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Having a bowl of Kashi for breakfast is a great way to start the day. But, then there are times when you just want something with a little more comfort-laden “oomph” — a muffin, a scone or (gasp!) even a donut. This Sunday was one of those days for TRB.
Sticking to her 2011 resolution to eat healthier, TRB is having fun figuring out how to remove ingredients such as butter, white sugar and flour, and oils from traditional recipes to create the “Lighter Side” versions featured lately.
So, with ripening bananas on the counter, the need to “use or toss” became the driver for this morning’s experiment — create a Banana Bread that is still moist and delicious without using the “forbidden” ingredients. Thankfully, the perfect solution was hidden in TRB‘s infamous binder — a recipe for The Sugar Solution’s Peanut Butter and Banana Streusel Muffins, which served as the base for this delicious lazy Sunday treat. In this version, TRB upped the quantity of bananas, decreased the amount of milk, opted to use a loaf pan instead of making muffins, and passed on the streusel.
Lighter Side: Banana Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. all-natural peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat-free milk
honey for drizzling
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan.
2. In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, combine mashed banans with applesauce, brown sugar, peanut butter and egg. Add vanilla and milk to banana mixture.
3. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into banana mixture until well combined. Pour mixture into loaf pan. Drizzle about 1 tbsp. of honey on top.
4. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and edges of bread come away from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 10 minutes, slice and serve.
TRB Tip: For a gluten-free, dairy-free version of this bread, substitute 1 cup brown rice and 1 cup potato flour for the whole wheat flour, and 1/2 cup of rice milk for fat-free milk.
Hope you’ll start next Sunday with this yummy — and healthy — Banana Bread.
Did you try this recipe? Post a comment below.
A tasty, healthy way to start the day. ;) Looks wonderful. I do love my Kashi first thing in the morning…but there is always room in my tummy for a lovely, banana bread.
I love my Kashi too! This is the perfect complement. Hope you’ll try it!