Low Cal Mini Banana Breads

Sometimes I find it impossible to stick to a healthy diet and keep motivated to hit the gym. Last night I found myself faced with a container of peanut butter cookies (Thanks a lot Lolo, although they were delicious!) and I couldn't help myself. I think one of the toughest hurdles is the post-night-out cravings for anything deep fried, made with cheese or made solely out of sugar. But I have learned my lesson. In order to beat these cravings and stick to my plan of staying healthy I need to be prepared! So here is a recipe for low fat, low cal banana breads (one of my favorite desserts/snacks) that won't make you feel bad if you eat one (or two!). I didn't make them with chocolate chips this time, but adding in a cup of chocolate chips to the recipe will make them extra delish!

Low Cal Mini Banana Breads

Ingredients
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
pinch kosher salt
1 cup mashed, ripe bananas
1/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350ºC. Line 12 muffin tins with muffin papers or spray lightly with cooking spray (I recommend using cooking spray because the breads tend to stick to the paper). In a bowl mix the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together. In a separate bowl combine the Splenda, egg, vanilla, apple sauce and bananas. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients about 1/3 at a time. If you are using chocolate chips stir them in. Spoon the mixture into the muffin trays and bake for 15-18 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. Let the mini breads cool slightly, then serve!

Note: the bananas should be past a point of raw consumption if you want to get their full flavour. They should be almost fully black. You can store bananas in the freezer when they are over-ripe and you can thaw them before use. I used about 6 bananas for this recipe and I heated them on high in the microwave for 4 minutes and then cut the ends off and squeezed the banana out.