As I continue on my lifelong quest to be “skinny,” I’ve come to realize there are some things that I really cannot live without. Cheese and wine are a given. Although I can limit them (or even eliminate them) when I’m watching my intake of calories, I will never choose to give them up completely. Another can’t-live-without is bread… of all kinds. French bread, soft rolls, crusty baguettes and banana bread. And finally… I’ll never lose that irresistible craving for sweets, so I’ll need to continue to include a few sweets where I can- like in this Skinny Chocolate Caramel Banana Bread.
The great thing about turning banana bread into dessert is that you can get a good deal of sweetness from the bananas themselves. Hang on to your bananas until they’re almost black. The sweetness of those ugly, black bananas will be a heartsong in your banana bread.
For the sweet chocolate-caramel touch in this bread, I used the Skinny Cow chocolates: Milk Chocolate Dreamy Clusters. Have you seen this product in the store? It’s available in the candy aisle, alongside treats that are infinitely more evil. Grab these instead. Only 120 calories for this packet of yummies. It totally hits the spot for a chocolate craving, and because it’s sealed into a packet, eating in moderation is something that’s taken care of for you!
I chopped up the chocolates in 5 packets (there are 6 in the box) to include in this bread. The bread itself is made light by using less sugar and very ripe bananas, a tiny bit of butter + unsweetened applesauce, egg whites and light sour cream. The Milk Chocolate Clusters are the luxury piece of the pie here.
As in true food photographer fashion, a few pieces of chocolate added to the top of the batter is always great for visual appeal too.
I’m thinking this bread might be a fun gift for the Skinny Valentine in your life. You know… that Valentine who started a New Year’s Resolution and is actually sticking with it?
See, I told you about that chocolate on top, didn’t I? When it’s scattered about like that, there’s a good chance you’ll get some in every bite. And that’s a very good thing.
I’ve included nutritional information in the recipe below for those who are wondering about calories or WW Points. I think it’s a pretty good treat for what you get… a nice slice of sweet banana bread with the bonus of added chocolate via the Skinny Cow brand.
And about that quest to be skinny… I’m making some good progress. I’ve been making good choices (like this bread!), changing up my workouts, and turning my Superwoman willpower on extra-high. I’ve learned that moderation is KEY, and elimination of favorite foods is impossible and not fun. I’ve learned that eating cheese and crackers at 5 o’clock every day is probably not a good idea. And I’ve learned that allowing myself a treat once in a while- like these Milk Chocolate Dreamy Clusters is perfectly okay. To me, they taste just as good as any chocolate-caramel candy bar in the checkout aisle! And although I really don’t believe that I’ll ever actually be “skinny,”… FEELING skinny is good enough for me.
Skinny Chocolate Caramel Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 1½ cups (about 3 medium) mashed ripe banana
- ½ cup egg whites (or 2 large)
- ⅓ cup light sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 packets Skinny Cow™ Milk Chocolate Dreamy Clusters Candy, chopped
Instructions
- Place rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda and salt.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the sugars, butter and applesauce. Mix in the banana, egg whites, sour cream and vanilla. Blend in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chopped candy, reserving a few pieces to sprinkle on top.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate pieces on top.
- Bake for 1 hour (checking at 45 minutes on how much the top has browned. Place a piece of foil loosely on top of the loaf if it has already browned nicely on top). At one hour, draw a toothpick or a sharp knife into the center of the loaf to check for doneness. It should come out fairly clean. If not, bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until done.
- Cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting and serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Skinny Cow, whose products live in my house on a day-to-day basis. I’ve developed this recipe for Skinny Cow and received compensation to do so. All opinions shared about this product are my own.
I forgot to add the butter with the wet ingredients and put in after when I was mixing with dry
Hope it will turn out ok! Been looking forward to this banana bread recipe
For a while.
i hope it turns out too- good luck!
Can I sub yogurt for the sour cream and possibly the butter and can I sub mini chocolate chips for clusters plus how much would I use for chocolate chips.
You’d just have to wing it and see if it turns out- as I have not tried to substitute.
This is brilliant!!!
Made the loaf this past weekend…loved it. I want to try them as muffins, but is there any ingredient variation I need to do
No, I think they might be fine as muffins too!
is there a dairy free version of it??? would love to try it
This is the only version I have created…
You said that the Skinny Cow chocolate clusters do not have fake sugar in them. That is FALSE. The ingredients clearly list maltitol which is a fake sugar used in many reduced calorie products. I like this product but, unfortunately, cannot eat it because the maltitol gives me gastrointestinal distress. You should accurately report the product’s ingredients, particularly since Skinny Cow paid you for the post.
Gotcha- thanks for letting me know. I’m not familiar with that ingredient as being an artificial sweetener. I’ve removed that statement from the post.
Girl this looks so GOOD I’m gonna try it!
I have been on a banana cake kick and just baked one from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Cake Bible. I will have to try this one — I love the caramel addition!
I don’t know how I missed those chocolatey treats! I’m a big banana bread fan and this recipe looks like one my family would love (and I can eat without the guilt!)!
This looks delicious! I am definitely going to try this!!