Low Fat Choc Banana Bread
Great for a low fat chocolate treat you can wrap for snacks on the go or pop into school lunches. Uses up brown bananas (I save them up in the freezer until I have enough for a recipe)
Great for a low fat chocolate treat you can wrap for snacks on the go or pop into school lunches. Uses up brown bananas (I save them up in the freezer until I have enough for a recipe)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup buttermilk lowfat
- 1 1/2 cups banana mashed
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips mini optional
- 1/4 cup brown sugar optional for topping
- 1/4 cup walnuts optional for topping
- Carbohydrate 51.4904720833333 g
- Cholesterol 18.0333333333333 mg
- Fat 5.1040475 g
- Fiber 3.44937161671321 g
- Protein 4.5657875 g
- Saturated Fat 1.308115 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (99g)
- Sodium 139.8147 mg
- Sugar 48.0411004666201 g
- Trans Fat 0.460835725 g
- Calories 256 calories
Step-by-step
- preheat oven to 180 (i put them on 160 fan forced)
- Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
- Combine sugar, oil, egg, buttermilk and vanilla in a medium bowl.
- Add wet ingredients to dry, and stir until just moist.
- Fold in mashed bananas, followed by chocolate chips if using.
- Empty batter into a 9 x 5 loaf pan lined with baking paper.
- sprinkle sugar/nuts on top if wished ( I only put nuts on half- for nut free school lunches)
- Bake for 55 minutes to an hour.
- cool on a rack
- cut into slices wrapped up for snacks on the go
Why is the crumb dense instead of fluffy? Whole-wheat flour demands more hydration than refined white flour, soaking up liquids rapidly and thickening the batter before it enters the oven. When measuring the 1 3/4 cups of flour, spoon it lightly into the measuring cup rather than packing it down, because excess flour creates a heavy, dry loaf that fails to rise properly during baking. Mixing the wet and dry components just until moistened preserves tenderness by preventing excessive gluten development, which turns quick breads rubbery if overworked.
How do frozen bananas alter the final texture? Thawed, overripe bananas release significantly more free liquid than fresh fruit because freezing breaks down the cellular walls, meaning the resulting batter will require careful folding to incorporate the extra moisture without breaking the emulsification. This high moisture content compensates for the minimal amount of fat used, keeping the crumb moist even though the recipe calls for only one tablespoon of oil and low-fat buttermilk. Stirring the mashed fruit gently ensures pockets of sweetness remain distributed throughout the 9 x 5 loaf pan without sinking to the bottom.
When is the bread structurally ready to slice? Baking at 180 degrees Celsius (or 160 fan forced) for 55 to 60 minutes allows the center to set fully while caramelizing the optional brown sugar and walnut topping. Insert a wooden skewer into the deepest part of the loaf; if it emerges clean without wet batter clinging to it, transfer the pan immediately to a wire rack to cool completely. Slicing warm quick bread shears internal moisture channels, so waiting until it reaches room temperature locks in the structure before wrapping individual portions for storage.
