Weight Watcher Banana Bread

I absolutely love Banana Bread for breakfast! I remember having a 7:30 a.m. class most of my college days so I'd rush to school without eating. Often, a thick slice (or two!!) of Banana Bread from a little kiosk across the classroom building was breakfast. It was very sweet, moist and buttery. Lots of calories but I was skinnier then.
Fast forward to the present, now I'm looking for a Weight Watcher version ! Found one at Recipezaar that's healthier but still yummy. The original recipe calls for 1 cup Splenda but I did not have any so I used 3/4 cup brown sugar. For leavening, I used 1 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp baking soda in place of 1-1/2 tsp baking soda. I also add banana extract that makes the bread smell so good while baking! The applesauce makes the bread so very moist!

Here's my modified WW Banana Bread recipe:

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp banana extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl, mash the bananas and mix with brown sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan lightly coated with canola oil cooking spray. Bake at 350 F for 40-50 minutes or till bamboo skewer inserted into cake comes out clean when done. It's one of the best breads I've made.

Healthy Carrot Zucchini Walnut Bread

My friend Debbie H. brought this delicious and healthy bread loaded with zucchini, carrots and walnuts. You can actually see the pieces of shredded carrots and zucchini in this hearty bread! It's moist and not too sweet.... so good I scarfed down 2 slices and I had a hard time resisting another slice!

Debbie is very generous with her recipes and I've never tried any that were not keepers--specially her White Bean Chili and King Ranch Chicken! She emailed me the recipe from one of her cookbooks and I'm posting it here. You must try this--it's so healthy, you won't feel guilty eating it. So here it is:

Carrot, Zucchini and Walnut Bread
1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large egg whites
1-1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup walnut, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray.
Whisk together the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the applesauce mixture to the flour mixture. Stir in the carrots, zucchini and walnuts till blended.
Bake 50-60 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.