Love these ideas? Also try my Overnight Oats 5 Ways and porridge like Oatmeal 8 Ways.

Viral TikTok Inspired Baked Oats Improved

Baked oats have been around for a years and became very popular from a TikTok recipe.

The difference between these and baked oatmeal is that the ingredients for baked oats are all pulverized in a blender leaving the oats ground up fine, and with baked oatmeal the oatmeal is left whole and everything is just stirred together in a mixing bowl.

Though the ingredients between the two are very similar their textures are quite different. These are more muffin-like while baked oatmeal is more like a chewy oat breakfast casserole. Both are so delicious just unique in their own way.

I tried the viral version of baked oats but felt it was a bit spongy so modified it based off what I thought would offer a better texture (less egg and banana, adding liquid, etc). And I couldn't resist adding a dab of butter, feel free to add two if you'd like for richer oats.

Try all the tasty flavor variations to discover your personal favorite! I'm still trying to pick a favorite myself because I love all of them.

Watch the Video!

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Like this Winter version? Also try my go-to classic fruit salad recipe filled with summer fruit.

Winter Fruit Salad Recipe

Typically we think of fruit salads as a summer side dish but there's still an abundance of fruit in season during winter so why not take advantage of that and make a healthy winter fruit salad?

I first shared this recipe eight years ago and we've made it several times each year since. It's so good it almost passes as a tempting dessert!

This is a great dish to add to a holiday menu because there are often lots of heavy sides served but this is a light, refreshing and nutritious option to help balance those out a bit.

You'll find this inviting fruit salad is so easy to make and it adds so much festive natural color to your table.

Just keep in mind the most important thing about a fruit salad is the quality of the fruit. You want the fruit to have a sweet ripe flavor and firm enough texture that it won't get mushy.

From there the honey and lemon will just balance and highlight all of it's natural, fresh fruity goodness.

The Best Coffee Smoothie Recipe! 

Who doesn't love a quick breakfast that makes mornings easy? One that also satisfies hunger, tastes great, and contains simple ingredients you may likely already have on hand. This quick coffee banana smoothie checks all the boxes. 

Made with just a handful of ingredients, it’s sweetened without any refined sugars and has an irresistible rich chocolate mocha taste. Plus, with the addition of oat flour, it’s super thick and creamy and can easily be turned into a coffee smoothie bowl, too. 

You can even make it with decaf coffee so that it’s suitable for those who are sensitive to caffeine.

I’ll show you how to make it in minutes so you can whip it up in no time, no matter how crazy your mornings may be. And on those days you have a little extra time top it with fresh whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream to keep it vegan) and chocolate sauce for a real treat!

One sip of this exceptionally flavorful smoothie and you'll instantly fall in love!

Homemade Banana Pudding

This banana pudding recipe has it all. The pudding is made with half and half for richness, egg yolks, and cornstarch for a sure thickening, and just the right amount of sweetness, and to fancy it up we add a vanilla bean and freshly grated nutmeg for flavor.

Then it includes a generous amount of just ripened bananas, and of course those simple but ever so nostalgic store-bought vanilla wafers. And no baking is required—just a quick chill in the refrigerator.

It's as good as it gets!

This is a year-round dessert that's perfect for a holiday celebration, a welcome addition to a weekend dinner, or just because you want a treat yourself kind of indulgence today.

Serve it up laid-back casserole-style in a baking dish or make it more elegant and serve it in individual tumblers or dessert cups. I also love the visual of layered pudding in a trifle bowl.

Have family or friends help with this fun layered cooking project that once complete is amazingly refreshing and satisfying with each and every bite!

The Tastiest Green Smoothie!

The great thing about this healthy smoothie is that there's no spinach flavor. You wouldn't believe how the fruit hides the flavor of the spinach even though there's a hefty 2 1/2 packed cups of it.

Even my kids love this smoothie! My daughter says it tastes like pie. And I love that it's a breakfast or midday snack I feel great about feeding them. No artificial flavors or colors, and it's not a bunch of empty carbs (like some of those sugary cereals they like). Plus it keeps us full until lunch.

We call it the Grinch smoothie because even if a food doesn't look so appealing to kids if you give it a fun name it can make all the difference.

Sometimes it comes out with a prettier green than others (who knows it must be the batch of spinach and berries) but every time we love it just the same. I always look forward to breakfast when I know I've got everything stocked to make this! I've been hooked on it all summer.

