A delicious chocolate chip banana bread with some healthy substitutions.
I just loved the sight of over-ripened bananas on the kitchen counter when I was a kid, because that meant one thing—BANANA BREAD. My mom’s chocolate chip banana bread is to die for. My sister and I love it so much that my mom would even make us our own little loaves to take back to college after being home for the weekend.
Yummy, homemade banana bread does have one drawback, though—it’s usually super bad for you. Packed with white sugar, flour, and shortening, this isn’t the best thing for someone trying to eat healthy. While I’m all about indulging every once in awhile, I also love to make recipes healthier, which is exactly what I did with my mom’s banana bread recipe!
It’s easy to turn an unhealthy dessert into something a little better for you, with just a few substitutions of ingredients. So what substitutions did I do?
White sugar → Pure maple syrup and brown sugar
All-purpose flour → Whole wheat flour
Shortening → Unsweetened applesauce
Milk chocolate chips → Dark chocolate chips
While this recipe isn’t something healthy enough that you should eat with every meal, it is a much better way for you to satisfy your sweet tooth. Whole wheat flour makes breads a little more dense, so just be aware of this if you have never used it.
Anytime we’ve told my dad that something is healthy, he automatically refuses to try it, assuming that it will taste bad. He actually tried my banana bread AND he thought it was pretty good. I’d say that’s a success and a sure sign that this is a recipe you should give a try!
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
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| Prep: | Cook: | Yield: One loaf | Total: |
A delicious chocolate chip banana bread with some healthy substitutions.
You'll Need...
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 cup whole wheat flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray, and set to the side.
- Mix applesauce, maple syrup, and brown sugar.
- Beat eggs and add to mixture, along with the mashed bananas and lemon juice. Mix together.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix well.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Add mixture to the pan and bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Transfer bread with parchment paper to cooling rack, then cut and enjoy!
[…] I certainly LOVE banana bread (find my chocolate chip banana bread recipe here), I’ve found many different ways to use up brown bananas—one of those being banana pancakes! […]