Banana bread – low calorie version

Banana bread - low calorie version

Banana bread would have to be one of my favourite morning tea foods. Toasted and warm spread with butter mmm. Unfortunately, despite the deceivingly healthy name, cafe-style banana bread is little more than dense cake with banana in it. We could fool ourselves into thinking it’s just bread and fruit but our waist lines would probably disagree.

Low-cal banana bread

Don’t despair as I have a recipe for an almost equally as good banana bread that is guaranteed to kill your cravings while adding only 110 calories to your daily consumption (if you only have one slice). I discovered this recipe when I was doing Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation last year (I highly recommend it) and after a few changes to the original recipe, it became one of my favourite guilt-free indulgences.

Ba-na-na-na-na-na

One of the secrets to the recipe is using apple sauce and bi-carb powder in place of the fats (butter, egg yolk, milk). The apple sauce also acts as a sweetener. The texture is a little different to what you might be used to and it’s not quite as sweet as the full-fat version but it’s worth the switch.

Step one

The first step is to beat the egg yolks together with the sugar for about one minute.

Frothing apple sauce

In a separate bowl or jug, combine the apple sauce and bi-carb. Be careful as it will froth.

Spice it up

Add the cinnamon, allspice and apple sauce mixture to the egg/sugar and mix to combine.

Mashed ba-na-na-na-na-na

Now mix through the star of the show – banana.

Flour and walnuts

Gently fold in the flour and walnuts.

Baking time

Pour the mixture into a prepared pan and bake at 180C fan-forced for 30-35 minutes.

Mmm

Leave the baked bread in the tin for about 5 minutes after taking it from the oven then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yum!

Toast a slice or eat it cold and enjoy!

I slice it up and wrap in individual serves and freeze it. When you feel like a slice, just take it out to thaw for a little while then pop it in the toaster.

Banana Bread

110 cals per serve, serves 12

• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ¾ tsp bicarb soda
• ½ cup apple sauce
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 cup mashed banana (2-3 bananas)
• 1 ½ cups SR Flour
• 1 tsp crumbled walnuts

Preheat oven to 180C fan forced. Spray a loaf tin with oil and line with baking paper so that it hangs over the long sides of the tin.

Beat the egg whites and sugar together in a medium bowl for one minute.

In a bowl or jug, mix the bicarb soda into the apple sauce (it will froth).

Add the cinnamon, allspice and apple mixture to bowl then stir in the mashed banana.

Gently fold in the flour and walnuts in one go.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until it springs back in the middle.

Leave the cooked bread in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

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