Whole Wheat Low Sugar Banana Bread

From the first time I made this banana bread recipe I was 100% hooked. Using Greek yogurt instead of oil is genius. I figured I would attempt to make it even healthier so I changed the recipe incrementally over the course of making it several more times. I started by adding in some white whole wheat flour in place of some of the regular white flour, then I began decreasing the amount of sugar and added in an extra banana to help give a little more natural sweetness. I realized that using SUPER ripe bananas, like ones that are almost completely brown, is the best because those have the most natural sugars in them.

This recipe is also very forgiving. Today I completely forgot to put in the applesauce... until the bread had already been in the oven for 20 minutes. Dangit. It turned out great anyway, though! Adding in chocolate chips (first time I had done that) certainly didn't hurt the taste, either.

I make this with my big electric mixer, but it definitely is not necessary. A hand mixer is great for creaming the butter and sugar, though.

This recipe was adapted from The Shiksa in the Kitchen. Click over there for step by step photos.

Greek Yogurt Banana Bread 

Servings: 16

Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed 
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (whole, 2% or nonfat)  (do NOT use flavored yogurt, as it has obscene amounts of sugar already in it)
• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Dash of cloves
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips
• Nonstick cooking oil spray

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

• Electric mixer, large mixing bowl, medium mixing bowl, small mixing bowl, spatula, 2 medium loaf pans (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches each)

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Cut the butter into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl along with the sugar and brown sugar. Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and sugar for a few minutes. Make sure the butter is fully integrated into the sugar and the mixture becomes small, even sized crumbs.
• Add the eggs and applesauce to the bowl and continue to mix till smooth.
• In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork till smooth. Add the mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and vanilla to the bowl. Use a spatula to stir the mixture till smooth.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet to make a thick batter. Don't over mix-- a few lumps are okay.
• Fold in nuts or chocolate chips.
• Grease two loaf pans with nonstick cooking oil spray. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
• Bake the banana bread for 45-55 minutes, turning once halfway through baking, till the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. If the top of the bread browns faster than it bakes, cover with foil for the remainder of baking time.
• Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes in their pans, then put them on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Serve warm. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil to keep moist; store in the refrigerator if you will be keeping it longer than a few days.