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Wholesome & Delicious: The Best Healthy Banana Applesauce Oatmeal Bread

This delightful sweet bread offers a healthier twist on traditional banana bread recipes. Crafted without any added oil and using only a modest amount of sugar, it’s a guilt-free indulgence that doesn’t compromise on flavor or moisture. Prepare to discover your new favorite way to enjoy ripe bananas!

Embracing a Healthier Banana Bread Experience

For many, banana bread is a beloved comfort food, a classic bake that transforms overripe bananas into something truly magical. While my blog features several delicious banana bread recipes, I’ll be honest, most of them wouldn’t exactly fit into a “healthy eating” category. They are undeniably tasty, each with its unique charm, but this particular Banana Applesauce Oatmeal Bread stands out from all the rest. It’s a game-changer for those seeking a nutritious yet incredibly satisfying treat.

This recipe revolutionizes the traditional loaf by making smart ingredient swaps. The most significant change is the complete absence of oil. Instead, it relies on the natural moisture and sweetness of ripe bananas and applesauce, creating a wonderfully tender crumb without the need for excessive fats. The original recipe even boasts a completely sugar-free profile, though I chose to incorporate a touch of brown sugar for a hint of caramel-like sweetness. For those committed to specific dietary needs, a vegan option is also incredibly simple to achieve, making this bread versatile for various lifestyles.

The Secret to Incredible Moisture and Flavor: Applesauce & Oats

One of the hallmarks of a truly great banana bread is its moistness, and this recipe delivers in spades. Despite its healthier profile, this bread is incredibly moist and bursting with flavor. The key players in achieving this fantastic texture and taste are applesauce and oats.

Applesauce acts as a fantastic natural fat substitute, contributing significant moisture and a subtle fruity sweetness without adding extra calories from oil. It blends seamlessly with the mashed bananas, enhancing the overall fruity profile and ensuring every bite is tender and delectable. For an extra layer of flavor, and to truly elevate this bread, I highly recommend using a homemade cinnamon applesauce recipe. The warm notes of cinnamon complement the banana and oats perfectly, taking your bread from good to truly exceptional.

The addition of rolled oats is another brilliant move. Oats not only provide a delightful textural element but also significantly boost the fiber content of the bread. If you’re like me and pay attention to nutritional benefits, you’ll appreciate this added fibrous goodness. Fiber is essential for digestive health and can help keep you feeling full and satisfied, making this a smart choice for breakfast or a wholesome snack. The oats also contribute to that rustic, homemade feel, making each slice feel incredibly comforting and nourishing.

A Culinary Journey: The Story Behind the Recipe

This fantastic recipe comes from a cherished tradition: the Secret Recipe Club. Each month, members are assigned a fellow blogger’s site from which to choose and bake a recipe. This particular month, I had the pleasure of exploring The Cookaholic Wife, a wonderful blog hosted by Nicole. Discovering new culinary gems and sharing them with a community of food enthusiasts is always a joy.

Nicole, who lives in Maryland with her husband and two beloved cats, shares my passion for cooking and baking for family and friends. Whether it’s for holidays, special occasions, or just an ordinary day, she finds immense happiness in preparing delicious meals and treats, often sending delightful baked goods to work. Her blog is a treasure trove of inspiring recipes, and I truly enjoyed delving into her creations.

While browsing her site, I encountered several tempting recipes that caught my eye. The Hot Fudge Cheesecake Brownies sounded incredibly decadent, and the Baked Caramel Apple Donuts looked like a perfect autumn treat. However, the Banana Applesauce Oatmeal Bread immediately stood out for its healthy appeal and comforting ingredients. I knew it was the one I had to try first. And, as a testament to Nicole’s fantastic culinary skills, I’ve already marked her Vanilla Bourbon Pumpkin Pie recipe to bake this coming fall. It’s always a delight to connect with other food lovers and find new inspiration!

Tips for Baking Perfect Banana Applesauce Oatmeal Bread

Achieving a perfectly moist and flavorful loaf of banana bread is simpler than you might think. Here are a few tips to ensure your Banana Applesauce Oatmeal Bread turns out beautifully every time:

Choose Ripe Bananas: The riper your bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots on the peel; they’re packed with natural sugars and moisture. Don’t let those overripe bananas go to waste! If you have extra, you can easily freeze them for later use.
Don’t Overmix: After combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until no lumps of flour remain. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to a tougher, denser bread. A few small lumps are perfectly fine!
Proper Pan Preparation: Always grease and flour your loaf pan, or use a non-stick cooking spray, to prevent sticking. This ensures your beautiful loaf slides out easily after baking.
Test for Doneness: The best way to tell if your bread is fully baked is to insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, your bread is ready. If it comes out with wet batter, continue baking for a few more minutes and test again.
Cooling is Key: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps the bread set and prevents it from becoming soggy.
Storage for Freshness: Once completely cooled, wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to lock in its moisture. Store at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, or freeze slices for longer storage.

Customizing Your Wholesome Loaf

While this recipe is fantastic as is, it’s also wonderfully adaptable. Feel free to experiment with these additions and variations:

Nuts: Fold in half a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for added crunch and nutty flavor.
Chocolate Chips: For a slightly more indulgent treat, add a handful of dark chocolate chips to the batter.
Spices: Enhance the warm spice profile by adding a pinch of nutmeg, allspice, or cardamom.
Dried Fruit: Mix in some raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dates for extra sweetness and chewiness.
Vegan Option: As noted in the recipe, you can easily make this bread vegan. Simply omit the egg (the applesauce and banana provide enough binding and moisture) and substitute honey with agave nectar or maple syrup.
Gluten-Free: While not tested with this specific adaptation, many quick bread recipes can be made gluten-free by using a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.

Are you ready to bake this incredibly moist, flavorful, and healthier banana bread? Let’s get to the recipe!

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Banana Applesauce Oatmeal Bread

This sweet bread is a healthier version of traditional banana breads. Made without oil, and only a small amount of sugar.

Rating: 4.39 out of 5 stars based on 84 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins	Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Additional Time: 40 mins	Total Time: 2 hrs
Cuisine: American	Keyword: Banana Applesauce Oatmeal Bread
Servings: 1 loaf	Calories: 1975 kcal
Author: Michaela Kenkel

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas (medium sized, mashed)
¾ cup milk
⅔ cup cinnamon applesauce
1 egg
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats (plus 1 Tablespoon for topping)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan, or spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly. Stir in the milk, applesauce, egg, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until all wet ingredients are well combined.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup of rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
Pour the wet banana mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined and no large lumps of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix.
Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of rolled oats evenly over the top of the batter.
Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
For optimal moisture, wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before storing. *For a vegan option, the egg can be omitted and honey can be substituted with agave nectar or maple syrup.*

Notes

Recipe adapted from the (even healthier) version found at www.cookaholicwife.com.

Nutrition

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Don’t let those bananas go to waste – freeze them and use them later! Here’s how!

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