Healthy Banana Bread

This is honestly one of the best recipes I've ever tried. Earlier on, I posted a banana bread recipe. That one is sweeter than this one and has a different flavor, but this one is almost all healthy ingredients. It is moist and has some good nutrients with a hint of protein from Greek Yogurt. This would make a great gift for someone in the fall, too. If you want to try a healthy, delicious bread recipe, you need to try this.

Healthy Banana Bread
 (adapted from http://theshiksa.com/2012/06/13/greek-yogurt-banana-nut-bread/)

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (1 lb.)
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (whole, 2% or nonfat)
• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Dash of cloves
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (I didn't use them.)
• Nonstick cooking oil spray

You will also need

• Electric mixer, large mixing bowl, medium mixing bowl, small mixing bowl, spatula, 2 loaf pans (a medium and a small one) or 2 medium pans if you don't fill each one almost to the brim.

Total Time: 1 Hour
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Cut the butter into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl along with the sugar and brown sugar. Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and sugar for a few minutes. Make sure the butter is fully integrated into the sugar and the mixture becomes small, even sized crumbs.

Add the eggs and applesauce to the bowl and continue to mix till smooth.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork till smooth. Add the mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and vanilla to the bowl. Use a spatula to stir the mixture till smooth.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet to make a thick batter. Don't over mix-- a few lumps are okay.

 If you are going to use walnuts, fold them in.

Grease two loaf pans with nonstick cooking oil spray. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.

Bake the banana bread for about 50-55 minutes, till the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. If the top of the bread browns faster than it bakes, cover with foil for the remainder of baking time.