This Greek Yogurt Applesauce Banana Bread Recipe provides a healthier alternative to traditional banana bread by incorporating Greek yogurt and almond flour. With the added benefits of mashed bananas and applesauce, this banana bread is both moist and satisfying, making it a delightful treat for breakfast or snack time.
Step by step recipe is below, so keep reading and learn how to make your day a little sweeter.
Thanks to the applesauce and bananas, this homemade banana bread loaf has a soft and tender texture that will stay soft for days, even though it's low fat. It’s the best treat for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients Used to Make This Greek Yogurt Applesauce Banana Bread
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Banana Bread Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour - You can use any brand of All-Purpose Flour. I haven't tried this recipe with whole wheat flour, oat flour or other gluten-free flour blends, so substitute at your own risk!
- Almond Flour - Almond flour contributes to a softer, more tender texture in this banana bread recipe. Because it's naturally gluten-free, the almond flour helps reduce overmixing and minimizes gluten-formation in the bread.
- Salt - any kind. I used Pink Himalayan Salt
- Baking Powder - many banana bread recipes use baking soda, but I like using baking powder in my eggless bread recipes because the results are more consistent (baking soda is activated by acid while baking powder does not). If you want to use baking soda instead, you can replace the 3 tsp of baking powder with 1 tsp of baking soda plus 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar.
- Cinnamon Powder
- Brown Sugar, or other sugar of choice – Darker sugars like brown sugar, coconut sugar, date, and maple sugars will give you the most flavor, but you can use any sugar you have at home. If you want a low-sugar and low carb option, I recommend this monk fruit sweetener.
- Mashed Bananas - mash ripe, peeled bananas with a fork until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Greek Yogurt - I used Fat-Free Plain Greek Yogurt. Before using, be sure to drain any excess liquid (whey).
- NOTE: You can also use a dairy-free yogurt like almond milk yogurt, but because dairy-free yogurt tends to be thinner than Greek Yogurt, you may have to reduce the amount of milk you add to the recipe when mixing the batter.
- Applesauce - the pectin in the applesauce helps create a tender, moist banana bread and helps reduce some of the oil that's needed in the recipe. You can use any kind or any flavored applesauce. I used unsweetened.
- Light Olive Oil - I like using light olive oil since it has a neutral flavor, but you can also any cooking oil of your choice like coconut oil, or avocado oil instead
- Milk of Choice – I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk (dairy or dairy free) works in this recipe.
Banana Bread Add In & Filling Variations:
- Banana bread can be wonderfully versatile, and I've gathered some add in and filling ideas to take your baking to the next level. Here's the FULL POST
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Greek Yogurt Applesauce Banana Bread
STEP 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a standard loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
STEP 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients
STEP 3
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients
STEP 4
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir gently until the batter comes together.
STEP 5
The batter will be thick, but if there are still dry ingredients remaining, you can add 1-2 Tbsp more almond milk.
STEP 6
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly.
STEP 7
Bake the Banana Bread in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 8
Glaze with Greek Yogurt Icing, if desired
STEP 9
Enjoy!
What are some ways you can eat Banana Bread?
- Plain and warm, served with jam or butter
- Frosted with my 2-Ingredient Almond Butter Frosting , or this Healthy Powdered Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosting
- Toasted in the Air Fryer, an drizzled with honey, maple syrup, caramel or chocolate syrup
- Dusted with powdered sugar or sugar-free powdered sugar. Just make sure you use a sieve to sift the sugar on top!
More Frosting & Glaze Ideas for Banana Bread
Get creative with these scrumptious glaze and frosting ideas to upgrade your banana bread to the next level! Here's a List of Topping Ideas to Try
How to Store Greek Yogurt Applesauce Banana Bread
- You can store any leftover banana bread covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. For longer storage, you can place them in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 5-7 days, or freeze up to 4 months.
Final Tips
- Use batter right away after prep. The batter will deflate over time, so I've found that you don’t want the batter sitting out on the counter for too long.
- Prevent Over-browning - Depending on your oven or where your bread is placed inside the oven, the top of your bread may start to brown. Check 40 minutes into baking to see if this is the case, and gently cover the top of the bread with aluminum foil. This helps prevent excessive browning while the bread continues to bake.
- Turn them into muffins! You can also bake this in a muffin pan instead of a cake pan. To adjust, reduce the cooking time from 50-60 minutes to 30-40 minutes.
Low-Calorie Greek Yogurt Applesauce Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 180g
- ½ cup almond flour 60g
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup sugar of choice 100g, use monk fruit sweetener for lower sugar option
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅔ cups mashed bananas 150g, from fully ripe bananas (about 1 ½ medium size)
- ⅓ cup applesauce 112g , about one 4 oz applesauce cup
- ½ cup Greek yogurt 120g
- 3 Tbsp light olive oil , or other neutral flavored oil
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a standard loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well to ensure the dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, mashed bananas, applesauce, Greek yogurt, olive oil, and almond milk until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir gently until you have a smooth batter. The batter will be thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly.
- Bake the banana bread in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for approximately 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
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