Healthier(ish) Banana Bread

Happy Friday!!! Who has big plans for the weekend? Hopefully you have something fun planned, and if not make plans now! It's not too late! And if you have some bananas that are getting past their prime, do I have a recipe for you!

So who has ever bought with the best intentions a big ole bunch of bananas, with the intent to eat one every day, but before you know it, the week has slipped away and you still have a few bananas left that are starting to get to the point where you may not want to eat them? Raise your hands, I know you are out there, we have all been there. You might also be thinking that you bought the bananas to be healthy in the first place so you don't want to undo all the healthiness you had intended, right? Where this is where this recipe comes in. It is my take on a healthier(ish) banana bread.

Instead of using traditional sugar, or peanut butter (yes this Banana Bread has Peanut Butter in it, yum!) I use Splenda and Better n' Peanut Butter. 

This Better n' Peanut Butter has 85% less fat than regular peanut butter, and less sodium. I can buy it at my local Trader Joe's. I am not sure where else it is sold at, but you can really use any type of peanut butter. 

Instead of using traditional white sugar, I used Splenda. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Splenda, it is a no calorie sugar substitute. For those of you like me, who are trying to watch their sugar intake, I find this to be a great substitute. I promise if you didn't know it had been used, you would think that it was made with real sugar. I promise! These two ingredients are my two substitutes to help make this banana bread a little bit healthier than your typical banana bread recipe. 

Recipe:

Ingredients: 

•  1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 2 t baking powder
•  1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 2/3 cups flour
•  3 very ripe bananas mashed up
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Soften butter and mix together with sugar
3. Add eggs, salt, baking soda baking powder, peanut butter, and water. Mix together.
4. Add flour and mix together.
5. Add the mashed bananas and thoroughly mix together. 
6. Add the chocolate chips and mix
7. Pour into three mini loaf pans
8. Bake between 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that there are mini chocolate chips in the loaves! It just adds that certain something, (because come on, everything is better with chocolate) and the peanut butter flavor is very subtle.I ended up cooking my three mini loaves for 40 minutes so you may want to check on your loaves after 35 minutes.

Have a great weekend everyone and don't let those almost bad bananas go to waste! 

Hugs, 

Caroline