Quite a few years ago, I watched an Oprah show where she interviewed millionaires. It was a fascinating show where a variety of people shared how they had made their fortune. One woman had made her money through a recipe for a low fat chocolate cake selling the recipe to McDonalds for a cool million dollars.
Her secret to the moist chocolate cake? It was simple: replace the butter with apple sauce. There’s something about using a non fat item like apple sauce instead of butter that turns out moist, delicious cakes that are said to taste just as good as the real buttery thing. Even though I had seen this episode years and years ago, I never really thought to do it to one of my own recipes-after all, butter is one of my favourite ingredients. However there was one cold day when the bananas had gone too ripe and I decided to make a banana bread. I couldn’t wait for my butter to come to room temperature, which in itself was still quite cold so I decided to make an inadvertently fat free banana bread. I simply used my normal, easiest banana bread recipe and replaced the butter with the apple sauce. If you want some more delicious banana bread recipes, take a peek at my banana bread round up!
I had a little piece after it came straight from the oven and I was ambivalent. “It’s fine” was the best way I could describe it although I felt like I could taste that it was fat free from the texture. However Mr NQN let his cool and tried it then. “It’s really good” which was really his usual understated code for very, very tasty so I tried some. The texture once cooled, was fantastic and I really couldn’t tell that this was fat free as it wasn’t dry at all. It’s a moderately sweet item-you can add more sugar if you want or use brown sugar but I felt like it was sweet enough for me as the bananas and apple sauce added a lovely extra to the sweetness. After polishing off a loaf, at his request, I made four more loaves. But you know me, I did spread butter on top 
So tell me Dear Reader, do you butter your bread when you make sandwiches and toast? How about your banana bread?
P.S. Yes I realise that the egg has fat in it but the whole egg has 5 grams of fat so split up into slices, that’s about half a gram per slice. Apparently that is enough to get something labelled fat free. Please send all complaints regarding its fat free status to our politicians in Canberra. Some of them seem to have a lot of time to text… ;)
Luscious Fat Free Banana Bread
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
- 5 very ripe medium sized bananas (mine weighed 675 grams or 24 ozs total skin on)
- 1.5 cups plain or all purpose flour
- 1/2-2/3 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon bi carbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1/2 cup non fat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line 2-3 small loaf tins with baking parchment-I actually had better results dividing the batter into 3 and making three small loaves as making one large ones makes it hard to cook through. Mash the bananas in a bowl and put aside. Place the flour, sugar, bicarb and baking powder in a bowl and whisk to combine making sure the soda is well distributed. In a jug or bowl, whisk the egg and add to the flour mixture along with the banana, apple sauce, vanilla and skim milk and mix to combine.
2. Pour into the prepared tin. I baked these smaller ones for 30 minutes, larger ones will need 60-75 minutes (it’s hard to tell with banana bread as its dense). Check the centre with a skewer and make sure it comes out clean. Allow to cool-I liked this once it was cold and spread with butter.
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74 Comments | Add your own
You could actually just replace the egg with 1 Tbsp of cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp of water. It works amazing as a binding agent in cakes and cookies.
Mmm banana bread… Banana bread is definitely one of my all time favourites
I shall be making a loaf when I have time – I have a tonne of over ripe bananas sitting in the freezer at the moment!
Lorraine, love this recipe and the idea. I don’t butter my bread, actually. Something like a salad sandwich needs no butter… and you can use avocado on a chicken sandwich. Delicious!
Fat free and very good looking – now that is something I simply MUST try
This banana bread looks awesome!
And wow smart lady with her maccas connections
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I wish I’d thought of putting apple sauce in a cake and selling it to McDonalds. Who would have thought there was a million in that. Yes, that politician – can Canberra do us all a favour and say that’s the last we’ll see of him? I love your styling of this banana bread xx
Oh it does look rather inviting Lorraine, you can’t tell just by looking I would have to taste-test so please send some my way , lol
I’m ‘Team Butter’ like you and who can resist spreading some atop freshly baked Banana bread. I use Lurpak’s Banana Bread recipe and it’s the best I’ve come across so far but I’ve yet to try yours. My 4 year old grand-daughter is on par with Mr.NQN when it comes to Banana bread, she just keeps eating slice after slice, it’s the only cake she actually requests!
