Well these days I'm a little more conscious about what goes in my mouth. But that doesn't mean I don't still like to enjoy my banana bread. Luckily I've found a way to make it a lot healthier without compromising the flavour.
A few years ago I adapted my mom's recipe to come up with this healthier version. But because I'm always looking to make things better, I adapted it again this week to make an even moister loaf!
Low fat whole wheat banana bread
Serves 10-12
3 large very ripe bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar*
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp canola oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups WW flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp ground flax
1/4 tsp salt
*This makes a lightly sweetened bread. If you would prefer more sweetness, I would add 3/4 cup of sugar instead.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a medium sized bowl, mash the bananas until they are smooth. Then add in the sugar, vanilla, applesauce, eggs, and oil. Stir to thoroughly mix. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, flax, and salt, and stir. Then pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir until just combined (do not overstir). Pour into a 9x4 loaf pan that has been greased and floured. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
What's your favourite baked good made with fruit?
How do you adapt recipes to make them healthier?
Apple pie for sure! But this sounds soooo good. I've been loving fruit/veggie breads lately. I make recipes healthier by replacing butter with earth balance or veg oil, using whole wheat or unbleached flours, and using organic pure cane sugar :)
ReplyDeleteI love banana bread! Always looking to try a new recipe!
ReplyDeleteI adapt recipes to make them healthier by using natural sweeteners. I have also used apple sauce in place of oil.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe looks wonderful!
I love banana bread...it's so comforting with a cup of tea! This recipe sounds great, the healthier the better! I find that ripe bananas automatically cut down the amount of sugar needed..flax eggs/applesauce are also my go-to for cutting down butter/oil in recipes!
ReplyDeleteThis adaption looks great! A lot of the recipes my mom has seem to be unnecessarily unhealthy if you know what I mean, in that case I usually adapt them.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a huge fan of banana bread, but for some reason this recipe is calling me. Maybe I'd like it! :)
ReplyDeleteI like banana bread...but I don't love it! I add chocolate chips to mine and eat it with peanut butter, so I think taking a healthier base would be a wise idea. Since I eat it about once every 3 years I don't feel too bad. ;)
ReplyDeleteI take the crumb topping from my recipe and put it on any sweet bread I make though: walnuts, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon with some butter or margarine. Delish and makes anything (even a health-ified sweet bread recipe) taste indulgent!
I used to take recipes and try to make them as low fat or low calorie as possible. Now instead of replacing things with splenda or fat free "junk" I add things like applesauce, pumpkin, and flax that add nutrition even though they might also have calories. What a little insight and some learning in nutrition does for ya! :)
ha! my carrot cake cookies were so much easier to eat for breakfast than carrot cake would have been. :) my favorited baked good with fruit is most definitely banana bread. it's pretty much the one recipe (other than cookies) that i make over and over. favorite way to make stuff healthier? applesauce, greek yogurt.. :)
ReplyDeletebanana bread is def my fave! Love the recipe :)
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ReplyDeleteStares at the computer, turns around and stares at the bananas, turn back and stares at the recipe... So trying this once the banana's ripen :P
ReplyDeleteI love banana bread! Healthifying recipes are great as well. I usually try to do that, but once in a while you just need the real thing :D
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