A healthier version of a classic chocolate chip banana bread. This uses whole wheat flour and contains no butter or oil! It’s kid-approved!
As 2017 slowly came to a close, it was time to clean out the refrigerator. We threw away many half opened cans of several ingredients – evaporated milk, mandarin oranges and a few other things here and there.
When I looked in the freezer, I saw that I had some frozen bananas in there. It meant that it was time to bake a banana bread. I knew I needed to make a chocolate version so my Addie would eat it, so chocolate it was.
I made this bread healthier by substituting applesauce for the oil and using white whole wheat flour in lieu of all-purpose. As always, this is not health food. But, by swapping out high fat (and calorie) ingredients, I can keep the flavors and textures pretty similar to the original recipe and still serve an awesome bread.
Plus, all that chocolate = antioxidants, right?
I’ll just keep telling myself that until my doctor tells me otherwise. *wink*
Whole wheat chocolate chip banana bread
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour can substitute for all-purpose
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 ripe bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a standard 9"x5" loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and sugar. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the bananas, applesauce, eggs and vanilla until well blended.
- Add the banana mixture to the large bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until a few dry streaks remain. Fold in the chocolate chips and mix until just blended - do not over mix.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan and bake in your preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (the melted chocolate chips don't count).