Low-Fat Banana Bread
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 9, 2011
Time
2 hours, plus 1 hour cooling
Yield
Serves 10 (makes one 9 by 5-inch loaf)
Ingredients
4 large ripe bananas 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 ¾ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) all-purpose flour ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ¾ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 ounces (57 grams) fat-free cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
Before You Begin
Adding more than 1½ cups of the roasted bananas to the batter will result in a dense, gummy loaf.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake bananas on rimmed baking sheet until skins are completely black, about 20 minutes. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool bananas completely, peel, and mash with potato masher until smooth. Measure 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas and discard any excess.
- Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Whisk eggs and vanilla in small bowl. With electric mixer on medium-low speed, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl until combined. Add oil and cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and mix until only pea-sized pieces of cream cheese remain, about 1 minute. Slowly mix in egg mixture, then add mashed bananas and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour. Serve. (Bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Time
2 hours, plus 1 hour coolingYield
Serves 10 (makes one 9 by 5-inch loaf)Ingredients
4 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 ounces (57 grams) fat-free cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 ounces (57 grams) fat-free cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 ounces (57 grams) fat-free cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted to find a way to make a low-fat banana bread recipe that produced the rich flavor and texture of the best full-fat versions. Roasting the bananas in the oven brought out their natural sweetness, so we could use less sugar in our Low-Fat Banana Bread. Just a bit of oil combined with fat-free cream cheese gave our banana bread good moisture, texture, and structure.
Before You Begin
Adding more than 1½ cups of the roasted bananas to the batter will result in a dense, gummy loaf.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake bananas on rimmed baking sheet until skins are completely black, about 20 minutes. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool bananas completely, peel, and mash with potato masher until smooth. Measure 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas and discard any excess.
- Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Whisk eggs and vanilla in small bowl. With electric mixer on medium-low speed, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl until combined. Add oil and cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and mix until only pea-sized pieces of cream cheese remain, about 1 minute. Slowly mix in egg mixture, then add mashed bananas and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour. Serve. (Bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
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