Mmmm…the smell of freshly baked bread has got to be one of the coziest smells on the planet.
My quest for a healthier banana bread that equals its less healthy rivals in taste and texture has been a long one. Fortunately, that journey ends here!
This banana bread is lower in fat and sugar than any recipe I’ve seen to date, and it’s also vegan and gluten-free! Less fat and sugar? “Surely it must have the flavor of cardboard and the texture of dirt,” you might say. I assure you not!
It’s soft and slightly chewy, with just the right amount of sweetness. And the chocolate chips? Those were my reward for lowering the fat and sugar in the rest of the batter, of course!
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Servings: About 10
Ingredients
- 2 TBL ground flax meal
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 TBL olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
- 1/4 cup corn meal
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (use regular if not vegan)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flax meal and water. Let sit for 5 minutes
- While the flax mixture is resting, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 9″ loaf pan
- Add the bananas, applesauce, olive oil, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon to the flax and water mixture. Beat well with a mixer or whisk
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips and stir until just combined
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes (or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean)
- Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto a plate or wire rack to finish cooling
- Store at room temperature in a zip-top bag or wrapped snugly in plastic wrap