Going Bananas with a Few Nuts Thrown in for Good Measure

I don't know what it is about this time of year, but I find myself wanting to bake. I'll bake anything when the mood strikes. The fur babies love it too, as there are sounds coming from their favorite room and that means mom is probably dropping stuff on the floor to lick up. Jasper loves when I choose to bake. Kit is all over the kitchen as well. Why? Because there are typically bags to climb into and things to knock off the counter when mom is in that room. 

My thoughts went from blueberry muffins to apple cake and then to sugar free banana nut bread. If you have never tried sugar free baking, you should try it at least once in your lifetime. Don't mention that it's sugar free to the family or friends but watch them devour each heavenly slice. 

This recipe offers a beautiful loaf of banana nut bread, that is not only sugar free, but is home to half a bag of chocolate chips. I can't leave those out! Terry loves chocolate chips, and I am going to love hearing what he thinks of this delectable bread when he tries it tonight after dinner. If it lasts until after dinner. The chocolate chips are by Lily and have less than one gram of sugar. The rest of the sweetness comes from three grams of erythritol, which is a plant-based sweetener. 

The chocolate chip solution is not only great for cutting sugar out of your diet but is also providing three grams of fiber which is very important for any dietary need. Lily's also keeps the carbs down to below eight milligrams. Not that chocolate chips are necessarily a needed ingredient, but hey, when you've got a sweet tooth but are watching your sugar intake like Terry and I are, it's important. 

Walnuts were added only because I love the chopped walnut flavor and texture in banana bread. The walnuts give it that earthy flavor and crunchy texture that makes the bread just awesome. Loaves from this recipe tend to be light and fluffy, while boasting a great banana flavor. Bananas also have a lot of sugar in them, even though it is a natural sugar, it still is sugary and not so great for diabetics. Another reason why I cut back on sugar throughout the rest of the recipe. 

Dieticians have told me that eating bananas are a good thing, but the amount you eat is very important. I have taken that to heart and have not eaten a whole banana since I was diagnosed. I can't speak for Terry, but I do know he has cut back on his fruit intake too. This is a way to spread those grams of sugar out, so we don't get a large dose of that natural sugar. 

I will post the recipe for the chocolate chip banana nut bread here if you would like to try it. It's good for everyone to cut back on sugars, carbs and things that aren't as healthy for us. This bread tastes so good nobody will question whether it's sugar free or not. If you mention it is a sugar free recipe though, the mind immediately goes to, "Ew. No, thanks." So, keep the secret between us and see what their reaction is. I won't tell. My granddaughter Jessee made it several times and we had it out with company over. They came, they devoured and never said a word. That's why I will share it here. Jessee made the bread over and over again. I ate a slice every time! 

To keep the sugar intake levels even lower, I used a sweetener instead of sugar. The replacement sugars can be quite expensive at times. This time I purchased the off-brand sweetener found at Walmart. Much cheaper than the regular name brand items. The brown sugar replacement was a bit more expensive, but so worth it when you consider that you're eating a plant-based replacement instead of the real thing. Now I often do eat the real thing, but just eat a very small amount of the resulting baked goods. Baking this way, I know Terry and I can have a little bit more in terms of the amount we eat of it, and we can rest assured that it's not quite as bad for two older diabetics. It's a give and take for sure. 

This sweetener can be used cup for cup just like you would measure out regular sugar. It is good in drinks, food, over cereal and for any other use you have for cane sugar. 

Brown sugar replacement called Truvia is made from the stevia leaf. The brown sugar can be used in any way you use your regular brown sugar, in baking, on cereal or any other way you enjoy eating brown sugar. Make things sweet without all the harmful sugar intake. Our bodies can only handle so much sugar and the American diet has far too much in it. It is shocking at how much sugar, carbs, and processed ingredients we ingest every day, and the amounts of food we eat daily, which in turn of course, increases the levels of sugar and other ingredients that can be harmful to us over time. Chemicals in our food is one of the ways that we create our illnesses, but the massive amounts of sugar and processed foods we consume can lead to even more illness. For a typical 2,000 calorie diet per day, we should only be eating about 13.3 teaspoons of sugar per day. The nation's average is currently 42.5 teaspoons per day. The United States ranks as having the highest sugar consumption per person, per day. Astounding. 

People in the United States are finally beginning to pay more attention to their diets for the most part. We are in a decline in cases of diabetes after a 20-year increase. Is this due to the pandemic? Not as many people going to the doctor or is this due to all the fads such as keto and the like? Or could it be that people are getting on the healthier side of things by watching what they eat? Whatever the case, keep it up!

Here is the recipe for a sweet treat in eating a bit healthier with this chocolate chip banana nut bread. I do hope you enjoy it!

Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 1 hour 

Total time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (for gluten free, use gluten free flour. For fewer carbs, use a low-carb flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup Splenda or other sweetener

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 bananas, mashed

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts if desired

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and prep a loaf pan for nonstick baking. 

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set the bowl aside. 

3. In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar alternative and the butter. Once blended, stir in the beaten eggs and mix until smooth. Add the vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time, mixing well in between each addition. When blended, fold in the bananas and optional chopped nuts and chocolate chips. 

4. Bake bread for 65 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, indicating the bread is done. Allow it to cool for a few minutes before removing it from the pan. 

I recommend you slice it up when just warm. The chocolate chips are gooey still and a bit warm, with the wonderful banana flavor as a base. Oh, my goodness! It's heavenly!

Yummy banana with those nuts for crunch and ooey-gooey goodness of the chocolate chips. Heaven. I'm in heaven. So good and not as bad for you as it may seem! Yes, that is a bite taken out of this piece! I bit into it because the aroma of fresh banana bread baking in the oven was making me swoon. Terry was just fed the rest of the slice and he loves it too. All is good in the Macrae household. May you all have a blessed week. Take care.