Guilt Free Banana Bread Food

GUILT-FREE BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9" loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 c sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mash bananas and mix in vanilla and yogurt. Set aside. (Sorry guys, you'll need a total of three bowls for this. It's worth it!).
• With your stand mixer or in yet another bowl, beat together remaining sugar (1/2 cup) and softened butter for about 3 minutes until "light and fluffy". Add eggs, one at a time.
• Turn the mixer to low and add a third of the banana mixture. Let mix until just combined. Add half of the dry ingredients. Continue alternating until all the ingredients are combined, scraping down sides if necessary. Try not to overmix.
• Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for about 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.The book claims using this recipe above each serving (1 loaf divided by 10 slices) is 240 calories. That's compared to a standard banana bread recipe at 320. I usually cut the slices in half again which makes each piece only 120 calories. Not bad for a morning or evening snack.

GLUTEN FREE BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in eggs, maple syrup and mashed bananas until well blended. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture; mix until batter is just moist. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. If using muffin or cupcake tins, bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

BUCKWHEAT-YOGURT BANANA BREAD (GUILT-FREE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a bowl, cream the applesauce and the margarine with the sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing between each addition. Add bananas.***.
• In another bowl, sift flours with baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Add to previous preparation, alternating with the yogurt. Stir just to to mix.
• Pour into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan and bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• ***If you have a stand mixer, set it on a high speed and let it run while you do the next step.

GUILT-FREE BANANA* BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together wheat flour, almond meal, oat bran, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a second large bowl, combine coconut sugar, applesauce, honey, milk, banana, egg, and vanilla. Combine mixtures and stir until just combined. Fold in walnuts and/or chocolate chips. Pour into a greased/floured eight inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees until cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack then remove from pan and set aside to let cool completely. Pumpkin bread: Use 1.5 C pumpkin puree and add 2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice to the dry ingredients. Carrot bread: Use 1 C carrot shredded in food processor (or carrot pulp from vegetable juicer), and 1/2 C crushed pineapple, drained. Add 1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg to the dry ingredients. Do not use chocolate chips. Zucchini bread: Use 1.5 C zucchini shredded in food processor (or zucchini pulp from vegetable juicer). Add 1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg to the dry ingredients. Apple or Pear bread: Use 1.5 C finely chopped, shredded, or pureed fruit. Add 1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg to dry ingredients.