Banana Oatmeal Cups with Sweet Potato Frosting
Vegan, healthy, gluten free and refined sugar free - what more could you want in a delectable sweet treat?! These oatmeal cups are delicious and a great on the go breakfast!
Some days we just need a sweet treat! But what if we could have one which is not overloaded with sugar and dairy? These banana oatmeal cups are fabulous on their own (cue: quick breakfast on the go!) but - like anything - even better with "frosting" on top.
But this is not any frosting, this is a healthy frosting! This frosting is made from sweet potatoes, coconut oil, unsweetened cacao powder, dates and agave nectar. It may initially sound unusual but trust me, it's delicious! I first came across sweet potato frosting in this recipe which is one of my favorite healthy cake recipes. Over the years, I have made it many many times (and really should make it again asap!).
The frosting in the cake recipe is a fabulous lemon flavored one but I wanted to enhance the chocolate flavor of the oatmeal cups. The batter for these oatmeal cups contains semi-sweet chocolate chips so it seemed like a great addition. You want to use semi-sweet chocolate because otherwise the whole sweet treat becomes too sweet. Since there is already banana in the batter as well, you don't need the extra sweetness of a milk chocolate (be it vegan or not).
I mean, aren't these cute?! If the frosting was green, it would almost look like little Christmas trees with the oatmeal cup being the tree stump! Hmmmm...I'm getting some ideas for our Christmas breakfast as I write this!
On top of some of the oatmeal cups, I added cacao nibs for texture (you know me and my love for texture). I added some grated chocolate on top of others (if cacao nibs is not your thing). Since the rest of the recipe is refined sugar free, I would suggest you use a sugar free chocolate as well (for the grated chocolate on the top and for the chocolate chips in the batter). There are some great options out there, for example this chocolate sweetened with dates.
Will you make these oatmeal cups soon? Or how about my Small Batch Vegan Oatmeal Caramel Cups?
Vegan, healthy, gluten free and refined sugar free - what more could you want in a delectable sweet treat?! These oatmeal cups are delicious and a great on the go breakfast!
- 1 large banana or 2 small bananas
- 1 cup oats (blended into oat flour)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar free)
- cacao nibs (optional)
- grated semi-sweet chocolate (optional)
- 280 grams sweet potato (0.6 pounds)
- 1 cup water
- 4 dates
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
Peel the sweet potato and cut into cubes. Add to a pot together with the cup of water and the dates. Bring to a boil, lower temperature and simmer for 15 minutes until the sweet potato is soft. Drain well.
Add to a blender together with the unsweetened cacao powder, coconut oil, salt and agave nectar. Blend until very smooth, then add to a bowl. Put the bowl into the freezer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. That will thicken the frosting up nicely.
While the frosting is in the freezer, bake the oatmeal cups.
Mash the banana(s), then add to a bowl together with the oat flour, coconut milk, melted coconut oil and salt. Mix together, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Spray 6 cups of a metal muffin baking tray with oil.
Fill the muffin cups well and bake for 30 - 35 minutes. They should be crispy on the outside and done on the inside.
Remove from the muffin form and let cool off on a cooling grid until fully cooled off.
I used a non-stick muffin baking tray so I didn't grease it.Remove the bowl of frosting from the freezer and mix with a spoon. Add to a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled off oatmeal cups. Sprinkle with cacao nibs and/or grated semi-sweet chocolate. Enjoy!
