Upside Down Apple ‘n’ Oat Mini Cakes from Laura Theodore’s Vegan-Ease

I’m happy to be sharing this wonderful recipe today, from the new paperback release of Laura Theodore’s Vegan-Ease cookbook. The beautiful hardcover came out a few years ago, and now you have the option to get it in a handy paperback!

Laura’s mission is to provide nutritionally-dense recipes that are easy to make at home. Her recipes often only require a few ingredients, and you may even have all of them right on hand, with no special purchases needed to make them. She also appears on public television, on her podcast, and in the 5 cookbooks that she has published. Learn more about Laura here.

One thing I’ve heard from people over the past several months is that they’ve been engaging in more stress eating, and their snacks of choice aren’t always the healthiest. Families are busy with work, homeschooling, and finding the time to get everything done, so meals need to be quick and easy. The recipes in Vegan-Ease can help in all of these areas. Just a few ingredients come together to make simple, delicious meals that the whole family will love.

During the original hardcover release, I posted the recipe for this Spinach-Tomato Omelet.

The recipe I’m sharing today is very flexible, and can be a wonderful dessert, breakfast, or healthy afternoon snack. Let us know if you make them!

Upside-Down Apple ’n Oat Mini-Cakes

Recipe excerpt from: Laura Theodore’s Vegan-Ease

Makes 6 servings / Ease Factor 1      

These supremely nutritious little cakes make a generous dessert—plus, they easily double as the perfect breakfast treat.

• 1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups sliced ripe bananas (2 large or 3 medium)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons raisins
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Liberally coat a six-cup jumbo muffin pan with vegan margarine.

Put the sliced apple, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl and stir to coat. Arrange one-sixth of the coated apple slices in the bottom of each of the six jumbo muffin cups.

Put the bananas and 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl and mash until smooth, using a potato masher or large fork. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts. Spoon one-sixth of the oat mixture over the apple slices (filling the cups about two-thirds full) and smooth the tops, using a rubber spatula.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm to the touch and slightly golden. Put the pan on a wire rack and loosen the sides of each cake with a knife. Let cool for 5 minutes. Invert the pan onto the wire rack, releasing the cakes, apple side up. Brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Let cool for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator, leftover cakes will keep for about 2 days.

Recipe from Laura Theodore’s Vegan-Ease: An Easy Guide to Enjoying a Plant-Based Diet  ©Laura Theodore 2015, 2020. Reprinted by permission. Distributed by Cardinal Publishing. More information at www.jazzyvegetarian.com. Signed copy on sale, available here. Available on Amazon here.

Amount per serving, based on 6 servings:  192 Calories; 4g Fat; 0g Saturated fat; 4g Protein; 3mg Sodium; 35g Total Carbohydrate; 21g Sugars; 4g Fiber