Applesauce Banana Bread

Sometimes, things that seem too good to be true, turn out to be very true indeed. Applesauce Banana Bread made without the use of butter or oil happens to be one of them. It's surprisingly moist, packed with banana flavor, and boasts warm and cozy hints of apple and cinnamon. 

Banana Bread with Applesauce is a healthy, low-fat breakfast treat, and whether you're putting it to use as a make-ahead breakfast, as a snack time fix or feeding a tea time crowd, this is a recipe you can feel great about diving into any day of the week! 

SUBBING IN APPLESAUCE FOR BUTTER

Applesauce is a common ingredient for replacing butter in baking. When it comes to banana bread, it will make the loaf moister, denser, and a tad bit sweeter. Not a bad trade when you consider you're knocking out almost all of the fat content entirely and cutting back on the calories significantly. Yes, please!

WHAT YOU MIGHT MISS

That being said, butter does add quite a bit of flavor, as well as a distinct richness to baked goods. When you cut it entirely, you might be missing some of that. For this reason, we used cinnamon-flavored applesauce and added in an extra ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to add some warmth to the loaf and up the ante when it came to flavor!

WANT BOTH? TRY THIS.

As you'll see in the recipe card below, this banana bread with applesauce calls for all applesauce and no butter. If you'd like to go halfsies, feel free to take out half of the applesauce and sub in the same amount in unsalted melted butter.

For this particular recipe, those measurements come out to one-third cup of applesauce and one-third cup of melted butter. The butter would go into the mixing bowl along with the applesauce and other wet ingredients.

If you're looking to go all-in on the full-fat version, you might already hear our Sour Cream Banana Bread calling your name!

HOW TO MAKE APPLESAUCE BANANA BREAD

1. Prep - Make sure your oven is preheating before you begin assembling the batter! Grease the loaf, and then sprinkle the interior with a dusting of flour and knock out any excess. Go ahead and mash the bananas in a large bowl as well. 
2. Mix Wet Ingredients - In the same large bowl you used to mash the bananas, add both the granulated and brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
3. Mix Dry Ingredients - In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. 
4. Combine - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix, and stir until just combined. Take care not to overmix so your Applesauce Banana Bread stays nice and moist!
5. Bake - Add the batter to the loaf pan and scatter the oats across the top. Bake for 40 minutes, then tent the top with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes more. The banana bread is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to the sides. 
6. Cool - Transfer the loaf to a cooling rack and allow it to rest about 20 minutes. Then, carefully turn over the pan to remove the loaf. Serve warm or allow to cool to room temperature.

INGREDIENTS

• Ripe Bananas
• Applesauce
• Sugar | Granulated and Brown Sugar
• All-Purpose Flour
• Leaveners | Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Salt
• Ground Cinnamon
• Old-Fashioned Oats (For Topping)

BANANAS FOR BANANA BREAD

The best bananas for making banana bread are the really ripe ones!

In fact, when you think your bananas are too far gone, it's probably the perfect time to bake with them. As soon as there's more brown showing than yellow and they start to feel a lit-tle squishy from the outside, they’re just right for baking. If you love to bake, these Baking Recipes are a must try! 

WHAT KIND OF APPLESAUCE TO USE

For this recipe, we used sweetened, cinnamon-flavored applesauce, but you can certainly use unsweetened if you'd like to cut back on the sugar.

ADD SOME GOODIES!

You left out the butter, so now you get to add in some extra goodies, right? Pick one or two of any of the following items and add them to the batter of your Applesauce Banana Bread to make it extra special! Use about a half cup of each if you are using two items from the list; use about a three-quarter cup if choosing just one.

• Dried fruit | Cranberries, Golden Raisins, or Chopped Dates, 
• Nuts | Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
• Baking Chips | Chocolate, Cinnamon, or Butterscotch Chips

HOW TO STORE APPLESAUCE BANANA BREAD

The best way to store Applesauce Banana Bread is to wrap the loaf tightly in two layers of aluminum foil. You can keep it out at room temperature for about 4 days. If you’d like to extend the shelf life, freeze it!

You can either freeze the loaf whole or into individual slices. The latter is perfect for busy weekday mornings when you need to heat a slice and eat on the go! Bookmark these Breakfast Recipes for the next time you need a convenient breakfast! 

To freeze the loaf whole, wrap it in two layers of aluminum foil and transfer it to a freezer-safe, gallon-sized ziptop bag. To freeze individual slices, cut the loaf into one-inch slices, then wrap each slice in wax paper, and transfer them to a freezer-safe, gallon-sized ziptop bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag, and seal. For best quality, use within three months.

5 MORE BANANA RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Banana Cookies
• Banana Oatmeal Muffins
• Blueberry Banana Muffins
• Chocolate Banana Muffins
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins