Crock Pot Banana Bread Quinoa
PIN IT!Guys, I have to come clean about something. I’m having an affair. Now, before y’all get all crazy on me, it’s not a Lifetime movie affair here. Instead, just a dirty, elicit, down right nasty affair with an appliance. To be blunt, I’m cheating on my stove with my crock pot. But, do you blame me? This gorgeous hunk of appliance has made so many delicious things for me since it’s arrival, like the over night apple crisp and now this crock pot banana bread quinoa.
Now, this is easily something I could have made on my stove. But you know what? I don’t want to sit by the stove for 30+ minutes. On a Friday night. When I could be drinking wine and watching Lifetime. SO! I threw the ingredients into my sexy KitchenAid machine and let it do all the work. Because you know what? When you cook as much as I do, it’s nice to have something else do all the work sometimes.
Moving on from the affair talk, let’s chat about quinoa.
I’ve had it before, and I’ve been okay with it. It’s good, kinda chewy, tastes a bit like strange rice and barley. But never really cared all that much about it. Despite it’s superfood qualities (like 8 grams of protein per serving!). However, I think that’s because I never had it slow cooked with bananas, brown sugar and butter. I think that was my main problem right there. But then again, if you slow cooked cardboard or dirty socks with bananas, butter and brown sugar I’m pretty sure that would taste great too.
Friends, the reason this is named “banana bread quinoa” and not just “banana quinoa” is because it tastes EXACTLY like banana bread. With each spoonful you think you are eating a moist, right outta the oven slice of banana bread. Except since it’s protein packed quinoa, it’ll stick to your guts a little longer.
If your family (or picky husband) refuses to eat quinoa because “it looks weird” or “it sounds too healthy” disguise it to taste like banana bread. You’ll have them eating out of your hands (or in this case, directly out of the crock pot) in no time!
Crock Pot Banana Bread Quinoa
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Yields about 6 1/2 cup servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of quinoa (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/2 cup of Seasonal Coffee-mate Warm Cinnamon Sugar Cookie *
- 1/2 cup low-fat milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 banana (past ripe)
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Mash the banana in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the brown sugar and walnuts together.
- Pour quinoa, creamer (or light cream), milk, water, butter and vanilla into the crock pot. Add the mashed banana and stir to evenly distribute. Sprinkle the sugar and walnut mixture into the quinoa and stir to mix.
- Cook on low for 4 – 6 hours, or until the quinoa is fully cooked. If you need to, add additional liquid or sugar to the mixture for taste.
- Serve warm and garish with slices of banana!
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 260
Fat: 7 grams
Carbohydrates: 38 grams
Fiber: 2.5 grams
Protein: 5.5 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 6
I can't wait to try your quinoa recipe; it looks heavenly!
This sounds so delicious! I still haven't ventured over to sweet quinoa, I'm totally tempted by this!!
http://www.organicauthority.com/health/what-the-heck-is-coffee-mate-creamer.html
I did make a modified version of your recipe and it was delicious
I'm looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Glad I found you!
I posted my experiences making this recipe on my blog.
http://bloginspiredcooking.blogspot.com/2013/04/alternative-breakfast-bowl-banana-bread.html
The quinoa didn't seem to keep me full for very long, so maybe I'll mix quinoa and steel-cut oats next time.
I'd recommend rinsing it!