Delicious and Healthy Banana Bread
My mom makes wonderful banana bread. Truly the best. However, since she lives way across the country, our family has to tolerate… my baking. I’ve been searching for a recipe that was delicious, dense, moist, and flavorful like my mom’s. I found one in particular that is wonderful, but I felt guilty eating a slice. Were the calories worth it? Sometimes! I want to enjoy banana bread without feeling guilty. So, I tried to make it healthier.
I found this banana bread recipe on Pinterest. I’ve made it several times now. So much that it is a favorite on my web browser. Hey, it saves me a few mouse clicks compared to navigating Pinterest! If you make it just like the original recipe calls, you will not be disappointed. Its all things that you picture about banana bread.
In my adaptation of the recipe, I substitute applesauce for the oil and Splenda for the sugar. As a mom of two little people, we always have applesauce available. To me, it seemed like an easy substitute. In our home, Splenda regularly subs in for sugar when I bake and this time it’s no different.
I usually use 3 or 4 bananas for this recipe. Our house always has a bunch of bananas on hand. Very rarely does our toddler allow them to become ripe enough for banana bread!
For this batch, I omitted the nuts. By omitting the nuts, I could send the bread as a nice treat for breakfast for the kids. Their daycare center is a nut free center and can never have it packed in their lunch bag.
I love having walnuts or pecans in banana bread. If I am feeling nice, I will toss in a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips for my husband. He is always asking if I can add more chocolate chips!
The recipe calls for the dry mix to be sifted. I own a sifter and still don’t do it. Lazy, I’ll tell you, but its never negatively impacted the final product.
Now we are ready to go into the oven. It’s a long bake time, and I usually check it at 10 minutes to-go.
Delicious and Healthy Banana Bread
This delicious and healthy banana bread recipe has a few key ingredient swaps that help cut calories, but doesn't cut any flavor! It's the perfect sweet, healthy treat.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup Applesauce
- 1 ¼ cup mashed ripe bananas (I used 2 medium, 2 small)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cup Splenda
- 1 ¾ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340 degrees.
- Prepare your loaf pan by cutting a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom, then grease the sides of the pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs.
- Pour milk into a measuring cup, not quite measuring 1/3 and add lemon juice to the milk to let sit for 2 minutes.
- Add applesauce to eggs and beat again. Add milk and vanilla and beat again.
- Mash bananas thoroughly and add to eggs, applesauce, and milk.
- In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking soda and salt together. Slowly stir into wet ingredients. Mix only until incorporated.
- Fold in walnuts (optional--we sometimes don't include them!).
- Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
- Let cool for 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn pan over to release bread.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Your Cup of Cake
Sounds good! I used to make banana muffins all the time. I just find it easier to make mini-muffins then they’re like little bite-sized breads. Like you, I don’t sift either! I just mix everything together with a fork several times. It works, right? Thanks for linking up at the Balanced & Healthy Living Link Up Party! I’ll tweet this! Hope to see you again tomorrow night or next week sometime! Have a great night!
Muffins would be super easy, too!
I LOVE Banana Anything, Especially Banana Bread! It’s great to use applesauce instead of oil to make it a little healthier as well, honestly I think it makes it even more moist and yummy and doesn’t taste any different! So excited to Try out this Recipe Now! Thanks Brittany! ♥ ♥ ♥
Emma Rae Thomas
http://www.PoorLittleBlogger.com
Thank you for stopping by Emma! I am enjoying seeing the “Poor Little Blogger” posts on IG 🙂
Your Banana Bread looks fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a fantastic day!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Miz Helen!
I love banana bread. The fact that this is a healthy version puts it over the edge! <3 Pinning, tweeting and stumbling this recipe. Happy Wednesday!
Hey thanks, Lindsey! I appreciate the support!! -Brittany
I love how you use the applesauce and throw in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips! This recipe will work great for a special treat for my 3-yr-old granddaughter. My daughter says no sugar for her right now (she’d rather eat sweets and snacks and forget all the healthy stuff). 🙂
Thanks, Angie! It’s a super versatile recipe. I love adding nuts, husband likes the chocolate chips, and the kids can take it to school peanut-free. Thank you for stopping by!