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 only followed you for a week, and you are awesome! I am a vegan for many reasons (family history, animals, and allergies being the main reasons), and I am also a health nut. Being 20 and going to an online college at home, I can eat what I want without caffeteria issues (Idid go to a college for one fall quarter last year. Food problems abounded!). You’re recipes look and sound yummy! I could tell you more about myself (I feel your thinness pains; I was an anorexic), but I will stop here. Hope to chat more, and taste your yum-yums!
—Kit-Kat
PS: My REAL name is Katie. I just like to use my family nick-name lots! :~)
Hi Katie!
I just wanted to say…I really love your blog. I am a dietetic internship student getting a master’s degree in nutrition. I enjoy baking healthy things that I know are not stripped of fat and other needed nutrients. Fat is an essential key to our diet…without it, we would not be able to absorb fat soluble vitamins or maintain a functioning immune system. One of my biggest annoyances is when the media (as always) tries to portray false notions about nutrition. It is such an ongoing and constantly changing field…but one thing that is SOLID is that we need ALL of the macro and micronutrients in our diets to sustain a healthy life. Thank you for counteracting the media’s poor representation of nutrition!
Aww thanks, Melissa!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who is so annoyed by the media! I definitely try to stress–whenever I can–the importance of eating fats (and *gasp* carbs!!!). Plus, 1200 calorie diet plans sound like a recipe for disaster… it’s not that they wouldn’t maybe be beneficial to some people who need to lose weight, but those magazines throw out ideas like that, hinting that it’s a good idea to go on such a diet for the general public! Some of what they suggest is not only irresponsible journalism, it’s downright dangerous.
This recipe look amazing! I love banana bread and I will give this one a try! 😀
I have a tortured relationship with fats. That is, my stomach is tortured by them – I mean, my favorite thing EVER is a french fry, but then I’ll have pain. So I try to sneak in olive oil when I can. Absolutely right about high sugar / low fat food. I’d rather make my own oatmeal then eat a mix with tons of added sugar. At least I know how much I’m adding. 😉
[How ever the date went, remember that it’s just one date and not a harbinger of anything. I like to tell my friends to give every guy who isn’t clearly an insane loser at least two chances. The dull guy might be stiff on the first date, and loosen up on the second one. One never knows!]
This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it!
You never told us about your blind date though!
While I don’t have a huge fat fear like some people, I actually have found that I really prefer applesauce over oil. And I don’t mind the word moist, that is exactly what I want in a baked good! And applesauce leads to that awesome texture. Yum!
I’ll sometimes sub applesauce for some fat in a recipe. I do like the taste of fat in recipes though, so I usualy won’t sub it all! Regardless, this looks great!
This looks amazing! Usually, I’ll sub the fat in a recipe but sometimes it results in a gummy texture.
How was your date?! 😀
That’s why I don’t like applesauce in baked goods, honestly. Gummy.
Pumpkin puree or mashed bananas are my favorites for most baked foods. Prune puree works super well replacing fat in chocolate ones!
I prefer to eat my fat in whole food form with all the vitamins, nutrients, fiber etc. those contain than in relatively empty form in extracted oils.
I’ve used almond or peanut butter in some recipes that call for a very small amount of oil, for instance, like Katie’s cookie pie! Mmmmmmmm… So good. And nut butter > oil any day of the week, IMO!
I will reduce the fat in recipes if I feel it is not needed for taste. I can generally get away with subbing apple sauce for half the oil in quick breads like these without noticing. HOWEVER I don’t do it if it affects the taste. But I figure if I can’t taste the difference, why eat that extra oil? I do eat plenty of whole fats, i.e. nuts, avocado, etc. I am just somewhat conservative with processed fats like oils.
BTW your pics are always amazing!
love healthy fats!! we eat a very high fat diet and love it. but everyone is different and we know some people can handle different things. but it is nice to have lower fat options from time to time 😉 I still need to make banana bread this season!!!
I need to get my butt in gear and make some 🙂