Good Ol' Healthy Banana Bread

Sweet breads are one of my favorite things to bake. They are so easy and they are easily adaptable to your personal dietary needs. For this banana bread I was looking for sweet without the calories and low in fat because I don't need any more of it.

 

For extra sweetness (besides the brown sugar) I used 3 very ripe bananas and applesauce. They pair well together as both add moisture and natural sweetness as well as help hold the bread together.

I also used whole wheat flour, actually stone ground wheat flour. Now, honestly I didn't know what the difference was between regular whole wheat flour and stone ground, but now that I've cooked with it a few times I have found they are very different. Stone ground is not a "fine" flour, its actually quite rough and absorbs moisture like the dickens. It's terrible for making tortillas but fantastic for breads!

I found the best way to use this flour when I don't want a super dense bread is to blend it with my cup blender--similar to a magic bullet. I blend a cup a time and viola! soft, sifted, fine flour.

Anyways, this banana bread was perfect for breakfast and also dessert. I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:
Makes 1 large loaf or ~ 2 small loafs
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
4 large egg whites
handful of chopped walnuts

Directions: 
Preheat oven 350 degrees F. 
Mix whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon,  and brown sugar  together in a large bowl. whisk together egg whites, vanilla, and apple sauce in a smaller bowl. Pour wet ingredients into the large dry ingredient bowl and stir until well combined.
Smash 3 very ripe bananas in a bowl with a fork--don't over smash, you want it to still have chunks of banana throughout the mush.
Blend the smashed banana into the mixture. Add in walnuts if desired.
Pour into 9x5 bread pan.

Bake for 1 hour, until knife come out clean.

Let cool for 10 min before serving.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Information w/ nuts:

Servings ~15 slices. Serving size: 1 slice

110 calories * 17 carbs* 1g Fat* 4g protein * 3g Fiber