Best Banana Bread Ever

I baked this recipe for my boyfriend's parents once and his mom asked me for the recipe immediately after she tasted it. Both my boyfriend Tyler and her agreed that my bread was even better than Grandma's! The best part of all is that it's even a healthier version of banana bread. It sure tastes just as indulgent as the unhealthy kind. The whole bread, including the crust, is so moist and sweet that it's hard to have just one piece. With the nutritionals being as fabulous as they are, you won't have to feel guilty for having a second. This bread really doesn't need anything on top of it, but if you're feeling extra indulgent, Tyler and I have found that leftover cinnamon cream cheese frosting tastes incredible on it.

The original recipe is from Betty Crocker and can be found here.

Best Banana Bread Ever

1 1/4 c sugar
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c trans fat free margarine, softened
1/2 c egg beaters (I sub 4 egg whites when I don't have any around)
1 1/2 c mashed very ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
1/2 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt (I have a habit of greatly reducing/leaving salt out...I really don't think leaving it out of this recipe hurts it any...but you definitely don't need a whole tsp)
1 c chopped nuts, if desired (Sometimes I include these and sometimes I don't. I don't include them when my college budget doesn't allow it and the bread still tastes great. However I like to include them when I can.)

1. Move oven rack to the low position so the tops of the pans will be in the center of the oven. Heat oven to 350. Grease the bottoms only of 2 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 ", or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3".
2. Mix sugar, applesauce, and margarine in a large bowl. Stir in egg product until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt until just moistened. Stir in nuts & pour into pan(s).
3. Bake 8" loaves for 1 hr and 9" loaf for 1 1/4 hr, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides, remove loaf, and place on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. (You can try this if you want...I can't say I've ever been able to wait that long. I'm proud if I get through 10 minutes. Isn't the whole appeal to have fresh baked bread and not 2 hours old bread?) Wrap tightly and store at room temp up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Nutrition Facts:
1 Serving: Calories 60 (Calories from Fat 10 ); Total Fat 1 g (Saturated Fat 1 g); Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 65 mg; Total Carbohydrate 12 g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 1 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 2 % Exchanges: 1 Starch