Chocolate Cake Banana Splits, Oil- & Gluten-free; A Xylitol Review & Mini-Giveaway

Chocolate Cake Banana Split

Xylitol Canada was kind enough to send me some freebies (with absolutely no expectation of a review, let alone a positive review), including a bag of their Xyla crystals.  I baked a chocolate cake (recipe below) using this product as well as a batch of chocolate chip cookies (a Kathy Hester recipe, see photo below) and a maple pumpkin spice quickbread (see photo below).   If you’re an unrepentant sweet-fiend as I am, there are many reasons why you might want to give Xyla a try as well:

  • corn-free, gluten-free, and has no GMOs
  • 40% fewer calories than sugar; 75% few carbs than sugar
  • safe for diabetics
  • does not promote tooth decay
  • alkalizing

So how does it bake and taste?  I am very impressed with Xyla.  The look and feel is spot-on to refined sugar and I discerned absolutely NO difference in taste – even when simply stirred into tea.  The nice thing is that there is no adjustment needed in ingredients – as one must do when using stevia – Xyla is a 1:1 replacement for refined sugar.

Xyla

Along with the bag of the crystals, Xylitol included several different kinds of candies.  Since I don’t eat candy any more, I can’t tell you how these taste.  Instead, I’m giving away three cute tins of Xyla candies (cherry, watermelon, and cocoa-mint) along with a pack of their spearmint gum.  Enter the giveaway at the very bottom of this post.  It’s open until August 13 and everyone from around the globe is welcome to enter.

Candies and gum

Now – for the cake.  I have this nifty little New England hot dog bun pan that I got from King Arthur Flour (their catalog is a drug I can’t kick…) and sure, I’ve made hot dog buns with it, but I also discovered while looking through KAF’s blog a recipe for chocolate cake buns.  Stuffed with bananas, cherries and whipped cream, this was an idea I could not resist.  I went with a gluten- and oil-free version and used fresh cherries instead of those scary nuclear red ones that come in a jar – and I topped my splits with coconut cream and chopped peanuts.  These would make a fantastic treat for a child’s birthday, but since I haven’t really grown up, they’re also fantastic for “young” adults like me.  If you don’t have a hot dog bun pan, use a 9″ x 9″ pan, cut cake into pieces and top with the fixings.

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • GF All-purpose mix
  • Dandy Blend or Cafix
  • Double Dutch Dark Cocoa Powder

Sugar-free Chocolate Cake Banana Splits by An Unrefined Vegan

Vegan Chocolate Cake Banana Splits
Serves 10
Rich chocolate cake stuffed with bananas + smothered in fresh cherries and coconut whipped cream = Chocolate Cake Banana Splits! Vegan, oil-free, sugar-free.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
238 calories
30 g
3 g
12 g
8 g
3 g
87 g
250 g
3 g
0 g
10 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
87g
Servings
10
Amount Per Serving
Calories 238
Calories from Fat 104
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g
19%
Saturated Fat 3g
13%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 3mg
1%
Sodium 250mg
10%
Total Carbohydrates 30g
10%
Dietary Fiber 6g
24%
Sugars 3g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A
1%
Vitamin C
2%
Calcium
11%
Iron
13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 cups GF flour blend
  2. 2 tsp. powdered stevia
  3. 1/2 cup Xyla
  4. 1 Tbsp. Dandy Blend or Cafix, optional
  5. 1 cup unsweetened cocoa (I recommend King Arthur Flour's Double Dutch Dark Cocoa)
  6. 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  7. 1 tsp. salt
  8. 1 tsp. xanthan gum
  9. 2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp. water (whisk together and let sit for a few minutes)
  10. 1 1/3 cup nut milk
  11. 6 ounces unsweetened plain non-dairy yogurt
  12. 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  13. Bananas (about 1/2 per person), cut into rounds or sliced in half lengthwise
  14. Fresh cherries (about 6 per person), pitted
  15. Roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped
  16. Coconut whipped cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F and lightly spray pan with oil. Set aside.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, stevia, Xyla, Dandy Blend (if using), cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. In a large bowl, combine the flaxseed meal mixture, nut milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  3. Bake for 40-45 minutes, testing the center with a toothpick to make sure cake is baked all the way through. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
  4. To serve, cut about 3/4 of the way through the domed part of each of the 10 "pieces" (creating a place to put the banana) - then separate them into individual buns (cut down through the deep crevice part of the cake). Divide banana slices among buns, drizzle with coconut cream and top with cherries and peanuts.
beta
calories
238
fat
12g
protein
8g
carbs
30g
more
an unrefined vegan http://www.anunrefinedvegan.com/

Collage

 

Sugar-free Chocolate Cake Banana Splits by An Unrefined Vegan

A couple of other things I made with Xyla:

One cookie on plate.

Stack of Quickbread

Pumpkin & Maple Spice Quickbread. Click photo for recipe.

NOW: ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

Follow on Bloglovin'

47 thoughts on “Chocolate Cake Banana Splits, Oil- & Gluten-free; A Xylitol Review & Mini-Giveaway

  1. Somer

    Too crazy. I picked up my first bag of xylitol ever today after reading about it in a raw food cookbook. I don’t know how the brand I have compares to yours, but I can’t wait to try it. The store clerk warned me that it may have some unfortunate side effects in the tummy department. Only one way to find out…

    How cute is that hot dog pan, what a great idea to bake the cakes in it!

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan

      Oh cool! Be interesting to hear what you think. I’m still only going to use it sparingly, but it’s nice to have another option in the pantry. I’d heard about the “effect” it has on some folks – didn’t have a problem- much to the relief of others in the household ;-).

      Reply
  2. Sophie33

    Waw! All of these tasty creations look so appetizing, darling! Woehoe!!! Your Pumpkin & Maple Spice Quickbread looks fantastic even! I so going to make it all! :) x

    Reply
  3. AnnaZed

    We try really hard to limit refined sugars (sorry if this is a repeat post, everything went blank so I started over)

    Reply
  4. fittingintovegan

    I very close to being refined-free. Still having the coffee creamer habit, but have been using a lot less.

    Reply
  5. Brittany

    I really liked this product!! The only down side was the gas…HAHA. Too much xylitol = gasssyyyy tummy!! I don’t have much control over cookies, so I ate a lot of xyla when I baked with it. I loved the gum too..it was so good! I really need some of that cake!

    Reply
  6. tearoomdelights

    I’ve never heard of Xyla, I wonder if we get it over here. I have noticed Stevia and other sugar substitutes popping up on supermarket shelves recently so I’ll keep an eye out. Your photographs are beautiful.

    Reply
  7. Cowgirls & Collard Greens

    I’m curious how Xyla tastes as I am not a fan of stevia due to it’s aftertaste. Your blog, content and photos are amazing. Keep it up lovely Ann. Yeehaw!

    Reply
  8. Cowgirls & Collard Greens

    I have never tried Xyla, but I am anxious to as I am not a fan of stevia due to its aftertaste.

    Your photos and content are amazing. Keep up the great work Ann! Yeehaw!

    Reply
  9. Courtney

    I don’t use refined sugar, and I would love to win this giveaway! I have never heard of this product…
    Courtney

    Reply
  10. Elena Vo

    Have been trying to for a month now. I’ve been sticking to maple syrup and raw honey but some recipes just call for sugar and that’s where I stumble.

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan

      I know it, Elena. There are just certain desserts that need the texture and chemistry (for lack of a better word) of sugar. Trying to wean myself off of those kinds of sweets ;-). Hard!

      Reply
  11. Pingback: Giveaway: Xyla candies via An Unrefined Vegan | Vegan Perks

  12. Yvonne

    I’ve always been a sugar addict and I want to change that by eating sweeteners that won’t get me in that sugar coma!

    Reply
  13. The Healthy Flavor

    My hubby would LOVE those banana split cakes and I would love the pumpkin quick bread. They look seriously beautiful!!!

    Reply
  14. Ryan D

    I try to not eat refined sugars at all. It really fails in comparison to other raw sugars that I don’t know why people still eat it. But then again HFCS still exists so why am I surprised? My wife is a gum addict, and I’ve been trying to find a more natural version of this. I think I’ve finally found my answer. Thanks!

    Reply
  15. Amanda Thomas

    I still working on totally eliminated refined sugar from my diet, but have been successful in finding alternative ways to sweeten my drinks. I even have come to enjoy unsweetened beverages more like tea and water with a slice of lemon.

    Reply
  16. mamaraby

    Heh…I share the same KAF catalog addiction. My wishlist is a mile long. I’ve never tried xylitol, but did have it in a cake my SIL made once. More options are always a good thing!

    Reply
  17. Hailey

    A much better use for a hamburger pan! This giveaway is great. I have a sugar sensitivity, so I try not to consume much sugar other than that naturally found in fruits and vegetables. I use a lot of NuNaturals, so this would be something fun and different to try :)

    Reply
  18. Jordan D

    After a few years of a basically sugar-gree diet, I’ve returned to some unhealthily sweetended foods, like frozen yogurt and drinks mixes sweetened with splenda. I definitely need to kick this habit!

    Reply
  19. Bou Shin @ Shin's Vegan Lovin'

    This looks really awesome! And I want to try your quick-bread, maybe with (purple) sweet potatoes! :)

    Reply

Leave a Reply to An Unrefined Vegan Cancel reply