"clean" hummingbird cake

my version of Hummingbird cake....a delish #clean version...very dense and moist! #hummingbirdcake #cleaneats #foodporn #healthydessert #healthy by @nikkiclearypta

When I was pregnant (with all three of my kids, I would go up and visit my best friend Ashley in Tampa. She and I would walk over to a local deli and indulge in the most delicious Hummingbird cake with cream cheese frosting. In the last two years, i have been on a journey to kick my sugar (aka the legal cocaine) addiction. Baking was a big part of my life and for a while,I just had to stay away from it all. Now, I have been experimenting and I came up with this recipe to help satisfy my "sweet tooth".

Pre Heat oven to 350
Combine:
1 cup oat bran
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup ground flax
3/4 cup organic coconut sugar
add:
1/2 to 3/4 cup of my homemade apple butter (you can use unsweetened apple sauce)
3/4 cup egg beaters
2 mashed bananas
8 oz can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
mix in:
1/2 cup low sugar craisins
1/2 cup flax seeds
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup unsweetened coconut

Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake in pre heated oven for 1 hour!

Live Health. Live Happy.
Nikki

"clean" granola

Ingredients:
5 cups old fashioned oats
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
2/3 cup molasses (once i used 1/2c molasses and filled to 2/3 with honey)
1/2 cup agave
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups homemade apple butter (unsweetened) and 1/2 cup almond butter (unsalted)

2/3 cup millet
2/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
2/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup dried cherries (unsweetened)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped dated

Combine molasses, honey, agave, apple butter, almond butter and vanilla. Add in cinn, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves, stir till smooth. Mix in oats. Add the four cups of dried fruits, millet, nuts and seeds. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with olive oil. Press the mixture into baking pan until tightly packed. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until edges turn a darker brown. Remove from oven and brush a thin layer or molasses over the top to give the granola a nice shine. Eat warm (It will be crumbly, but DELISH) or serve at room temp. Note: will store in freezer in air tight container for at least a month, thaw as needed.

I found the original recipe from www.goodlifeeats.com
***edited Jan 2012: I have made these 2 more times since October and my family and clean eating friends can't get enough. If you are allowing your self a real treat you can crumble into lowfat frozen vanilla yogurt!***