Sugar: oh how lovely you are! Unfortunately, my joints don’t get on with you so I think we should limit our meetings for now. For many people with chronic illness, and especially Lyme, sugar aggravates symptoms. This makes finding some low or no-refined sugar recipes a good idea for those with a sweet tooth. These sugar free oat banana bakes are sweetened with only a ripe banana, making them a perfect treat!
I’m a firm believer in a holistic approach to chronic illness recovery, and the food you eat can either help or hinder your healing journey. But even further than that, it’s about balance. I don’t buy into the clean eating trend because I don’t believe that food is either good or bad. Food is fuel for our body. Our job is to find the optimum fuel balance for our own personal constitution.
I eat sugar from time to time, and I don’t feel guilty about it! But when I eat a little bit too much over a period of time, my joints tell me that I need to cut back a little. That’s why I love these sugar free oat banana bakes – they really satisfy a desire for something sweet without using refined white sugar, which can increase inflammation without offering much positive nutrition.
Sugar Free Oat Banana Bakes: Ingredient Spotlight
Bananas
High in vitamin C, potassium, manganese, vitamin B6 and a range of antioxidants, bananas are truly a nutrition powerhouse.
Ripe banana is also a digestive system soother which can help joint inflammation.
Oats
Oats are the soother of the plant world! And not only do they lend their wonderful soothing properties to these sugar free oat banana bakes, they give a delightfully nutty taste as well.
Oats are also a nervine tonic, and all parts of the plant are used in medicine making (not just the yummy cereal part!). Nervine tonics soothe the nervous system and help to balance moods. Incorporating oats into your diet is a very easy way to get some of these benefits.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is probably my favourite culinary spice, and not only for it’s gorgeous flavour. It’s a warming herb and helps to stimulate the circulation and physically warm up the body. Many people with Lyme end up developing a cold, damp composition. This results in low body temperature and cold hands and feet. Some people even go on to develop Raynaud’s Disease, which is an autoimmune condition characterised by cold, painful extremities.
Cinnamon is a delicious addition to your diet which can contribute to warming you up – so they take a prominent place in these sugar free treats.
Sugar Free Oat Banana Bakes
Equipment
- Bowl
- Fork
- Lined baking tray or Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 banana
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Mash the banana into a bowl and add the oats. Combine well.
- (Optional) Leave to stand for 20 minutes. This helps the oats absorb some of the moisture and will give you a slightly chewy bake.
- Divide the mixture into 4 and shape into patties.
- Bake for 12 minutes at 180°C/350°F. This also works very well in air fryer!
Freezing
- This recipe freezes exceptionally well! Once you have shaped the raw mixture, freeze between pieces of parchment paper (to prevent sticking). When you fancy one, take it out of the freezer and bake from frozen. Simply add 3-5 minutes onto the cooking time.
Sugar Free Oat Banana Bakes: Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a tasty, sugar free treat then these oat banana bakes may just be the thing you’re looking for.
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @sarahbeatslyme if you decide to give these wonderful sugar free oat banana treats a go!