Most days, I’m an oatmeal kind of girl.  But on Saturday mornings in the depths of a New York City winter, I crave banana bread, lightly toasted and covered in peanut butter.  When I made the change to a more vegan-ish existence, my first concern was to find a banana bread recipe that would satisfy.  I’ve been told by more than one omnivore that this one will pass for the real deal.  The bonus?  It’s low in sugar and has very little oil.  You can’t taste the flavor of the applesauce in the finished product; it just helps with the density.  The brandy is a fun addition… I like finding ways to incorporate booze into weekend breakfast!

• 1 cup white flour
• 3/4 cups wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 ripe bananas
• 3 tbsp canola (or your favorite) oil
• 1/3 cups apple sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp brandy

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add dry ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk together.  In a separate mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to blend bananas with the applesauce, vanilla, and brandy.  Add dry mixture to banana mixture in thirds, mixing just until combined.  Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

By Erin