It's quick and easy, perfectly filling and satisfying, and just perfectly delicious! Who knew healthy could taste so good?

Homemade Acai Bowl Recipe

These acai berry bowls are one of the ultimate ice cold, refreshing treats on a hot day! They count as both a superfood-packed breakfast or a healthy dessert, and they're incredibly filling.

I was first introduced to these on a trip to Hawaii, and I've been hooked ever since. Now I try to make at least one a week for my family.

Believe it or not, you'll pay upward of $12 - $15 for one bowl, so making them at home is a cheaper alternative, and they taste equally as good!

And it's such a straightforward, fool-proof recipe. The blender or food processor does most of the work.

The Best Fruit Salad Recipe

I first shared this recipe 5 years ago but it's one of my favorite recipes, so for new readers or in case you missed it I thought it needs to be revisited. Plus I thought this exactly what mom's want on Mother's Day for brunch paired with waffles, crepes or Eggs Benedict!

I know Skittles are good, but I'm thinking this has got to be the right way to get a taste of the rainbow. This blend of colorful fruits all come together to make a gorgeous rainbow, made with healthy ingredients!

Kids will love this this fruit salad and it is an easy way to get them to eat plenty of fruit at once.

Watch the Video!

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A Fruit Salad Dressing without Cream or Pudding

Plus this version is so much butter than those frozen whipped topping fruit salads.

This recipe shows you how to make fruit salad without the heavy, creamy fruit salad dressing that you're used to seeing. It leaves plenty of room for all the flavors of the fruit to shine without drenching it in sugar and other random flavors.

Plus it doesn't use any of those packaged pudding mixes. Why should we coat all the vibrant and incredible flavors of the fruit with an artificial flavor from a pudding mix?

Let's not ruin a good thing like fresh fruit by coating it with packaged ingredients where we can't even pronounce the ingredients on the label.

All it takes is a little honey and lime to really make that fresh fruit sing. 100% natural honey and lime make this fruit salad shine (literally and figuratively).

Homemade Hummingbird Cake

I think of this cake as banana cake meets the tropics, in that it is loaded with bananas, laced with fresh pineapple, and covered in sweet, toasted coconut.

It will remind you a lot of banana bread, but with a bonus of decadent cream cheese frosting, of course. There are so many delicious flavors and perfect textures in this cake.

The cake has a nice tender thanks to the sugar and bananas and it has a nice moist crumb thanks to the vegetable oil, it's dotted with juicy bits of crushed pineapple and crunchy toasted pecans, and it's finished with a creamy, lightly tangy frosting and finished with crisp bits of toasted coconut (or chewy coconut if you like it un-toasted).

It's an old-fashioned style cake that will likely remind you of home. Made from scratch and sure to please!

Photography credit: Jenn Davis from Two Cups Flour.

A Green Smoothie That Tastes Great!

Well, the holidays were fun and worth every calorie but now back to real life. The life where we aren't living on cheesy dips, cookies after every meal, dessert before dinner, chocolate around every turn and pie for days.

This smoothie is a great start to a healthy diet for the new year! It's the perfect way to pack in some fruits and veggies into your diet and it actually does taste delicious.

This isn't one of those healthy green smoothies that you just have to pinch your nose and choke down. This is one of my favorite green smoothies and I like that it's not packed with calories.

My daughter who normally hates spinach loves this Strawberry Spinach Smoothie so that's proof they really are good! Healthy eating can be enjoyable.

It's a a tried and true recipe you'll use time and time again! Continue reading as I share step by step pictures and a video to learn how to make it.

The All Time Best Homemade Banana Bread Recipe!

Banana bread has been one of my favorite treats since I was a kid, so after 30 years I hope by now I could have perfected it :).

My easy banana bread recipe uses staple ingredients that I always keep on hand, so when those bananas turn from vibrantly yellow to golden and well speckled you'll know exactly what to make with them.

Watch the Banana Bread Video Below

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This really is one of the easiest baking recipes! You don't even need a mixer. Just back to basics with a few bowls, a spatula and a whisk. The hardest part is just waiting for it to bake and cool. That smell of a loaf of fresh banana bread is heavenly.

Every time I make this ultra moist banana bread we polish it off in no time. There's just something so comforting about a loaf of homemade banana bread. I think it takes us all back home because we all ate it growing up. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!