Low Fat Moist Banana Nut Bread

Quick, Easy, Moist Banana Bread Recipe, Vegan & Vegetarian Versions

Flexible banana nut bread recipe, great for breakfast or brunch, a healthy snack or dessert, or with a light soup or salad.

Our healthy low fat banana bread recipe can easily be doubled, or tripled, and it freezes well.

Lots of banana makes this a moist banana bread recipe, and the nuts add satisfying chewiness.

Total Prep & Cook Time: 60 Min

8 Servings: One medium loaf

Nutrition Data Per Serving, Vegan Version, 66 g: 240 cal, 31g carb, 12g fat, 280 mg sodium, 2g fiber, 4g protein, low Cholesterol. Estimated glycemic load 19

Nutrition Data Per Serving, Vegetarian Version, 103 g: 259 cal, 36g carb, 11g fat, 298mg sodium, 2g fiber, 6g protein. Estimated glycemic load 20

Banana Bread Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• OR: 1 cup Unbl + 1/2 c. wh. wheat flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 3 over-ripe bananas (should equal at least 1 1/2 cup of mashed banana)
• 1/3 cup dairy or non-dairy milk
• 1/4 c unbleached cane sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Optional: 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• Vegan Version:
• 2 Tbsp gr flax seed + 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 2 Tbsp water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Vegetarian Version:
• 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• Gluten Free Version:
• Use 1 c millet or sorghum flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour + 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch in place of the wheat flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Oil a medium size bread pan
3. Chop & measure the walnuts
4. Measure & mix the dry ingredients except for sugar
5. Add the chopped nuts
6. Mix the wet ingredients, including the banana, plus the sugar. Use a blender, blender stick or food processor. If you don't have one of those, mash the bananas, then whisk in the other wet ingredients and optional chopped dried apricots
7. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix lightly with just a few strokes
8. Spoon the mixture evenly into the oiled pan
9. Bake for 45 min, middle of the oven, until browned & firm to the touch
10. Cool on a rack in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out to finish cooling
11. Cool for at least half an hour before slicing. Banana bread tastes better completely cooled, if you can wait that long!

Recipe Tips:

This recipe calls for half the sugar and fat used in most banana bread recipes, and it's still sweet and moist. The spices in this recipe are a good complement to the bananas and nuts. For extra sweetness and chewiness, add chopped apricots.

The size of the bananas is the big variable in this banana bread recipe. Add a little more water if needed to make the wet-dry proportions approximately equal - the batter should be moist but not runny.

For vegan banana nut bread, leave out the egg, and use vegetable oil - you don't need egg or any other binder with sticky ripe banana!

The general rule with quick breads is that you should have equal amounts wet and dry ingredients. You can mess with the ingredients in this banana bread recipe, and it'll work as long as you keep the basic proportions and method.