Description
Banana Bread with Applesauce brings a delightful twist to classic comfort baking, ensuring moist, tender slices that taste like pure happiness. Swap out oil for applesauce and watch your traditional recipe become healthier without sacrificing an ounce of deliciousness.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Baking Ingredients:
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×5-inch loaf pan by generously spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
- Sift 1½ cups of flour, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt into a mixing bowl.
- Mash 3 ripe bananas until they reach a smooth, creamy consistency in a separate large bowl.
- Add 1 cup applesauce, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the mashed bananas. Whisk until everything blends smoothly.
- Gently pour the dry ingredients into the banana mixture, stirring carefully until just combined. Your batter should look slightly lumpy.
- If desired, fold in ½ cup chocolate chips, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan, using a spatula to spread it evenly and create a smooth surface.
- Place the pan in the preheated 350°F oven and bake for 55-65 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Allow the banana bread to cool completely for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Replace eggs with applesauce for a lighter, lower-fat version of classic banana bread that stays super moist.
- Gently fold ingredients to keep the bread tender, stopping mixing when dry ingredients are just incorporated for the best texture.
- Add extra chocolate chips or nuts for crunch, but don’t overload the batter or it could become dense and heavy.
- Room temperature bananas and ingredients help create a smoother, more evenly mixed batter that bakes more consistently.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes - 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 209 kcal
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 177 mg
- Fat: 1.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg