A huge welcome to our newest writer and my local colleague, Mary Voogt of Just Take A Bite! I’m thrilled to have Mary on the KS team.
She brings her knowledge of food allergies (her kids have a plethora of them, with coconut being the newest – even on the skin!), getting creative in the kitchen, and picky eaters and SPD, along with the experience gained as a mom in the trenches, like so many of us.
I hope you’re as intrigued by this simple recipe as I am – totally trying it this week, if we have enough eggs to go around! –Katie
Summer is in full swing! The weather is nice. You’re spending lots of time playing in the yard, at the beach and at the park. Life is great.
Until you’ve got hot kids begging for a snack or a special treat.
No need to turn on the hot oven or throw nutrition out the window with packaged food just because you’re busy having fun. Instead of chasing down the ice cream truck, try this three ingredient no cook banana custard or its counterpart – sea salt caramel custard.
Nutrition in One Key Ingredient
The main ingredient in three ingredient no cook banana custard is egg yolk!
Egg yolks are packed with vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B-12, vitamin D and iron. Egg yolks are great for your brain…perfect for keeping kids on track while school is out. Plus the nutrients stay intact and are easier to digest when the yolks are eaten raw (just make sure they are quality eggs!).
For the banana custard the yolks are combined with banana and a touch of honey. The banana adds more nutrients plus some starch for energy. It’ll keep the kids going all afternoon.
Custard is even great for the littlest member of the family. Simply leave out the honey and you can give banana custard to babies six months and older (just be sure to watch for reactions since eggs and bananas can be allergenic).
If you are used to eating foods low in sugar you can try leaving the honey out as well. The banana may add enough sweetness to the custard depending on your tastes.
This works well for a breakfast that can keep the kids going with energy and nutrients. Add some fresh berries and a sprinkle of granola to complete the meal.
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ ripe banana
- 2 tsp. honey (omit if serving to a child under age 1)
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 Tbs. maple syrup
- ¼ tsp. unrefined sea salt
- Place all of the ingredients for your chosen flavor in a bowl (about the size of a soup bowl).
- Beat on high with a hand mixer for 3-4 minutes, until the yolks thicken and turn a lighter yellow.
- Serve immediately.
Yum
Note from Katie: Egg yolks from well-raised chickens (allowed to be out in the fresh air, eating good food, etc.) have very little risk of contamination. It’s only if the eggs actually carry salmonella that you’re going to have a problem, and the enzymes in the eggs plus some of the other health benefits are actually negated by cooking, so there’s some added benefit to eating them raw. It’s definitely been ingrained in us to never ever do it, but how many times have you (or most people) eaten raw cookie dough anyway? With trusted eggs, I wouldn’t hesitate to consume them raw as in this recipe.
Try Something New
If you are looking for more a of a treat you can turn this into sea salt caramel custard! It is still packed with nutrients, only contains three ingredients and only takes a couple of minutes to prepare. But it tastes like an indulgent dessert.
The combination of maple syrup and unrefined sea salt tastes just like salted caramel (and believe it or not contains essential minerals from both the syrup and salt). Add three nutrient packed yolks to that and you’ve got a dessert your body and your taste buds will love.
Even babies can enjoy a bit of the sea salt caramel custard. Maple syrup is safe in very small amounts for babies six months to one year. So they can try a few bites of the original or eat a modified version with just a touch of sweetness.
I like to give my kids egg yolks a few times a week for extra vitamins and minerals and to help with brain development. Custard is a fun and delicious way to accomplish this. Note that it is best not to give eggs/yolks every single day. Although eggs are healthy eating the same food each day can lead to an intolerance or allergy. So be sure to rotate and give variety.
The other great thing about custard is that you only need a bowl and a beater to make it. No fancy gadgets and no big mess.
What about the rest of the egg?
No need to waste the egg whites. You can save them for baking. They’ll stay good in the refrigerator for weeks!
This custard is so easy that older kids can make it themselves. Separating eggs into whites and yolks and using a hand mixer are great skills to learn. Let them practice all summer long!
Are you looking for easy breakfasts and snacks that aren’t void of nutrients? Three ingredient no cook banana custard or sea salt caramel custard only take a few minutes to make, are packed with nutrition, and are safe for breakfast, snacks or dessert for the whole family.
I just made this recipe this morning for a special breakfast treat for my kids. It was great! They absolutely LOVED it! The only thing I did, aside from what the recipe says, was to put it in the freezer for a few minutes to get a good chill on it. I always buy so many eggs from my poultry farmer (can’t help myself!) so am always looking for ways to use them. Thank you!
What a great idea, Dawn! I’m so glad you enjoyed the custard.
Raw egg yolks? So, I’m thinking you’re not as freaked out about that as a lot of people. Can you address that?
If you use pastured eggs from a farmer you trust there should not be an issue with using raw egg yolks. They are actually very good for you! The nutrients stay in tact when not heated and are easier to digest.
Hi! I was a little bit concerned also about raw yolks…..???
Hi Jay and Wendy,
Egg yolks from well-raised chickens (allowed to be out in the fresh air, eating good food, etc.) have very little risk of contamination. It’s only if the eggs actually carry salmonella that you’re going to have a problem, and the enzymes in the eggs plus some of the other health benefits are actually negated by cooking, so there’s some added benefit to eating them raw. It’s definitely been ingrained in us to never ever do it, but how many times have you (or most people) eaten raw cookie dough anyway? Thanks for the question; we should have included that in the post! 🙂 Katie
I love that you are brave enough to recommend a raw egg custard. I have never been afraid to eat raw eggs but I must say I hear from many clients and customers that they are afraid of eating raw eggs. I am going to post this on our website and see what kind of comments and feedback I get from our moms! I will try this myself. Thanks Suzanne from Gimme the Good Stuff
Thanks for sharing, Suzanne! I hope you get a good response. Quality egg yolks really are packed with nutrients.
We have lived in Japan for 2 yrs now and they put raw egg on all kinds of things. The whole fear of raw egg thing seems to be something ingrained in Americans. I have to say though that the eggs in Japan are unlike anything I’ve had in the States except the very best free range, organic eggs. They are a little more pricey at about $2 for 10 medium/large size eggs but more economical than the $4/dozen organic eggs I would buy at a local farmers market in the States. Such yellow, thick, tasty yolks. I won’t buy the American eggs our military commissary ships in because they look so pale, watery and sickly compared to the Japanese ones. American egg farming should take note.
Those eggs sound wonderful, Jaime! And what a great price. You are so lucky.
At the top of the recipe it says cooking time is 1 minute, but the directions say nothing about cooking. I’ve never made custard before, so am not sure how to or if to cook it or not.
Sorry that was confusing, Carol – the recipe format in the background requires that “cooking time” but really it should just be “assembly time” for this recipe. No cooking required at all! 🙂 Katie
Instead of just comparing it to cookie dough, remind people that raw egg *yolk* is what they eat any time they order over easy or sunny side up eggs, or soft boiled/poached. People do that all the time even with less safe/healthy eggs at Waffle House and every other breakfast restaurant without gasping about it.
Really good point, about the Sunnyside-up eggs! I have a whole bag of new things I’m confronting, changing my perspective on…like Diatomaceous Earth and fermented foods. Baby steps!
So true, Dana! I think it is more egg white that people worry about.
I’ve made these several times now and LOVE the taste! But I don’t get anything resembling a “custard” – it is just a super delicious liquid. Any idea what I’m doing wrong or how I can fix it?