Low-Fat Banana Bread (No Oil, No Butter)

Low-Fat Banana Bread (No Oil, No Butter)

Classic banana bread runs to 12–16 g of fat a slice, almost all of it from oil or melted butter. That fat is doing one job: keeping the crumb moist. Very ripe bananas, applesauce and Greek yogurt do the same job together, and they bring flavour and a little protein with them. This loaf comes out at 1.5 g of fat a slice and does not taste like a substitution. It is the single most-requested recipe I get, so it earned its own page.

Why This Version Works

• Bananas must be properly ripe — heavily speckled, almost black. Underripe bananas give you neither the sweetness nor the moisture, and that is where most low-fat banana bread goes wrong.
• Applesauce replaces the oil one for one, without the greasiness. Use unsweetened, or the loaf turns cloying.
• Greek yogurt replaces butter and adds enough acid to react with the baking soda for a proper rise.
• Egg whites instead of whole eggs keep the structure and drop the fat further.
• Brown sugar, not white — the molasses adds moisture as well as flavour.

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe bananas (about 350 g peeled), mashed
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Line a 900 g (9×5 inch) loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Mash the bananas thoroughly in a large bowl — a few lumps are fine, but no whole pieces.
3. Whisk in the applesauce, egg whites, yogurt, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth.
4. In a second bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet with a spatula and stop the moment there is no dry flour left. Overmixing is what makes low-fat bakes tough.
6. Pour into the tin and bake 50–55 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool in the tin 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely before slicing — it firms up as it cools.

Nutrition per slice (12 slices)

Fat: 1.5 g  ·  Calories: 165  ·  Carbs: 36 g  ·  Protein: 4 g  ·  Fibre: 2 g

Figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient values and will vary with your exact brands and banana size.

Variations

• Chocolate: replace 1/4 cup of the flour with unsweetened cocoa powder and add 2 tbsp extra yogurt.
• Blueberry: fold in 1 cup of blueberries tossed in a spoonful of the measured flour so they do not sink.
• Muffins: divide between 12 cases and bake 20–22 minutes.
• Lower sugar: drop to 1/3 cup brown sugar and add a fourth banana.
• Gluten-free: a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works, but add 2 tbsp extra yogurt and rest the batter 10 minutes before baking.

Storing and Freezing

• Wrapped at room temperature: 3 days. It is actually better on day two.
• Refrigerated: up to a week, but let slices come back to room temperature or warm them briefly.
• Frozen: slice first, layer with baking paper, and freeze up to 3 months. A slice thaws in about 20 minutes.

If you like the idea of a sweet thing that takes minutes rather than an hour, the warm berry compote is the other recipe on this site people come back to — six minutes, almost no fat, and good on yogurt, oats or a slice of this loaf.

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Questions People Ask About This Loaf

Can I leave the sugar out entirely?

Not entirely — sugar holds moisture as well as sweetening, and a sugar-free version bakes dry. You can cut it to 1/3 cup and lean on a fourth banana, which is where most people land.

Why is my low-fat banana bread gummy in the middle?

Two usual causes: overmixing after the flour goes in, or pulling it out early. Without oil the crumb needs the full bake to set, so trust the skewer, not the clock.

Is banana bread suitable on a very low-fat diet?

At 1.5 g a slice it fits comfortably within most low-fat plans, including the very restricted ones often recommended after a pancreatitis flare. As always, follow the fat allowance your own clinician has given you.