Due to the winter weather we just survived, a shaking off of our hibernation is in order. I’ve got a healthy, sweet snack in mind: my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
Sweater-shedding weather is just around the corner and you’ll want a low-fat, low-sugar breakfast or snack for when you’re on the run. I like to feel as if I can indulge, a bit, in a baked good without going overboard.
This recipe has about half the fat and calories of a traditional buttery and sugary banana bread. It can easily be prepared vegan (substitute the semi-sweet chocolate chips) or fat-free, you would need to skip the chocolate chips and walnuts. I’m not calling for an all-out cleanse here, just moderation.
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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Recipe: Phoebe Canakis, PhoebesPureFood.com
Yield: 12 servings
If you’d like to prepare this as a fat-free snack, then skip the nuts and chocolate chips, but then it would just be Banana Bread. To prepare vegan, be sure to use non-dairy chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (use non-dairy chips for a vegan version)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) mashed banana
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, nuts, chocolate chips, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, mix the applesauce, maple syrup, banana, milk and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.
Approximate : 155 calories - 4g fat - 28g carbs - 2g fiber - 8g sugar - 4g protein
