Fat Free Banana Bread


Fat free banana bread that does not taste fat-free.

banana breads

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!

banana breads

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.

fat free banana bread

banana bb

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!

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Fox, The Huffington Post, and ABC’s 5 O’clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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287 Comments

  1. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says:

    Oh I bet the strawberries along with the bananas made this bread fabulous. And I bet your house smelled crazy good in the process. Yum!

    When banana bread is done right, it’s…heaven sent. And moist. Yeah, I am getting over that word too. Sometimes things just…are. And that’s the best word for the job 🙂

    Can’t wait to hear about the blind date!

  2. Moni'sMeals says:

    sounds great. I would add the fat with some peanut or almond butter spread over a slice, my fav combo on bb bread. 🙂

  3. Jessica @ Jess Go Bananas says:

    In vegan baking I have subbed applesauce A LOT!

  4. shannonmarie (rawdorable) says:

    I thought you were going to tell us about your blind date. I hope it went well.

  5. Kaitlyn@TheTieDyeFIles says:

    I hate that fat’s gotten a bad rap. I love my nut butters, coconut oil, and avocado!

    And this looks amazing 🙂

  6. Kathy says:

    I have 3 ripe bananas in my fridge. I am so making this soon!

  7. Jess says:

    Made this for breaky this morning! Fresh out the oven and yes, I ate it in my PJ’s 😀

    It was great! I used raspberries and agave (scaled down the agave a tad, cant remember the exact amount). I still found it a tiny bit on the too sweet side but my mum and little brother thought it was amazing! (Nothing is ever too sweet for my type 1 diabetic brother lol but this made a great treat for him 🙂
    Thanks Katie, another winner in my house!

    1. Chocolate-Covered Katie says:

      Aww I’m so excited you already made it!

  8. SheilaBmarie says:

    You are like a vegan-baking genius.
    Just made this gluten free. (1 cup pancke mix, 1/4 cup soy flour and 3/4 cup oat flour)
    I cut back the bakng powder to 1/2 tsp (because of the pre-mixed pancake flour)
    Added some milled flax seeds and walnuts so it became no longer “fat free” 🙂
    Eliminated stevia, and for the berries, I microwaved 1/3cup of blueberries for 30 seconds and folded in. the result was soooo great and gooey! It really did need to bake longer for the combo I used, BUT……….. I was too impatient to cover the top with foil and sit desperately waiting at the oven door any longer!!

    1. Chocolate-Covered Katie says:

      Haha that was my problem too! I wanted to take the gosh-darned thing out of the oven after only 20 minutes!

      1. SheilaBmarie says:

        I know right! It smells so amazing when its baking. My dad kept “hinting” around about when it would be done, but I kinda at the whole loaf myself yesterday…..opps!!

  9. leah says:

    I made blueberry banana bread the other day and I am seriously addicted. Long-time reader, first-time commenter, by the way.:)

    1. Chocolate-Covered Katie says:

      Hi Leah!!

      *Waves like a crazy girl* 🙂

  10. radioactivegan says:

    I don’t think anyone else has gone there, so I just have to say … Bananas in pajamas are coming down the stairs! Bananas in pajamas are coming down in pairs!

    1. Chocolate-Covered Katie says:

      LOL that was exactly my thought when I wrote the post. I never actually saw the show, but those darn commercials always got the jingle stuck in my head!