Fat free banana bread that does not taste fat-free.
It is so soft and buttery.
I’m trying really hard not to say “moist” because I know everyone hates that word!
This bread actually wasn’t supposed to be fat-free. In fact, I was quite upset upon discovering—midway through preparing the recipe—only about a teaspoon’s worth of coconut oil lingered in my sad little jar. (Note to self: gather all ingredients before starting to cook a recipe. Will I ever learn?)
Since I’d already begun, I wasn’t going to put the recipe on hold; my heart stomach was set on banana bread! Option one was to use olive oil. However, I worried the oil’s strong flavor might affect the taste of my not-yet-tested banana bread recipe.
Option two was to make a Single-Serving Banana Bread.
But I really wanted a whole loaf. And I also wanted a new recipe so I could post about it, which is always more exciting than when I post about a recipe I’ve already published. Many lovely bloggers and readers assured me on twitter that fat-free would be fine. So I made a few changes and hoped for the best… I never imagined the results would be so good!
For maximum enjoyment: Eat this for breakfast, while still in your pjs!
Fat Free Banana Bread
(Makes 10-12 slices)
- 2 c spelt, white, or arrowhead mills gf flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 c milk of choice OR oil
- 1 and 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, agave, or honey (Or, here’s a Sugar-Free Version.)
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch uncut stevia OR 1 tbsp additional agave/maple syrup
- 1 and 2/3 c tightly-packed, mashed banana (measured after mashing)
- 1/3 cup berries of choice, or more banana (I actually used 1 full cup of sliced strawberries. The resulting bread was extremely gooey, but I loved it that way!)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients, and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix into dry. (Mix by hand, and don’t overmix.) Pour into a greased loaf pan and cook for 35-50 minutes, depending on how gooey you want it. (Tip: If the top is cooked but the inside is still gooey, put tin foil over the top and continue to cook.) After removing from the oven, let cool for ten minutes before slicing. After the first day, this bread is best stored in the fridge. Or cut into slices and freeze for later.
Nutrition Information at a Glance:
- 130 calories
- 0 grams of fat
- 0 mg cholesterol
- Fiber depends on the flour you use
Add around 20 extra calories for the Polka-Dot Banana Bread.
Question of the Day:
Do you ever lower the fat in a recipe or substitute applesauce for the oil?
I know many people are conscious of fat, so I try to offer lower-fat options whenever possible in my recipes. Yet, my own diet is actually pretty high in fat. I think “fat” has gotten a bad name. It sounds so negative, and society likens it to the devil. But, especially if you’re young and healthy, cutting out healthy fats (such as oils and nuts) can wreak havoc on your organs, skin, and hair.
As for this particular banana bread? It really does taste wonderful on its own. However, my slice didn’t stay fat-free for long. I painted that baby in a nice, thick coat of peanut butter. It was delicious!
I love the word moist! Moist makes me think of yummy gooey brownies (or banana bread 😉 )
I almost always try to lower the fat and sugar in recipes, most times with success. I do watch fat and sugar content so I can enjoy it where it really counts. Mmmm, almond butter, peanut butter, chocolate, etc. I love baked goods so I try to keep them as healthy as I can so I can indulge frequently without feeling too guilty.
I just made this banana bread with a few changes and it came out delicious. I only had 1 cup of spelt flour so I used 1/2 cup each of oat flour and buckwheat flour. I didn’t have any berries and my husband definitely would not eat it if it had chunks of banana in it so I added in a 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks, yum. I also clicked on the link to the sugar free version and decided to use about 5 blended dates instead of agave. I must say I was a little concerned about the amount of lemon juice the recipe called for but it came out awesome!! Thanks, Leslie.
This was sooooo yummy! I made one larger loaf and one mini chocolate chip loaf. delicious!
Yum! This banana bread is SO tasty! Just a small word of advice, it will probably bake better if you put it in a 9 x 9 pan. I put mine in a loaf pan and the bottom half is pretty gooey still. I baked it for 30 minutes uncovered and 60 additional minutes covered with foil. This was in attempt to “un-goo” it and dare I say even dry it out a bit. But who cares about the texture so much, its all about the taste!
Just realized I left out the lemon juice, probably better since it would have just been more liquid. Curious if it altered the taste at all…
Katie, your website is a god sent! I am the skinniest fat kid I know and being on a sugar free low carb “undiet” (I call it a meal plan), I was devastated that I couldn’t enjoy sweets anymore. But after finding your Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough recipe, I was hooked and always knew there was a Skinny Fat Kid Angel somewhere! 😉
<3
Hmm, it shouldn’t take that long! Maybe it’s an altitude/weather thing, or an oven issue. (Or maybe a difference in flours?) But I absolutely love your idea of putting it in a pan… maybe with some icing? It’d be like banana cake!
(Also, the lemon juice is actually important because it interacts with the other ingredients and helps the loaf rise. But lol, you’re right: taste matters more than looks/texture!)
Just made this and it came out really well! I used a little applesauce instead of berries and the stevia, and added a flax egg so it would rise even more. It came out great! Bringing it to Bible study tonight and I’m sure no one will know that it is vegan 😉
Oooh I hope they like it!!
BANANA BREAD!!! 😀 I love you Katie.
Hi Katie,
I’m pretty new to your blog. You started following my Tasty Treats page on Pinterest a little while back … which is pretty funny because they aren’t at all healthy :). What’s funny is that I’ve been increasingly interested in trying to find ‘cheat treats’ – things that taste delicious but aren’t all that naughty. I’ve been experimenting with things like stevia, buckwheat flour etc and your blog fits in perfectly!! Gives me a much clearer idea of how to use these ingredients and a whole bunch of delicious treats to make! So thank you for creating this great blog.
I made the banana bread tonight. Yummy! The true test – I didn’t tell my fiance’ that it was healthy and he went back for seconds not noticing any difference 🙂
Kim
Hi Katie!
First of all, I LOVE your blog! I first discovered it when you started following my Tasty Treats page on Pinterest – which is pretty funny as there’s pretty much nothing healthy on there :). Funny thing is, I’ve been increasingly interested in finding ‘cheat treats’ – meals and desserts that taste delicious but aren’t that naughty. I’ve been experimenting with things like Stevia and spelt flour etc. So it’s been good getting to know how I can use some of these ingredients.
I made your banana bread tonight. Delicious! True test – my fiance’ went back for seconds and didn’t even notice that it was a whole heap healthier that usual.
Thank you for creating this amazing blog, I will be sure to check in regularly.
Kim
Hi Kim! I can see your comments :). Can you still not see them? I think, for some reason, comments on my site sometimes take a few minutes to appear… I have no idea why this is, because I don’t moderate comments. In any case, I’m so excited you made the banana bread!
Chocolate hugs,
Katie
Yes, I can see it now :). Ooops. Now I feel a bit like a crazy person after writing practically the same comment 3 times!
Kim
Oh no worries!! It’s MY issue… a lot of people actually end up leaving multiple comments on my posts, probably for the same reason as you! I wish I knew more about technology so I could figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it.
The moment the weather changed I had a craving for banana bread! When I discovered my flatmate had never heard of banana bread (she’s from Tunisia) I knew I had to make it! But since I’ve been on a health kick (trying to eat healthier after months of traveling) I decided to search for a healthier alternative to my mom’s recipe.
I stumbled across your website, and to make this story a little shorter I’m eating your banana bread right now and I absolutely love it!!!! My flatmate does as well! I had to make a couple of minor alterations (certain ingredients are hard to come by in Spain), but it turned out perfect! I also added walnuts because I love the texture they add! I can’t wait to try your other recipes (once I get a blender or mixer)!!!!!