I do spread a thin smear on toast and it depends on what the filling is for plain bread. Never ever on bread if you’re going to put any type of salami,etc
OMG this looks delicious! And at the right time too, I have a whole heap of ripe bananas to use (they ripened quickly during last week’s heatwave). Thanks for the recipe! And man, some people need to lighten up, pardon the pun.
You had me at fat free
Eggs have good fat so no one should be winging 
How can you love butter so and try all your recipes and still look amazing?! Teach me your ways- seriously do a post on it 
What?!?! I could be making millions?! WHAT ON EARTH AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?! Hahaha
The majority of my recipes are low in fat and often vegan because my stomach can’t tolerate butter and oils – yet it can tolerate natural fats like avocado, nuts and nut butters.
Therefore, I don’t butter anything I eat either (except I put up with the stomach pains to have buttered bread with soup!) and instead use nut butters
I can’t even eat more than a scrape of coconut butter because I get really sick!
Fab recipe. I adore butter but everyone needs a break sometimes
Something fat free that tastes good? Surely you jest my friend? Oooh!
Great low-fat recipe. And round up. Do I put butter on my bread? Great lashing of it–and on banana bread as well…
I do butter my bread and toast but I do it consciously not automatically. Sometimes I make sandwiches and I use hummus instead of butter. You need to provide some kind of moisture to digest the food, isn’t that the point of butter? Nothing wrong with butter on banana bread
Oh yum!!! Sounds fantastic! Although I would spread mine so thickly with delicious soft butter that it really wouldn’t be fat free anymore
Some people have all the right kind of ideas. The woman with apple sauce recipe had just the right one. Now I need to come up with a burger recipe. Yeah!
And while I dream of making that million, let me tell you that your presentation skills are killing. I love it so much that I could hang it on the wall as a deco piece.
*laughs and laughs* So, tonight I ate an entire mint of So Delicious Mint Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk ice cream, which had…. *runs to website* totalled at 44 grams of fat and 36 of saturated fat. Bahahaha! *bows*
Great recipe, I use cans of Apple Blackberry or Apple Raspberry pie filling from Aldi very much more a sauce than a substantial filling, but excellent in cakes.
This cake sounds brilliant, can I ask where you get the lovely cardboard cake containers from, it makes the cakes look so nice!
OOOh, I’m about to overhaul my daily eating habits and get back to being a *bit* healthier so this looks like an excellent *guilt free* way to have banana bread (fat-free or not by definition!)
I would like to become a millionaire that way too! I’d be like you, if it was a fat free cake I would plop a big dollop of butter on it
)
Hi Dirtgirl! Oh that’s a good question!
I bought them about 5 years ago. I think it was at a little homewares store on Manly Corso, just after you get off the ferry and it’s on the left hand side as you are walking towards the beach. I saved them for a Christmas recipe but only discovered them again this week! 
Lorraine, I need a slice of that bread so bad now to have with my just plain tea! Looks beautiful, I love the charm, that was added by that twine…
LOL a lot of time to text
He’s my local member! I can walk to his office and there’s usually a news truck out front.
I’ve only made fat free banana bread once but I should try it again and let it cool before eating it.
Now how can we get a million dollars for a recipe? I like that gig.
Hi Lorraine…..When are we going to see your book in the book stores? I am really looking forward to having your recipes together – it will be a wonderful as I love using your recipes but often it takes me some time to find them….Please! Soon I hope!
I’m waiting for my “Banana pancake batter” cakes to come out of the oven. I make a bit of this & bit of that sorta pancake batter & it turned out quite cakey this morning. So I had planned to try & see how it would bake up as muffins & I saw today’s post. I too have a quanity of those paper cake pans bought years ago & they’re now in the oven baking away. THANKS for the ideas… Should have added some chopped chocolate in the mix.
Yum! I have a recipe for carrot cake with apple sauce! On the bottom of page – Family Circle 1996! It was invented by Susan Powter. A low fat author at the time if memory serves me correct. I can post it if anyone is interested? Enjoy your Sunday.
Oh yum, this reminds me I have a recipe for Carrot Cake with Apple Sauce – taken from the pages of Family Circle 1996! The recipe was invented by Susan Powter; Low Fat Guru author at the time, if my memory serves me correct. I can post if if anyone is interested? With low fat icing and all!!Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for all the great travel reviews & recipes Lorraine.
