He was feeling much better by the second day, courtesy of a pretty tough immune system and also a great example of allowing a fever to do its work. But while he was lounging about like a Roman Emperor and no doubt figuring out how he could possibly eek out another day at home, he noticed some squishy bananas and released his inner chef. Pretty soon he was asking for help to create a recipe incorporating the bananas.

So together we sat down and penned a recipe guided by him. We don’t always see eye to eye with recipes – he’s a bit more exploratory and likes to play with combinations, whereas I play it a bit on the safe side.

We had fun creating the recipe, though, then hung out together in the spring sun in the backyard afterwards (still in our PJ’s) enjoying the fruits of our labour.

The raspberry sauce he had his heart set on making to pour over the cake didn’t quite work, but it didn’t stop him from enjoying his creation.

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Wholemeal spelt flour
White spelt flour
Baking powder
Cinnamon
Bicarbonate of soda
Desiccated coconut
Salt
Rapadura sugar

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RUSTIC BANANA, BLUEBERRY AND COCONUT CAKE

Ingredients

• 1 cup wholemeal spelt flour
• 1 cup white spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup rapadura sugar
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 3 large mashed bananas
• 125 grams melted butter
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 tablespoons natural yogurt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees celcius
• Grease a cake tin and line with baking paper
• *Blueberries don’t get added until the end
• Mix all the dry ingredients together
• Beat all the wet ingredients together
• Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined then add the blueberries and gently stir through
• Pour into cake tin and pop in the oven for 4o-5o mins or until skewer does out clean
• Leave to cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto cake rack
• THERMOMIX INSTRUCTIONS
• Mash bananas in mixing bowl 5 sec/speed 6
• Add softened butter (not melted) and sugar and beat 20sec/speed 4
• Add eggs and yoghurt and mix 10sec/speed 4
• Add remaining ingredients and combine 20sec/speed 4
• Pour batter into a bowl and gently fold in blueberries
• Pour into cake tin and bake 40-50 minutes
• Pour into cake tin and pop in the oven for 4o-5o mins or until skewer does out clean
• Leave to cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto cake rack

Most kids love pancakes for breakfast and they are super handy to pop into lunchboxes for a healthy treat.

It is enough for breakfast, and to pop into kids lunchboxes with a spread of raw honey and/or for savoury lunch pancakes. You can cook up the whole batch or save the wet ingredients in the fridge to cook up later.

If you’re looking for some lunch inspiration, take a look at my recipe ebook, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes. It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved!

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Sunflower seeds
Chia seeds
Spelt flour
Buckwheat flour
Cinnamon
Aluminum-free Baking powder
Raw honey
Milk

The standard pancakes I make my kids use low- gluten flour, good quality eggs, milk and butter, which are all full of wonderful goodness.

As an experiment, I decided to add in some extra protein/good fats/healthy carbs in the form of ‘seed-meal’ (my term for ground-up seeds). Adding in some ripe banana  and cinnamon proves to be a great way to reduce the amount of sweetener required, whilst boosting that all important tryptohphan which helps to keep their spirits up for the day. The experiment was a success with the kids gobbling these down with glee!

To save time, you can even make this mixture the night before, ready to be turned into these tasty little delights in the morning.

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Banana Cinnamon Pancakes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons raw honey optional
• 1-2 cups milk we do 1 cup because we like a nice thick pancake
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 2-3 medium ripe bananas mashed

Instructions

• Process seeds in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs
• In a bowl mix the mix the seeds, flour, baking powder and cinnamon
• In a separate bowl mix honey, milk, eggs and bananas
• Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients
• Pop a medium frypan on medium heat and melt some butter or coconut oil (I like using a mix of both)
• Ladle in the pancake mixture and flip once sizzling
• Serve on it's own, in lunchboxes or with some whipped cream and berries.

If you make these pancakes please do take photos and send them to me.

If you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook. I get a total kick out of seeing you bring my recipes to life.

You may also like to try my Favourite Granola Recipe too.

Enjoy!

Bren x

My kids have different palates, one loving banana muffins, the other preferring anything that has even a passing resemblance to berries in it. But they both love coconut, which not all kids do.

In order to stop myself going completely na-na by making multiple batches, I base my mixture around banana, and create varying flavours from there.

According to your little blighters’ tastes (or your own), try adding dark choc chips to the plain banana, or add raspberry or strawberry to the mixture to make those flavours dominate. You can even increase the amount of cinnamon or coconut to your little heart’s desires!

Because muffins are the 8^th wonder of the world, it’s hard to go wrong. With the mix ‘n match, it’s impossible!

They are great for breakfast, afternoon tea, and make a perfect healthy lunchbox snack.

If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration, take a look at my new recipe ebook which is getting rave reviews, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes.

It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved!

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Spelt flour
Baking powder
Salt
Coconut sugar
Desiccated coconut
Ground cinnamon
Milk
Vanilla powder

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Mix ‘n Match Muffins

Lunchbox friendly

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 125 gms melted butter slightly cooled
• 1 egg
• 1.5 cups milk I ran out of milk so used natural yoghurt this time and it was yum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 medium ripe bananas mashed
• 1/2 cup berry of your choice we like raspberries and blueberries, add a full cup if adding to the whole mixture

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a 12 hole muffin tin
• In a large bowl sift spelt flour, baking powder and salt. Add coconut sugar, desiccated coconut and cinnamon and mix well
• In another bowl add butter, egg, milk and vanilla essence and stir well
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients then add banana and stir until mixed through but make sure not to over stir (if mixture appears a little dry you can always add another egg or a bit more milk)
• Spoon the banana mixture into half the muffin holes, filling the hole to ¾ full
• Then add your preferred berry to the remaining mixture and gently stir through and spoon the mixture into the remaining holes
• Sprinkle muffins with desiccated coconut
• Bake in oven for 20-25mins or until lightly golden brown

If you make this recipe please do take photos and send them to me.

If you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook. I get a total kick out of seeing you bring my recipes to life.

And remember, if you haven’t already, grab your copy of Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes here.

If you liked this recipe you may also like these  other delicious muffin recipes –

Date & Cinnamon Muffins

Apple & Carrot Muffins.

Bren x