4 Ways To Make Quick and Tummy-Friendly Baked Bananas

Bananas are one of the few fruits I can really tolerate with Crohn's disease. I am able to have an apple and then things like strawberries and melon in much smaller quantities, but a banana is always a bit of a fail-safe.

One thing I'll do if I really am craving something sweet but am trying not to indulge too much is to make baked bananas. When baked, bananas naturally get a lot sweeter and gooey; almost caramel-esque. However, if you are looking for something more indulgent you can top them with all sorts of yummy things too to make it feel a bit more like a dessert. Here are a few different ways to make them...

1. Baked bananas with cinnamon and maple syrup

This one is lovely and sweet. Did you know that cinnamon actually helps our bodies digest sugar a little bit more slowly and stops sugar rushes, so it's also great to add to a dessert?

Ingredients

• One banana
• A sprinkle of cinnamon
• A teaspoon of maple syrup or honey

How to make

1. Sprinkle the cinnamon on the banana
2. Drizzle honey
3. Pop in the oven for ten minutes

2. Chocolate chip baked bananas

Buy a bag of dark chocolate chips if you can't live without chocolate. A little of these go a long way and they're perfect to add to things like biscuits, oatmeal and banana. It creates a lovely rich chocolate sauce that coats the banana.

Ingredients

• One banana
• A handful of chocolate chips

How to make

1. Simply sprinkle chocolate chips over the banana
2. Check on them after ten minutes, but you'll probably need about fifteen minutes for chips to properly melt.

3. Baked bananas and strawberry

I can't eat many strawberries, but I know they're good for me. Cooking them actually smushes them a little and makes them a little easier to digest. Again, you only need 1 or 2!

Ingredients

• One banana
• 1 or 2 strawberries

How to make

1. Finely slice strawberries
2. Place over the banana
3. Cook for 10 minutes

4. Baked bananas with toasted coconut chips

Use up those leftover coconut chips with this fun recipe.

Ingredients

• One banana
• A tablespoon of coconut chips

How to make

1. Sprinkle chips on banana
2. Cook for five minutes (to avoid burning the banana)

Crohn's and ulcerative colitis recipes

When it comes to cooking with IBD, we're all working from a different set of ingredients. Food sensitivities and dietary restrictions vary greatly from person to person, and there is no one diet recommended for Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. Check out our full list of recipes for more ideas – all from people who cook, eat, and live with IBD!