch of cloves)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Add, and mix in thoroughly:
1/2 cup oil (I love avocado oil, but any cooking oil will work)
2/3 - 3/4 cup sugar

Add and mix in until nice and smooth:
2 eggs
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree will work)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (vanilla bean paste is best)

Pour into your parchment-paper lined metal baking pan.  Smooth top of batter.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, until nicely browned on top.  Cool 5-10 minutes in the pan, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, slice cake into three even pieces.  Frost and layer as follows:

Beat the following by hand OR in a mixer until nice and smooth:
2 Tbsp butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
1-2 tsp milk, added slowly, until desired thickness

You can spread the frosting with a spatula OR you can put it in a ziploc bag, then snip the corner, to pipe for a neater look. Optional, but I found this worked well for a neater looking cake: Line an oversized bread pan (just larger than the size of each slice of cake) with plastic wrap.  Gently place one slice of cake in the plastic-wrap-lined pan. Pipe the frosting on, and continue layering as desired. Top loosely with the plastic wrap and set to chill. 

It works neatly to layer in an oversized bread pan, if you have one. But if not, just on a plate or tray works well. 

TWO frosting options: 

1. Frosting on all layers & top
Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of each third of pumpkin cake.  Carefully pick up and layer the cakes on top of each other on a serving dish. *I find using two spatulas works well to pick up each piece of cake* 

2. Frosting between the layers - nothing on top. 

Pipe or spread half the frosting on one of the cake slices. Top with another cake slice. Add the remaining frosting. Top with the last piece. 

Chill frosted cake 2-3 hours, or overnight before serving.  This cake slices best when it's chilled completely.  Slice with a serrated knife when serving.   Enjoy!     

Chilled cake, slicing neatly. 

Neat slices, prepping to share with a friend. Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!