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 have never ever commented on a blog before but.. I made this banana bread today for my family and had to say thank you. It was gone in TEN MINUTES, just soooo tasty! Thank you Chocolate Covered Katie, your blog is fab xxx
Aw this made my day. Thank you so much for trying it!
I’m not sure if this has already been answered, so I apologize if it has.
About how many bananas does it take to get to the 1 and 2/3 cup tightly packed mashed banana? I know it will vary based on the size of the bananas but I’m just looking for a ballpark.
I substituted 1/3 c figs for the berries and 1/3 c applesauce for the bananas I didn’t have. Good results. You have a wonderful blog. Thx!
I love your idea to use figs!
I so agree with you on the whole fat issue, I’m not a big fan of oils & do prefer applesauce, but when it comes to the actual food (coconut, nuts, avocado) healthy fats are very important to your body. Even saturated fat isn’t that bad (as long as it’s in vegan foods and not meat or dairy products) like the fats in coconut, granted I’m eating coconut chips as I write. People tend to fear the word fat, though some of them aren’t even educated on which fats are good and which are bad (and why)
First, thank you for a great recipe. I already tried it with maple syrup and almond milk and plan on trying a couple variations in the coming weeks.
I was hoping you could clarify whether you used 1 cup of strawberries in addition to the 1&2/3 cup of mashed banana or subbed in 1 cup of strawberries and removed 2/3 cup of mashed banana. I am trying to determine whether you exceeded 2 cups of fruit in the bread. I used 2 cups total of mashed banana and am trying to determine how you exactly prepared the bread in the pictures above (you are referencing the pictured loaf when you say you used 1 cup of slice strawberries). I was also wondering if you have tried this recipe with anything other than almond milk. I am trying to prepare a loaf that is gluten free, dairy free, and nut free and am considering coconut milk or soy milk as the liquid. Lastly, did you mash the strawberries in addition to slicing them? I imagine it isn’t necessary.
Thanks!
Finally making this today! 🙂 I know that your nutrition info is per slice, but how many slices did you get from this recipe? Thanks!
10-12 slices (it says beside the recipe name). I would say the nutritional info is *probably* calculated for twelve slices.
P.S.
I’ve made it twice now (just popped a loaf out of the oven) and it’s amazing!
I just discovered your website through a friend and its probably the best internet discovery made in months. What to do with 4 ripe bananas? This is the answer of my dreams. I made a few substitutions that I wanted to share, as I think they were a great success.
– Used 1 cup buckwheat and 1 cup oat flour instead of spelt
– Used apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice
– Used some chopped peach instead of berries
I love your recipes!!!
However, this is has been oddly difficult. Its always doughy in the middle after baking. I thought it was done so i turned off my oven and everything only to slice it and goo pouring out. I turned oven back on and covered with foil hoping itll bake more. 🙁 any suggestions? Thank you!! ❤
You may want to check out the troubleshoot section found in the FAQ section at the top of Katie’s blog. Here’s the link:
https://lett-trim.today/faq-page/recipe-questions-and-troubleshooting/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Is it bad that I ate this single-handedly in a day? I just kept coming back for more! Its soooooo good and gooey, mmmmm. Next time I’ll freeze half so I can’t just reach in the cake tin every half hour for a new slice…
I made this banana bread this morning and it is by far- THE BEST BANANA BREAD I have Ever made. And I have tried many recipes… It was extremely soft and fresh. I used an extra banana which I think made it a bit softer…so delicious. Thanks!