Found a recipe for Carrot Cake with Apple Sauce from Family Circle 1996! It was invented by Susan Powter – Author of Low Fat everything at the time if my memory serves me correct. I can post it if anyone is interested? Thanks Lorraine for all your awesome reviews and recipes. Enjoy your Sunday.
I LOVE butter. Especially French butter, but the Smelly Cheese Company in the Central Market in Adelaide sells handmade butter you can purchase whatever quantity you like of. I buy small amounts, and then spread it like cheese on my favourite bread.
I don’t butter banana bread though – it doesn’t need it. The best recipe I use of it is Bill Grainger’s Melt and Mix banana bread. It has sour cream in it, so definitely not low fat, but makes fantastic banana bread or I sometimes do it as muffins. I think the muffins are nicer – cooked for less time. I’ve adapted the recipe to be gluten free now – and they’re so light and delicious that no-one in my house except me knows they’re gluten free!! I freeze them, and use frozen over ripe bananas in them too – no waste around here.
Hi LKO! Oh I remember her! I wonder what she’s doing now
I would love the recipe if that’s ok! 
Thank you!
Good luck to anyone who can find ripe or even yellow bananas in Sydney! I’ve been buying them green!I usually use veggie oil with my banana bread/cake.But I never butter it! I enjoy it so much with a cup of tea.And one can’t stop at one slice y’all know! But as soon as my green bananas ripen up(prob.when Summer arrives!) I’ll definitely give your recipe a try Lorrz!! xx
Gorgeous presentation here, lovely! Always butter toast, never sandwiches
Heidi xo
Oh oh oh! Bananas are so cheap now and I can never get enough of banana bread! Definitely heard about apple sauce but never tried baking with it ~ I should try though especially since everyone’s around me is on diet lately
I never butter my banana bread I like toasting it and having it with some maple syrup hehe ~
it just needs some sultanas and cinnamon!
YUM!
YUM! I love recipes where you can’t tell that it’s good for you
I love butter too but I try not to use it unless its in baking. However i can’t say no to a buttered piece of fruit loaf or banana bread!
Can’t wait to try this, looks delicious. I’m sure that I’m in the minority here but I don’t like the smell/taste of butter not melted. On toast/warm bread or toasted banana bread I will put a scraping of butter and I will use it in cooking but on it’s own I am just not a fan.
I’ve got a similar recipe that used apple sauce too. It’s amazing how well it works isn’t it?!
Funny I was experimenting yesterday and made this exact same recipe with the omission of the apple sauce and the inclusion of raisins soaked in orange juice. I made one single big loaf but it was a disaster as the sugar from the bananas made it stick to the tin and it fell apart on removal. Still tasted pretty good though. I will use yours in future.
Fat free means guilt free, Yay! Of course I’ll butter the slices though, but still it’s less than usual.
Some of us are quite lovely really xox
PS. Not all of us in Canberra are crazy politicians
Oh a good idea indeed. A perfect recipe bananas and apple , good thinking
Hehe Intolerantchef, that wasn’t a comment aimed at Canberrans. It was at politicians!
Delicious! I think this is worth a million
Oddly enough, I have long been intrigued by this concept of replacing butter with apple sauce. And what a great flavor combo with banana bread, almost as if it just goes together naturally. A great recipe to try – and to eat every day.
I’ve used applesauce in quick breads since the early eighties when my BIL was diagnosed with hypoglycemia. Too bad I never thought to sell my recipe to them!
I do use butter on my toast but only on the weekend! It’s an easy way to save a few calories on the weekdays!
Oh that’s clever. Using apple sauce to make it moist. I must try this one day, since I’m trying to lose weight *ahem*. But I would be the same as you, probably spread butter on it later. Haha.
Its great when you can have healthier versions of the comfort food that you love.
-I love banana bread. Such a beautiful comfort food & I adore the scent lingering thru-out the house as it’s baking.
My mom uses apple sauce in all of her muffins and they are INCREDIBLE.
Kisssssssssss.xx
I often forget about the applesauce trick, because I also have this attachment to butter, but I’ll bet these taste great. Love the twine and packaging.
Great photos, as usual. I love the idea of using apple this way. I have to try your banana bread and then start experimenting. Thank you. GG
It is a good idea to
Use apple sauce I ave made banana muffins ths way.
