(thank you Ben & Jerry’s for that)

Be honest with me.

When you see {Gluten Free} is that a turn off?

I’m never sure if I should just slip in “Gluten Free’ or shout if from the roof top.

When you read gluten free, do you assume that whatever is pictured must have a weird texture or funny taste?

Because these muffins are really good! Yes, they happen to be gluten free, but not because they have funky earthy ingredients, but because oats ground into flour make damn good muffins.

For my non-Gluten Free friends, please give them a chance. Then let me know in the comments below what you think. Deal?

I know this is a post about Wholesome Chunky Monkey Muffins but when your kitchen is graced with such beauty as this bouquet of flowers, it’s hard to keep the camera off of them.

One of the many reasons I love going to our local Farmers Market each week. We’ve met some really great people, who happen to be flower farmers.

While I’m certain it has its challenges, waking up to fields of flowers must be an enchanting way to begin the day.

Back to these muffins. From the minute they come out of the oven, the sweet wholesome aroma will speak to your taste buds.

Hello….

You’re going to love my texture. Love my nutty sweet flavors. And most certainly want to share the love with your friends and family.

Chunky Monkey Muffins are moist, with nutty banana flavors, sweetened with chocolate chips.

I’m generally a savory breakfast girl, but there’s something special about a slightly sweet muffin with a cup of coffee. It’s kind of like having a biscotti with your coffee.

Are there recipes that remind you of a favorite vacation that you’d like to see us recreate? I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps the recipe love fresh).

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best,
xo Libby

Pin It For Later!

The post Wholesome Chunky Monkey Muffins {Gluten Free} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

It all began with an overripe bunch of bananas.  I bought them with the best smoothie intentions.  Before bed last night I declared Banana Cake is going to happen.  Thanks to Pinterest and Sprinkle Some Sugar this holy amazingness happened.  On Easter Sunday.  Banana Upside Down Cake is a recipe you’ll want to remember.

Melt a stick of butter in your cast iron skillet.  Stir in a cup of brown sugar love. Top with a layer of banana slices then pour in your tender cake batter.  Ease into Banana Upside Down Cake with confidence.  This super simple recipe will fill your kitchen with sugary butter love.

Start to finish one hour.  It will be the most celebrated hour you’ve spent when your family takes their first bite.  Amazing.

Recipe source Sprinkle Some Sugar.

Print

Banana Upside Down Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10 -12

Author Sprinkle Some Sugar

Ingredients

For the topping (bottom of the pan)…

• 6 Tbl. butter melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 bananas sliced 1/4″ rounds

For the cake…

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup mashed bananas about 2 medium
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 eggs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt butter in cast iron skillet. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Arranged sliced bananas over brown sugar. Once inverted this will be the top of your cake.
• In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Then add in remaining ingredients and stir until well combined (but not overworked). Pour batter over bananas.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cake cool for 5 minutes then turn out onto a large plate. Don’t wait longer to invert or the caramelized sugar will stick to the pan.
• Best served warm.

The post Banana Upside Down Cake appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

She requested a Hummingbird Cake.  

It was about six months ago and it went something like this.  Oh. My Word!  You have GOT to make a Hummingbird Cake and share it on Lemony Thyme.  And with me.  Of course you have to share it with me.

On that day, I had never heard of a Hummingbird Cake.  Which made it all the more intriguing.  A quick Google search and I quickly learned that one Mrs. L.H. Wiggins shared this recipe with Southern Living magazine in 1978.  If it’s still popular 35+ years later, it was high thyme to share it here.

Weeks went by, then months since Bethany requested a Hummingbird Cake.  As her birthday month grew closer I developed a new enthusiasm for making what I would now call a classic cake.

When I find myself wide awake between 3:30 and 4:30 am (I blame it on age), instead of tossing and turning in frustration…I pick up my phone and surf Pinterest.  And that is where I discovered Dried Pineapple Flowers.  While I had good intentions of taking pictures every step of the way…day light was dwindling and I still had a Hummingbird Cake to bake.  Annie’s Eats has this gorgeous how-to tutorial which is precisely what I followed.

Recipe note:  the instructions call for cutting the pineapple very thinly, so that it’s almost transparent.  I attempted this first with my mandolin but I struggled to get full slices.  I used a sharp knife and cut them as thin as I could.  Not transparent but thin, which required a little extra time in the oven.  Then they continued to air dry overnight.

Back to this heavenly Hummingbird Cake.  I adapted this recipe from Paula Deen.  It’s basically a banana flavored spice cake that is super moist yet light.  Cream cheese frosting gives it a carrot cake feel and adding chopped pecans was spot on.

Happy Birthday Bethany.  As always, happy to share your day with you and always happy to share my newest recipes. xoxo

Bethany and I have a lot in common.  We face most Mondays with enthusiasm and drive towards making Healthy Choices.  Often by mid-week this is us.  Just one of the many reasons I love this girl.

