I have yet to buy the perfect amount of bananas or apples. Pretty much every time I either run out or have fruit over ripening in the bowl. It doesn’t help that my toddler likes to take a bite out of an apple and leave it on the table, only to then take a bite of another one and leave it the next time she wants one. In my effort to not waste food I’ve been getting creative with how I deal with these expiring fruits. So far I’ve made some amazing cinnamon applesauce out of all the apples and I’ve been experimenting with different kinds of banana breads. My main hurdle has been that I don’t want to add sugar or too much fat to them. Sure, I could make an apple pie or traditional banana bread, but it’s full of added sugars and I’m trying to keep it healthy here! Since I always have a ton of these two fruits I figured, why not combine them into one awesome bread. This recipe the outcome! It has no added sugars, no added fats, all the health benefits of oatmeal and it even gets a bit of extra protein from the egg.

As a note, this is a VERY wet, dense bread. The bread will feel undercooked if you do not let it rest and it will feel very moist even after being fully rested. It is by design. I find that this bread works exceptionally well toasted and served with a little butter. Or even better, as french toast. I mix a 1/4 cup of milk and one egg with a splash of vanilla and then dip the bread in that before pan frying with a little butter. The sweetness of the fruit usually makes syrup unnecessary for us but it does go well with some dark maple syrup. All that being said, my daughter loves eating it cold and calls it cake bread. That’s all it takes to keep me happy and making it 🙂

Ingredients:
2 Cups Unsweetened Cinnamon Applesauce (Homemade is best)
5 Bananas – Very ripe
1 Egg (large)
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1.25 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 TBSP Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Baking Powder
0.5 tsp Kosher Salt

1. Pre-Heat Oven to 400F
2. Butter loaf pan well
3. Place applesauce, Bananas, Egg, Oats, Vanilla Extract, Baking Powder and Salt in a mixer or a large bowl until the bananas are fully broken down and everything is well incorporated.
4. Add flour and mix just enough to incorporate making sure not to over mix it
5. Place in pre-heated oven and cook for 90-120 minutes checking periodically. It’s done when a toothpick comes out pretty much clean.
7. Let cool completely, preferably overnight
8. Apply to face