I love banana bread! Using apple sauce or Greek yogurt are two of my favorite tricks to lighten things up (so that I can butter my slice
).
oooh love the sound of using apple sauce in this recipe!
I tried Nigella’s banana bread from the new book, and it’s the best i’ve ever tried. I was not a fan of all the oil she uses though, maybe i’ll try it with apple sauce… She recommends leaving it for a day before you try it too. As for a spread, the best for banana bread is peanut butter, no question (peanut butter is healthier than butter
)
Why there are some cakes or breads that when we eat it hot/warm do no taste as well as when cold? There should be something inside that turn them into the best baked thing.
I’ll have to try this. I usually make my banana bread using Nigella’s recipe, but am trying to be a bit healthier at the moment (which is very hard when you love to bake sweet things and cook desserts) so I really like the sound of this.
Where did you get those paper bread tins from? They’re lovely. Do tell!
Great recipe – I don’t tend to use applesauce much – I buy it, use a little and then it goes off!!! should just substitute it for butter more in baking. As for softening butter, I often do it in the microwave at a very low power. I grew up in a family that loved butter – I love it occasionally but not in slabs like my mum sometimes did on sandwiches when it was too hard!!!
I would love a copy of the Family Circle carrot cake using apple sauce. Re apple sauce, do you mean just cooking apples and pureeing them?
Hi Joanne! Yes you can do that although I must admit that I usually just buy it by the jar
Awww these mini banana breads are so cute. I am going to look for the paper tray/liners so that my son can bring these for snack at school. Looks delicious and nice to have one fat free banana bread recipe (I correct banana bread recipes as I usually have to use overripe bananas). Thanks for the recipe Lorraine!
Ok, here it is!! recipe for Carrot Cake with Apple Sauce – Family Circle 1996.
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup sugar (I always use half in any cake recipe)
2 tsp bicarb soda (scant)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
2 TBS canola oil
2 egg whites
2 large whole eggs
3 cups grated carrot
METHOD:
Preheat oven 180 c
In a mixing bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients.
In another bowl, mix together apple sauce, oil egg whites & eggs. Add the mixture slowly to the dry ingredients.
Beat together until well mixed. Add the carrot and mix until well combined.
Pour the mixture into a loaf pan. Bake for 70 mins or until your cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto rack and cool.
Low fat icing:
Combine low fat cream cheese, low fat milk, icing sugar & vanilla essence.
Joanne, Family Circle used Apple sauce in a jar, much easier. This has inspired me to want to make this for my birthday tomorrow. ENJOY!!
Thanks Ellen for the heads up about the butter. I didn’t know they made their own butter! Could I sneak the gluten free recipe out of you? Sounds great!
Thanks
Thanks so much LKO!! It is very much appreciated
Thanks LKO for the recipe. I will have to check out apple sauce in a jar!
I have a small collection of over-ripe bananas waiting to be made into banana bread this week. Now i just need to go and buy some apple sauce! Nice touch. thanks for the tip.
i subscribe to the pre-diabetes paula deen school of thought–the more butter, the better.
Hello
Sorry if I missed it in the recipe, but when does the banana go into the mix??
Sorry Merinda, all done! That will teach me for doing it in a hurry!
No worries – I’ve just made the cake and luckily added the banana at the time you have mentioned in the recipe. Phew. Can’t wait for it to cool so I can have a piece (with lots of butter!).
Lorraine, I don’t know what it is but I just do not have any luck with your recipes! I tried making this the other day and it wouldn’t cook through & collapsed. =(
I tried making your raspberry & vanilla heart shaped pancakes last year for my anniversary and they wouldn’t work for me, either! I just don’t know where I go wrong.
Hi Bellbird- I’m not sure, they’re both recipes that I’ve made numerous times. The only common thing is flour and baking power. Is the baking powder you are using fresh? Otherwise perhaps check the oven temp? You didn’t mention what went wrong with the pancakes.
Wonderful Merinda! Did you make one big one or smaller ones? I love the mini ones
what a great recipe. selling a recipe for a million bucks just seems ridiculous….
Hi Lorraine, I really like the cardboard containers but going to ask what may be a stupid question…does the cardboard not burn in the oven?
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