Why we call quick breads like banana bread and zucchini bread a bread, I don’t know. They’re really like little cakes cooked in loaf pans. But hey, I’m not going to argue because I love them all and if I can justify having dessert any time I want because it’s a “bread,” I’ll take it! That being said, this time of year I like to lighten things and indulge a bit less after having indulged a lot over the course of the holiday season. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t have my banana bread and eat it too! This recipe for banana bread is crazy easy to make and healthier than the normal banana bread fare.
My mom has been making this version my whole life—it’s my favorite and I’ve never found a recipe I like more. The original recipe calls for shortening, and I’ve really been trying to avoid using shortening because it is so bad for you. I was craving banana bread and decided to see what I could do to make it less artery-clogging so that I could feel a bit better about indulging.
I hit a home run with a simple fix—I replaced the shortening with nonfat plain Greek yogurt. You would never guess this is so much healthier, because the bread is just as dense and moist as the original. I like my banana bread simple, but you can always add a cup of your favorite chopped nuts, or be a bit naughty and add a cup of chocolate chips. Shhhhh, I won’t tell!
Healthier Banana Bread
Recipe from Rachael, www.lafujimama.com
Makes 1 large loaf
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
4 very ripe medium size bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 1.5 quart loaf pan.
2. Cream the Greek yogurt and granulated sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and beat well.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour and 5 minutes. The bread is done when the crust is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out almost clean (a few wet crumbs are okay). Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove it from the pan and set it on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
La Fuji Mama
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Comments
sounds fabulous –
sounds fabulous – my husband’s favorite is banana bread