Applesauce Banana Bread
Moist, tender banana bread made with applesauce instead of oil or butter. A one-bowl recipe with warm cinnamon, ripe bananas, and no added fat.
Servings 12 slices
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe bananas mashed, about 1 ½ cups
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup brown sugar can reduce to ½ cup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Banana Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. Stir in the brown sugar and applesauce until blended.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt on top of the wet mixture. Fold together with a spatula until the flour just disappears. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last 15 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Banana ripeness: The browner the banana, the better. Fully brown or black bananas are sweeter and mash easily.
- Don't overmix: Fold just until the flour disappears. Overmixing makes the bread tough.
- Sweetened applesauce: If using sweetened applesauce, reduce brown sugar to ½ cup.
- Egg-free: Use 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 5 tablespoons water, rested 5 minutes).
- Add-ins: Fold in ½ cup chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or blueberries.
- Storage: Room temperature 2-3 days, fridge up to 1 week, freezer up to 3 months.
- Muffins: Fill muffin tins ⅔ full and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.