I love banana bread! I like to use bananas that are very ripe with lots of brown splotches; they give a sweeter flavor. However, the bananas in my house are usually eaten before this stage. Not the case this week! I noticed the bananas in the fruit bowl were getting awfully brown, so, hey, it was time to make banana bread!

I knew I had a relatively healthy banana bread recipe; I wrote "yummy!" at the top of it. I decided, however, to experiment with this loaf and try to make it even healthier. Here is my healthier banana bread recipe:

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 4 egg whites, beaten
• 1 ½ cup bananas, mashed
• 2 cups oat flour (you can use regular, white flour if you'd prefer)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Mix sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Add bananas. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into banana mixture. Pour in bread loaf pan (9×5×3 inches) or muffin tin.

Bake 45 minutes for loaf. 20-25 minutes for muffins.

Notes: I added a mixture of chopped walnuts, dry oats, and cinnamon to the top of the loaf right before putting it in the oven. You may have to adjust your oven's temperature and/or cooking time depending on how powerful the oven is. Insert a knife in the middle of the loaf. If the knife looks pretty clean when you pull it out, the bread is done.

I turned down my oven since it's got some power to it. I didn't want the sides of the bread to burn and the middle to be gooey. I also baked the bread for 50 minutes.

The result: Better than I expected! The bread was moist and had a sweet flavor from the bananas, but not overly so. The walnuts added a toasty, nutty flavor as well. I hardly noticed the oat flour.

I enjoyed a warm slice as a treat instead of cookies or something far more sugary that I tend to eat. The bread was satisfying and calmed my sweet tooth, so I'd say this recipe is a winner.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think. And feel free to experiment with it. I'd love to know what changes you make and your results.

Originally posted 2008-04-10 10:00:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• "Tex-Mex" Rice Casserole Brown rice, beans, chicken, veggies, cheese, and a little spice - I made this dish last night, and it was pretty, darn tasty! It's fairly simply to make and is a great option when you have leftover rice and/or chicken. What I also like about this dish is it's healthier......
• Tropical Granola Maybe it has something to do with summer, but I've been in a Hawaii sort of mood. I'm longing for pineapples, beaches, and palm trees. Those of you who live in such climates, please an enjoy one or all three for me. :) I was inspired by a recipe I......
• Solution to Sugar Addiction I've talked about the possibility of being addicted to sugar and more of the specifics on how sugar acts like a drug in some individuals. This post will cover the solution to kicking the sugar addiction, according to the book, Potatoes, Not Prozac. I think the following best sums up......
• Healthier Pancakes I love pancakes! I used to have pancake eating contests with my brother as a kid. I'm not beating family members in pancake gorging fests these days (Thankfully!). In fact, I'm looking for an alternative to the usual white-floured, butter and maple flavored syrup-topped pancake. See, as you may know,......
• Know Your Oats Oats are a healthy addition to just about any diet because they provide fiber, satiety, and help lower cholesterol. Oats come in various forms, so sometimes confusion results when trying to determine which kind to use! So, without further ado... Let's take a look at the the different kinds of......

Related Websites

• Five Ways to Start Eating Better Right Now Sometimes it is too easy to make excuses about eating the right foods. Whether it’s simply inconvenient, we feel that eating healthy deprives us, or the lure of unhealthy food is too strong, we end up putting off eating right until it may be too late. Here are five easy......
• Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days. Some of us are always looking to......
• Get your Five a Day We have all been hearing for our entire lives that we should be eating five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, but this isn't always easy, is it? Our bodies are naturally craving fruits and vegetables more than just about anything else because we are never getting enough of......
• Avoiding Dangers in the Kitchen pt 1 Now is the perfect time to give your kitchen a good healthy inspection. There could be all kinds of hidden pitfalls and nasty foods that are just waiting for a chance to tempt you into falling back into your bad eating habits. These foods may even be disguising themselves as......
• Roundup: First Sunday of August For weekend reading from the Fitness Health Network this week checkout these posts: How do you know if you're properly hydrated? Journal of Healthy Living posts for Proper Hydration: Clear Urine Is Best. Fat Man Unleashed asks Why Are We Fatter Than the Animals at the Zoo? A Little Help......

Online Stores

• Ace Everett Banana Offset Umbrellas & Stands Patio & Garden Furniture Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
• Vanilla Seedlings Vegetables & Fruits Plants, Seeds & Bulbs Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
• Banana Seedlings Vegetables & Fruits Plants, Seeds & Bulbs Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
• Big Bob Gibsons White Recipe BBQ Sauces Outdoor Cooking & Eating Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
• Cream & Sugar Serving Pieces Dinnerware & Serving Pieces Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Cooking/Recipes

Tags:

banana bread, healthy banana bread recipe, low fat banana bread