Banana Applesauce Bread
Who can resist freshly baked bread, laden with chunks of banana, filling your house with the intoxicating aroma of cinnamon? Jazz up your kids’ lunchboxes with my healthier version which replaces butter with unsweetened applesauce. And if you ask them nicely, just maybe you can snag a slice to enjoy with a cup of tea. Or how about baking a few loaves for holiday gift giving?
Yields: 1 loaf (about 12 slices)
Yields: 1 loaf (about 12 slices)
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- Whole wheat pastry flour for pan
Topping
- 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1/3 cup 100% unsweetened natural applesauce like Musselman’s
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 1/4 cups mashed very-ripe bananas about 4 medium
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9 x 5 x 2-inch loaf pan with olive oil spray. Flour bottom of the pan.
- Topping: in a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: Gently spoon flour into measuring cup; leveling with a butter knife. In a medium bowl, add flour and remaining dry ingredients, sifting mixture twice.
- Wet Ingredients: in a large bowl, beat together coconut palm sugar and applesauce until well combined. (or with an electric mixer on medium-low speed) Blend in eggs, bananas, honey and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over-mix. Let batter sit for 30 minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. (Bread may crack a bit in the center-okay.) Remove from oven. Cool for 15 minutes. With a sharp knife, carefully loosen bread around edges; remove from pan. Let bread finish cooling on a rack.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: store bread tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bread slices may also be wrapped individually and frozen for up to 3 months for a readily available, portion-controlled treat.
Coconut Palm Sugar: I have been searching for a healthier sweetening alternative for use in desserts and have been experimenting with coconut palm sugar. Brands to look for are Coconut Secret and Wholesome Sweeteners.
Reportedly lower glycemic and possibly suitable for some diabetics, coconut palm sugar has a similar look, taste and texture of brown sugar, albeit to some, less sweet. Coconut palm sugar can replace cane sugar in equal amounts in recipes. Do your own research about this unprocessed sweetener to decide if it’s an acceptable choice for you. Naturally, if you have a medical concern, check first with your health care practitioner.
If you prefer not to use coconut palm sugar, you can use an equal amount of cane sugar or experiment with alternative healthy sweeteners such as honey.
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: although it takes a bit of extra effort, sifting whole wheat pastry flour is important as it helps create a light texture for your baked goods. Letting the batter sit for 30 minutes before baking, allows the fiber in this flour to absorb the liquid. This will help produce a more tender bread that rises nicely.
I have used both Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills Whole Wheat Pastry Flour extensively for baking cookies, bars, muffins and quick breads. This flour can be substituted on a cup per cup basis for all-purpose white flour and is a great way to add nutty whole-grain flavor and fiber as well as a pleasing texture and “crumb” to many of your baked goods. While not gluten-free, whole wheat pastry flour is lower in protein and gluten and therefore easier to work with than many gluten-free flours. However, for those with gluten sensitivity, this flour may not be an appropriate choice. For gluten-free muffins, substitute an equal amount of gluten-free baking flour mix such as Bob’s Red Mill plus 1/2 + 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum in place of the whole wheat pastry flour. (But do make sure the rest of your dry ingredients are gluten-free as well.)
