This Agave Sweetened Low Fat Banana Bread is a good way to use up your ripe bananas.
Ripe bananas lend plenty of natural sweetness to banana bread recipes. This recipe uses agave nectar and applesauce to sweeten up this loaf a little more. No white or brown sugar is added at all. That means it will have fewer calories (152 per slice) and only 4 grams of fat. If you are following the Weight Watchers plan, you will find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card at the end of this post.
Agave sweetened low fat banana bread is a great choice for a healthier version of banana bread. The agave provides just the right amount of sweetness. It still turns out moist too.
What is Agave Syrup?
Agave syrup (also known as agave nectar) is produced from the agave plant. It’s sweeter than regular sugar, so you can use less of it to sweeten your baked goods and other foods. Agave syrup isn’t necessarily better for you than regular sugar, but it does have a lower glycemic index than sugar.
Ingredients needed:
- mashed ripe bananas (lots of brown/black spots means sweeter bananas!)
- agave nectar
- vegetable or canola oil (just a little!)
- unsweetened applesauce
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- whole wheat flour
- all purpose flour
- cream of tartar (substitutions can be used- see recipe)
- baking soda
- salt
- cinnamon
How to make Agave Sweetened Banana Bread:
Most quick bread recipes are made by mixing dry and wet ingredients separately and then stirring to combine the two. this banana bread recipe is made in the same fashion. The batter is scraped into a loaf pan, and baked for about 45 minutes.
Why does banana bread crack on the top?
Don’t worry, this is normal! Banana bread cracks on the top of the loaf because the top sets first when baking. The bread will continue to rise while baking, forcing the bread to crack on the top as it needs room to grow. That’s why banana bread has a crack through the top that looks like an earthquake fault line!
What’s the best way to store banana bread?
Once your agave sweetened low fat bread comes out of the oven, let it cool completely. Then remove it from the pan and keep it stored in a covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you want to extend the life of the banana bread a little bit, wrap it in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for three months in the freezer. Wrap the whole loaf (or individual slices) with plastic wrap, and thaw as needed.
Another healthy banana bread recipe is my Greek Yogurt Banana Bread, which has plenty of protein. Whole Wheat Healthy Banana Bread is packed with whole wheat flour and dried fruit. My Heavenly Healthy Banana Bread is also a popular choice. And this Makeover Banana Nut Bread is a healthier choice too.
Agave Sweetened Low Fat Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1½ cups mashed ripe banana
- ⅔ cup agave nectar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons cream of tartar (can sub 2½ teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Mix first 6 (wet) ingredients together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining (dry) ingredients; add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until blended together (don't over mix).
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this recipe! It’s my go-to banana bread recipe. I change it up by using different flours, sometimes I have Cream of Tartar, sometimes not (results have not differed), I increase the amount of cinnamon to a tablespoon and I’ve used both walnuts and pecans as additions. Love it!
Words cannot express how good this banana bread recipe is! It’s so tastey, great texture, and even though it is low fat, you wouldn’t know it. I am a WW and I absolutely love this bread. Thank you for sharing and I will not be using any other recipe again. It’s that good!
Thanks for posting nutritional information! My goal for 10in10 is reducing my refined sugar intake, so this is great.
I have made this bread three times and it is fantastic. I substituted canola oil for the vegetable oil and fresh lemon juice for the cream of tartar.
I have never used agave in a recipe – have been seeing all over the place though. I may have to jump in and give it a try. Especially if it means I can eat more banana bread.