Cherry-Walnut Banana Bread

By Sarah-Lyn

Ingredients

• 3 over-ripe bananas
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 4 ounces unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup dark sugar (brown sugar, if you have it; I used demerara sugar)
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (optional, though leaving them out will require a name change)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (ditto)

Details

Adapted from blog.fatfreevegan.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas and add the lemon juice, apple sauce, and sugar. Stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, and stir just until the mixture is well-combined.

Spray or wipe a loaf pan with oil (I used non-stick spray on a silicon loaf pan). Spread the mixture evenly in the pan and bake until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Note: Fat-free quickbreads like this really benefit from being allowed to cool completely, which is why they often taste better the next day. The crust, which is chewier than breads with oil, will gather moisture and softness over time. Ignore the tempting aroma; pleasure delayed will be pleasure multiplied.