This has applesauce in place of some oil, so it is lower fat than most recipes. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dry and wet ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix!
2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas (brown spots all over)
¼ C applesauce, or see whole apple technique*
¼ C canola oil
½ C sugar
2 tbsp molasses
2 C all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking soda
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
Optional mix-ins… ¾-1 C of any, or a combination, of the following: chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or shredded coconut.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas really, really well. Add the sugar, applesauce, oil, and molasses, and mix briskly to incorporate. Sift in the rest of the ingredients, except the optional mix-ins. Use a wooden spoon to mix gently until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. Fold in the optional mix-ins.
Plop batter into a greased 9×5 loaf pan (optional: sprinkle with 1-2 tbsp sugar to create a sweet, crunchy top). Bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (aside from melted chocolate chips, of course). At that point, remove from oven. After about 5-10 minutes, remove from the pan and invert onto a cooling rack. Flip the bread right-side up onto a cooling rack and let cool enough to comfortably handle before serving.
*whole apple technique: I never have applesauce on hand. If you don’t toss in a cored half of an apple in the vita-mix or food processor along with the oil, sugar, and molasses. Those wet ingredients serve to aid the apple in getting processed. Without them, you’ll be scraping the sides every second.
Credit: Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
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