Skinny Banana Bread

Budget Tip:

Bananas are super cheap - buy alot of them and either expect for some to go super-dooper ripe or put them in the freezer.  When you are ready, take them out and let them thaw on the counter.  It's pretty much the same effect.

Suggested Ingredients - only in the way that if you can make it skinnier - be my guest!!

2 large bananas - way over ripe to the point of dripping - oh yum!
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
2 TBSP applesauce
2 TBSP canola oil
3/4 cup (not packed) of light brown sugar (if you can measure it at 175grams)
2 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
some walnuts - roughly chopped

Suggested Baking Method - but not really because if you want it to be good, it needs to be done this way

Small Bowl: Mix bananas, baking soda, yogurt.  Let sit while you mix the other stuff

Medium Bowl: Mix oil, applesauce, sugar, egg whites and vanilla.

Large Bowl: Mix flours, baking powder, ground cinnamon, salt

Put the banana mixture into the egg mixture and mix together.

Make a well in the bottom of the flour bowl and pour in the wet ingredients.  Dump in your walnuts and mix together until everything is moistend.  I like to use a rubber spatula to avoid overmixing and to be sure I got all the flour at the bottom.

Bake in a larger loaf pan (not the really tiny ones) for about 45ish minutes on 350.  I usually start watching at about 35 minutes and take it out slightly before 45 because even if the middle is still showing a bit of banana bits on your poking implement, it will finish baking as it cools down.

This is a really moist and sticky bread..it's AMAZING.  Love it!  Without the walnuts, it's about 157 calories with 3 grams of fat if you slice the bread into 12 slices - who does that??

As a disclaimer, I did get this recipe from joyofbaking.com and doctored it up a bit to make it even healthier than they posted.

Skinny Cheesecake Frosting

Budget Tip

This makes a LOT of frosting so if you are using this sparingly, make 1/2 a batch.  Off-brands are perfectly fine to use if you don't already have these things in your pantry or freezer.  Also, you can change the flavor by changing the pudding type so get whatever is on sale and have at it!

Suggested Ingredients

1 box (8oz) fat free (or reduced fat) cream cheese
2 small boxes or 1 large box of SugarFree/FatFree Cheesecake pudding
1 cup fat free milk + some in case it's too thick
1 whole container fat free or lite whipped topping

Suggested Method of "Putting it Together"

Beat the pudding and milk together until thick using a hand mixer.  Add the other two ingredients and beat together.  If it's too thick go ahead and add a little milk, but not too much because you want the consistency to stay "frosting-like".

Refrigerate until you need to use it.  I like to put this on chocolate cupcakes or muffins but recently found it's great on biscuits as a little dessert and I would bet you could put it on pancakes too..mmm!  I'm imagining some crepes with this in it. 

I would challenge you to try using a pineapple or vanilla pudding with a little less milk a little more pineapple juice on top of a yellow cake or cupcake.  The possibilities here are endless!!