This healthy moist banana bread is made with whole wheat and is oil and sugar free! Perfect for breakfast or afternoon snack!
Is it just me or do your bananas ripe faster that you can eat them? I am SUPER picky with my bananas. I like mine to be just barely ripe, still a little bit of green at the top. Once it starts to show any sign of spots, GAME OVER. Our little Noshers (the kiddos) love them extra ripe, but me… EW, no. Just no. And the Hubs, he won’t eat a banana on his own. You know, you kind of have to force feed them to him. So every week we are left with over ripe bananas on our counter.
Ripe bananas are only good for one thing, baked goods. Bread, muffins, scones, just to name a few. Plus, the whole house likes loves banana baked goods. Rejoice! So when I saw these pitiful bananas on the counter, I knew exactly what I was going to do with them… banana bread.
These aren’t your typical coffee shop banana bread. These babies have been healthified (is that a word??… it is now). I took out the refined flour and sugar and eliminated the oil or butter. This recipe is so flexible! You can adjust the amount of honey based on how sweet you want it. I like to eat mine for breakfast (toasted with almond butter), so I don’t want them to be overly sweet, so I just use 1/3 cup of honey. Like yours sweeter? Add 1/2 cup of honey. Do you like yours with nuts or chocolate chips?? Go for it, add it in! Worried that it won’t be moist because of the lack of oil? Don’t be! In place of the oil I used applesauce. Works like a charm!
Next time you have those sad bananas on your counter, make them happy and whip up a loaf of this bread. You won’t regret it!
Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3-1/2 cup honey depending on how sweet you want it
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup whole wheat white flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp cinnamon plus more for the top
- 2 medium ripe bananas mashed
- Optional Add-ins: nuts, chocolate chips, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease or line with parchment paper a 9×5” loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk applesauce, honey, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in mashed bananas.
- Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, whisk until combined.
- Add flour,using a spatula/large spoon, carefully stir until just combined. Do not over mix!
- Fold in add-ins, if using.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Lightly sprinkle top with cinnamon.
- Bake for 45-50 min, until inserted toothpick of the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer the loaf to a cooling rack. Let loaf cool for 20 minutes before cutting into it. Enjoy!