Recently I was asked by a friend about some sugar-free options for baking. Now I have never really experimented much with this type of baking, although probably I should, but I thought it would be a fun challenge to look into it. Many recipes I poured over simply called for the use of a sugar substitute however that is really not what I had in mind. I came across several ideas using unsweetened applesauce or honey. After a bit of experimenting this is what I came up with, and I will say that even the doubting Thomas in me found this bread to be moist, sweet, and overall quite delicious!
Applesauce & Honey Banana Bread
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
A sugar-free banana bread with applesauce and honey that is moist, sweet, and delicious!
Course:
Breads, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine:
American, Healthy, Sugar Free
Servings: 24
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda heaping
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 overripe bananas mashed
- ½ cup sugar-free applesauce
- ¾ cup honey
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup dark currents
- ¼ walnuts chopped (optional), (or unsalted sunflower seeds might be nice)
Method
-
Heat oven to 350°F.
-
Lightly grease a 9″ x 5″ bread pan and set aside.
-
Mix together flour, soda, salt cinnamon, and nutmeg.
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In a separate bowl mash bananas. Add applesauce, honey, eggs, and vanilla.
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Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture. Stir only until combined. Do not over work.
-
Dust currents with flour, and fold into the dough (the flour will help to suspend the currents in the bread)
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Pour batter into the loaf pan and place in the oven for 60 – 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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Allow the bread to cool 5 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.
-
Allow the bread to completely cool to develop.
-
Place loaf in a plastic bag or wrap with plastic wrap.
Cooks Notes
For high altitude add 2 tablespoons of flour
This is unbelievably delicious banana bread! Thank you James and Everette!
It definitely does not taste low anything! I’m sharing you guys on FaceBook,
spreading happiness!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, and thanks so much for the share!
I am going to be making this banana bread for the second time because it was wonderful the first time! I am going to bake it a little less as my oven is a bit touchy, and the last time it came out with a bit of a crust, but was still amazing.
I have a recipe box where all my favourites get written down and put into for the rest of my life (and hopefully my childrens’ lives!) and this recipe is going in there!
Thank you very much!
So glad to hear you like the bread. Makes me think it is time for me to make some for us again! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Christoph,
I just made this (it’s cooling now) for my first ever attempt at baking, and I used liquid stevia instead of honey as a sweetener. Do you think the substitution will have any effect on the bread?
Thanks a lot for the recipe; it smells delicious!
Lia I have not idea, I have never used that product. However I am anxious to hear how it works for you. Glad you gave baking a try! I find baking very relaxing and enjoyable. Thanks for reading my blog and giving the recipe a try and please let me know how that substitution worked.
It’s a bit denser and chewier than the banana breads I’ve had. Perhaps the honey provides moisture? I would still prefer to use stevia, so do you think I can compensate for the honey by increasing the amount of apple sauce? If so, how much more apple sauce should I add?
It’s excellent taste-wise and I love how healthy it is!
Sorry Lia I have absolutely no experience with the Stevia. I would think that more apple sauce would make your version moister. I would just suggest adding some until the batter looks right. I really like what the honey does to this bread. There are some great organic honeys on the market. This recipe is overall it is a bit denser than other breads, but incredible moist and not at all chewy.
I just made this today and it came out PERFECT! Ideal banana bread right here, probably the best I’ve ever had, actually!
So happy to hear that you made this one and that you liked it. Thanks for sharing your success!
In the oven as we speak…It is hard to find a “simple” recipe that does not involve lots of sugar, so thank you for posting! Looking forward to seeing how it turns out! Hoping it becomes a pre-race staple as it has all the components of a good racing fuel!
Can’t wait to hear how it turns out! I would think this would be an excellent pre-race food!
Baking them right now for my kids!! I did blueberries instead of currents, only egg whites and omitted the nuts. Oh wait and I am making them as muffins 🙂 Can’t wait to try them!!
Sounds delicious to me. This bread would be a great muffing, and I also love blueberries. Let me know how your project turns out!
They turned out AWESOME!! The first batch didn’t last a day! Getting ready to make my third batch since then for Sunday morning bfast 🙂 Can’t wait to check out some of your other recipes!
Wonderful to hear that you all are enjoying this recipe. Thank you so much for reading my blog, and for the feedback!
Sounds very good. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe.
I hope you enjoy the bread Barbara. Let me know how it turns out. Thanks for reading my blog!
All whole wheat flour, eh. I’d be interested to see how that works, Christoph, ’cause I remember when I first discovered baking with whole wheat. Instead of gradually adding wheat as a substitution for some of the white, I dove right in and made a full substitution. The resulting rolls could have served as hockey pucks. Your bread, however, looks like it turned out just fine.
I too have had some bad experiences using whole wheat flour, however I must say this quick bread was amazingly good. I think the large amount of honey makes the bread quite moist. Let me know what you think if you give it a try.
Looks Yummy! I’ll need to give this one a try too. 🙂
I was thinking about you when I baked this bread. I know you will like it, and being a quick bread will make it easy for you.
I can’t wait! Maybe this weekend. 🙂