Healthy Banana Bread (Video)

Easy Healthy Banana Bread moist with applesauce and other simple ingredients. Your kids will love it!

Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

Healthy banana bread is a staple in our house. It is perfect as a school snack or for breakfast (spread with butter – yum!). Learn how to make it using our healthy banana bread recipe. So easy my 12 year old makes it.

Your perfect banana bread with applesauce should be moist. Have glossy and sticky top. And with a crack. When you take a bite it melts in your mouth. In my world, it is the best banana bread. And you are looking at it right now!

Is Banana Bread Healthy?

Well. Where do I begin?! I think everyone has their own definition of “healthy”. And I think my whole wheat banana bread is super healthy for the following reasons. If you don’t eat entire loaf in a day.:)

• No sugar (refined) but with honey or maple syrup.
• Applesauce replaces almost a cup of oil. It makes low fat banana bread moist.
• Whole wheat flour adds fiber, nutrients and vitamins unlike the all-purpose flour stripped of everything that’s good for us.

Ingredients

• Bananas
• Applesauce
• Eggs
• A bit of oil
• Honey or maple syrup
• Whole wheat or spelt flour
• Baking powder + soda, cinnamon

If you can find a more simple healthy banana bread recipe with only 1/3 cup of maple syrup and without 1 cup of vegetable oil, feel free to leave it in comments.

Substitutions

Applesauce: Extra ripe large banana, Greek yogurt with 2% fat content and higher or pureed fresh apples.

Flour: Only whole wheat or spelt flour. Flours that don’t work with this recipe are almond flour, coconut flour and all purpose white flour. I have not tested this recipe with any gluten free flour.

Mix-ins: 1/2 to 1 cup of nuts, chocolate chips or blueberries.

About the Bananas

Ripe bananas are a must. They make bread sweet and moist. Ripe bananas are very yellow with brown spots. The uglier the bananas, the better. Even uglier than in my photo and video are perfect.

If you don’t have going bad bananas, don’t fret. To “ripen” bananas faster:

1. Bake yellow bananas with skin on for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F oven.
2. Place a few ripened bananas or apples with unripened ones in a brown bag. Close tightly and wait 1-2 days. The ethylene gases from the ripened fruit will speed up the ripening.
3. Peel and slice bananas, place them on a plate and microwave for 30 seconds or until they sizzle.

How to Make Whole Wheat Banana Bread

1. Mash bananas with a masher.
2. Add eggs and I like to “whisk” them with the same masher haha.
3. Add all other ingredients except flour. “Stir” with the same masher. I know, I’m fancy but there is really no need for extra tool and bowl. Quick bread is not a cake.
4. Add flour and stir gently until incorporated. Do not mix too much.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour.

Tip: Let cool completely before slicing. Will make all the difference. Been there, done that haha.

How to Store and Freeze

We store banana bread on a counter wrapped in plastic or straight in the loaf pan covered with plastic. Then cut a slice each time. You can slice it fully and wrap each slice in plastic but in my opinion it is not environmentally friendly option.

Banana bread stays fresh on a counter for up to 3 days. After you can refrigerate for another 3 days.

Can I freeze quick bread? Yes. Any.

Bake banana bread and cool completely. I recommend you do not slice bread before freezing. It retains its moisture better this way. Place in a gallon size Ziploc container, let out as much air as possible and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw, defrost on a counter. Takes about 3-4 hours. Bread will taste just like freshly baked. Pop it into a toaster for a minute for that freshly baked bread warmth and aromas.

Enjoy this healthy banana bread!

More Healthy Banana Bread Recipes

• Almond flour banana bread – moist, tender and melt in your mouth.
• Healthy banana muffins with 5 star reviews and kids love them!
• Coconut flour banana bread – gluten free and moist.
• Almond flour banana muffins – hands down most popular recipe on ifoodreal.com

Watch Olena Make Banana Bread with Applesauce

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Healthy Banana Bread

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 14 reviews

Easy Healthy Banana Bread moist with applesauce and other simple ingredients. Your kids will love it!

• Author: Olena of ifoodreal.com
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 10 servings 1x
• Category: Snack
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: North American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 4 medium very ripe bananas (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 eggs, large
• 1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
• 2 tbsp avocado or coconut oil (melted)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder, aluminum free
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat or spelt flour

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9 x 5 loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork or a masher. Add eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk to combine (masher works fine).
3. Add flour and stir gently just enough to mix. Pour batter in prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool off completely. Cut into 10 slices and enjoy.

Store: Keep in a cool dry place in a glass airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.

1 slice11713.3 g200.8 mg3.9 g19.8 g1.8 g37.2 mg

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