Low-Fat Banana Bread

I love sweet bread. Pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, apple cinnamon bread, banana bread... yum.

The only problem is that under normal circumstances, it is sooo not good for you.

Back in May, we had a few overly ripe bananas, and I wanted to use them for banana bread. Instead of using the recipe I have used for years and years, I decided to go on the internet and try to find something just a tad bit more healthy for us.

I ultimately landed on a recipe from http://www.recipezaar.com/ for "Low-Fat Banana Bread." It had several good reviews, and that seemed unusual for a low-fat bread recipe. I decided to give it a try.

The first time I sampled it, I tried it pretty much right out of the oven. I didn't like it. It was chewy, and I wasn't that thrilled about the taste of it, either. Well, I should have known. Sweet bread is ALWAYS better after you let it sit for a while. I tried it again the next day, and I was blown away. To me, it does not taste low fat at ALL. It's moist, has a good texture, and has a really nice banana flavor. Delicious. I have made it at least four times since then.

Yesterday, I decided to throw a loaf in the oven for a party my mom was hosting last night. That's the thing about this bread--perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

At the party? Rave banana bread reviews. I don't think anyone even suspected it wasn't full-on, full-fat banana bread. Two thumbs (or, it would probably be more accurate to say approximately 20 thumbs) up for this recipe. So go ahead, give it a whirl.

This recipe makes one good-sized loaf. I often double the recipe to make two loaves. Lots of bananas--but so good!

Low-Fat Banana Bread

- 4 bananas (the more ripe, the better)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar (you can lessen this a bit and still not affect the taste)
- 2 tbsp. butter, softened (I use low-fat margarine)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce

1. Peel bananas and mash them in a bowl. (I break them in thirds, throw them into a bowl, and beat them with my Kitchen Aid mixer.)

2. Add all other ingredients and mix well.

3. Pour into a greased loaf pan.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Good eats. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts: Recipe makes 12 servings; Serving size- 1 slice; Calories- 182; Calories from fat- 23; Total fat- 2.6g; Saturated fat- 1.4g; Monounsaturated fat- 0.7g; Polyunsaturated fat- 0.2g; Trans fat- 0.0g; Cholesterol- 22mg; Sodium- 140mg; Potassium- 166mg; Total carbohydrate- 38.2g; Dietary fiber- 1.5g; Sugars- 21.6g; Protein- 2.6g