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!
Looks yummy!! If I make this, I would definitely add the coconut oil, and eat with peanut/almond butter or pure butter (sorry, not vegan). I truly believe that fat-free is UNhealthy, because we need natural fats in every meal – unless you eat, like, an apple – so keep on advocating those good fats! 😀
Mmm agreed. And there’s no better way to eat an apple than slathered in pb ;).
Thoughts on subbing sugar for the stevia and agave as I’m a poor student, how should I change the quantity of liquid?
Thanks!
I’m thinking you could omit both the agave and stevia, using 2/3c sugar instead. And just leave the liquid as-is. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
I hadn’t seen this comment, but I looked for info on subbing regular sugar for agave and found a few different recommendations. I just made this using 1 C sugar and 1/4 C water in place of the agave/stevia, and used the milk option (almond milk) and 1/3 C strawberries. I had enough batter for two loaves and they were done in about 40 min. Really, really good! The outside browned nicely and the inside was very moist (but not underdone). I probably could have used the lower sugar amount Katie recommends, but it isn’t too sweet as-is. I love the subtle strawberry flavor. 🙂
Made a gluten-free version of this bread last night. After I got it in the oven I realized I totally forgot the baking powder, but it still turned out great. It didn’t rise much, but it had a great texture and a great flavor!
I love using applesauce in place of oil…especially in baked goods like breads! YUMMY! 🙂
I do like to sub applesauce for oil or butter in recipes, but not always. Sometimes I do want the fat in there. Love this recipe – banana bread is the BEST! I just made a pretty great zucchini bread and threw a little bit of everything in there – including bananas…and wheatgrass! 🙂 Check it out: http://skinnyfatgirls.com/2011/10/10/zucchini-and-friends-bread/
Keep it up, Katie! I can’t get enough of these healthy dessert recipes!
Oh my gosh, I LOVE your recipes, because they offer those low fat/healthy substitutions, and because it’s really nice to be able to eat sweet, decadent tasting treats like you offer, every single day, without extra fat and calories…just as part of your daily, healthy deliciousness 🙂 that being said – i love fats, like salmon and coconut butter and almond butter and dark chocolate, of course! 😛 eat heaps of them, because they are so good for you <3 I cannot wait to bake this! Thank you for all the time and effort and energy you put into your beautiful blog! xyx
PS: I mostly love your recipes for sweet and baked treats (for daily consumption) 😉 because they are vegan – it’s hard to find dairy free baking, or without butter and eggs, and yours are all amazing and tick all my boxes! <3 xyx
Oooh, sounds amazing! I do miss greek yogurt and am looking forward to sampling a coconut version! I’m already subscribed by email and “like” you on Facebook. 🙂 Thanks, Katie!
Ohh I have been wanting to make banana bread something recently and this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it!!
I love banana bread and so a fat-free version is even better!
Your photos always look gorgeous 🙂