🌱🍪 What if that stale bread sitting in your kitchen could become your new favorite snack?Grandma Sita has always believed that food should never go to waste. Long before “sustainability” became a trend, she was already transforming simple, forgotten ingredients into something delicious. These plant-based breakies, a playful mix between bread and cookies, are the perfect example of that philosophy.
🤔 Why the name “breakies”? It’s simple: bread + cookies = breakies. Made with leftover bread, overripe bananas, and whatever you already have at home, this recipe is not only easy and fun (especially with kids), but also a powerful way to reduce food waste in your daily life. It’s budget-friendly, naturally sweet, and completely plant-based.
🍞 Did you know that for every loaf of bread consumed, a significant portion ends up being wasted at home? For generations, nothing went to waste in the kitchen — and bread was always given a second life. Today, Bread is one of the most commonly discarded foods, yet it’s also one of the easiest to repurpose. Recipes like these show how small actions in our kitchens can make a real difference for the planet. So before you throw that bread away… let’s bake something better.
- INGREDIENTS
For a baking tray, approx.
4 slices of stale leftover bread
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or leftover Easter chocolate)
A splash of oat drink or any plant-based milk (optional)
FRUIT
2 cups ripe (brown) bananas
1 cup blueberries, strawberries, or seasonal fruit
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
NATURAL SWEETENER
1–2 tbsp maple syrup or agave syrup
Note: We use the cup method for measuring ingredients, focusing on volume rather than weight. There’s no need to weigh anything — simply use a cup, glass, or mug, as long as you keep the proportions consistent.
- METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Air fryer option: cook at 180ºC for 8–10 minutes, checking regularly.
2. Tear the stale bread into small chunks using your hands.
3. Mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth and creamy.
4. In a large bowl, combine: bread chunks, mashed banana, fruit, raisins, chocolate, maple or agave syrup and a splash of oat drink. Mix well until you get a slightly sticky texture.
5. Roll the mixture into small balls using your hands.
6. Place them on the tray and bake for 10–15 minutes at high temperature (approx. 200/220 º C), or until golden.
7. Let them cool slightly on a rack… and enjoy!
👵💚 Grandma Sita’s tips:
• Use seasonal fruit to make this recipe more sustainable and budget-friendly.
• Take a look at your pantry — nuts, seeds, or leftover chocolate all work beautifully here.
• Overripe bananas are a natural egg substitute in plant-based baking, adding moisture and natural sweetness.
• Store your breakies in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze them to enjoy another day — just let them thaw for about 30 minutes before popping them in the oven.
🌎 A Planet-Friendly Cooking
Reducing food waste starts at home. Bread is one of the most commonly wasted foods, yet it’s also one of the easiest to reuse. With simple recipes like these vegan breakies, you can turn leftovers into something nutritious, delicious, and meaningful.
This recipe is:
•Zero waste inspired
•Plant-based
•Budget-friendly
•Adaptable to seasonal and local ingredients
Because cooking sustainably doesn’t mean doing more — it means wasting less.
Grandma Sita never called it “plant-based” or “zero waste cooking”. She simply called it making the most of what you have. And maybe that’s exactly what we need today. So… ready, set, and bake. 🍪💚
♻️ What if this was just the beginning?
In Grandma Sita’s workshops, families come together to cook, learn, and rediscover the value of food — turning leftovers into something meaningful. It’s hands-on, creative, and rooted in the idea that nothing should go to waste.
📱 Using rescued ingredients from local bakeries and apps like Too Good To Go, each workshop becomes a small step towards a more sustainable way of living.
👉 Discover more and join a workshop: Little Foodies & Bread Bites Back