Print

Hummingbird Cake {with Pineapple Flowers}

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For dried pineapple flowers…

• 1 fresh pineapple

For Hummingbird Cake…

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 sticks butter softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas about 4 medium
• 1 8- ounce can crushed pineapple
• 2 cups chopped pecans

For cream cheese frosting…

• 2 sticks butter softened
• 2 8- ounce block cream cheese softened
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

For dried pineapple flowers…

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut top off fresh pineapple. Then peel it and remove eyes. Thinly slice pineapple, so it is almost transparent. Lay slices on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turn over slices and back for an additional 30 minutes or until they begin to dry and lightly brown on edges. Remove from oven and transfer slices to a muffin tin, so they take on the shape of flowers. Allow to continue to air dry overnight.

For the Hummingbird Cake…

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 9-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Reserve.
• In a large bowl, beat together sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beating until just combined after each addition. Then add in the bananas and pineapple and beat until combined.
• Equally divide cake batter into prepared pans. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

For cream cheese frosting…

• Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add in the confectioners sugar; beat until smooth and creamy. Spread frosting between each layer, then spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Press chopped pecans into frosting on lower half of cake. Arrange pineapple flowers in desired pattern.

The post Hummingbird Cake {with Pineapple Flowers} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I delivered Praline Banana Nut Muffins to my office yesterday morning.  It’s how I {Share the Love} with 35 of my favorite people.  Here’s how they show me the love.  To quote a co-worker “I felt like I was eating a muffin from some gourmet bakery when I had yours.  It was AMAZING!!!  Totally worth the sweet cheat.  Thank you for sharing!!!”  Now that motivates me and makes me smile.

This fabulous recipe has evolved over the years.  When I first spotted the Banana Nut Bread pictured on the cover of my January 2005 Southern Living I knew I would love the recipe.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  And I did fall in love with it.

I have since turned the recipe into muffins and added a double layer of ‘Praline’ topping.  They have a secret ingredient which makes them light, like a cup cake vs. a muffin. That ingredient is cream cheese, which gets beaten with butter before adding sugar and eggs.  Then the dry ingredients are incorporated.

The recipe makes 24 nice sized Praline Banana Nut Muffins.  The star is the cinnamon crisp topping.  Oh my.  Well then there is the praline glaze.  I really could categorize these as a dessert but sometimes you need a sweet start to the day.  Enjoy.

Print

Praline Banana Nut Muffins {Share the Love}

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Author adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

For the muffins…

• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1 8- ounce package cream cheese softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas about 4 medium
• 1 cup pecans toasted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the cinnamon crisp topping…

• 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted peacans
• 1 Tbl. flour
• 1 Tbl. melted butter
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the praline glaze…

• 2 Tbl. melted butter
• 2 Tbl. brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Instructions

For the muffins…

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper-liners.
• Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
• Combine flour and next 3 ingredients, gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until just blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

For the cinnamon crisp topping…

• Stir together topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over muffin batter. Bake at 350 for 22 – 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Remove from pans and place on rack over a shallow rimmed baking pan.

For the praline glaze…

• Combine glaze ingredients, whisking to incorporate brown sugar and melted butter. Drizzle a spoonful over each muffin. Allow muffins to cool completely.

The post Praline Banana Nut Muffins {Share the Love} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

French Toast is one of my favorite breakfast foods.  Start with slices of bread, any kind of bread….nutty, grainy, fruity, thick sliced, thin sliced, sweet or savory.  In this instance we set up a White Bread with pine nuts in our bread machine the night before.

Dip the bread slices in beaten egg, that’s been seasoned or sweetened.  Grill the slices in a little melted butter until browned nicely.  Then top with…well in this case bananas that have been caramelized in butter and brown sugar.  A little sprinkle of chopped walnuts and a drizzle of New Hampshire maple syrup.  I think I may have to make Caramelized Banana Nut French Toast for breakfast or dinner real soon.

Print

Caramelized Banana Nut French Toast {Breakfast for Dinner}

Course Breakfast

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 4 slices bread
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbl. milk
• dash of cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 banana sliced
• 2 Tbl. butter
• 2 Tbl. brown sugar
• 2 Tbl. chopped walnuts
• maple syrup
• butter for frying

Instructions

• Beat eggs with milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.
• Dredge bread slices into egg mixture, turning until both sides of each slice are well coated.
• Heat large skillet over medium heat, add butter to coat pan.
• Pan fry bread slices turning when underneath side is nicely browned.
• Remove to warm plate until all slices have been cooked.
• Add butter & brown sugar to pan and stir until combined and bubbly.
• Add banana slices and gently turn to coat, continue cooking 2-3 minutes until bananas are well coated and warmed through.
• Plate 2 slices of french toast, with caramelized bananas, chopped walnuts, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

The post Caramelized Banana Nut French Toast {Breakfast for Dinner} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.