Lightened-Up Special Banana Bread Recipe

Lightened-Up Special Banana Bread Recipe Lightened-Up Special Banana Bread Recipe photo by Taste of Home Rating 4

This cream cheese banana bread has lots of banana flavor and a nutty texture. And with help from our pros, now it’s lighter, too! Beverly Sprague — Baltimore, MD

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Lightened-Up Special Banana Bread Recipe
  • Prep: 25 min. Bake: 55 min. + cooling
  • Yield: 24 Servings
25 55 80

Ingredients

  • 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, divided
  • ORANGE GLAZE:
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Directions

  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in 1/2 cup pecans.
  • Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients; drizzle over loaves. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each).

Nutritional Facts 1 slice equals 235 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 34 mg cholesterol, 157 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Originally published as Lightened-Up Special Banana Bread in Simple & Delicious January/February 2010, p46

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Reviews for Lightened-Up Special Banana Bread

Lightened-Up Special Banana Bread Recipe

Lightened-Up Special Banana Bread

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(21-27) of 27 reviews

Reviewed on Jan. 03, 2011 by LuvBakin

I agree with tsthelen2001. How is it light? Just because the cream cheese is reduced fat! Not hardly a "light" recipe. Very dissapointed in Taste of Home and what they consider light.

Reviewed on Jan. 03, 2011 by charlotte34

I will deffinately make this recipe. It is a little lighter than my regular banana nut bread, but by using Splenda Brown Sugar blend, I will lighten it up even more.

That will cut half the sugar calories, and will be possible for most Diabetics to have a small slice.

Reviewed on Jan. 03, 2011 by tsthelen2001

This recipe has 235 calories per slice and 4 g of saturated fat! How is that lightened up??? The only difference with this recipe and other ones is that it uses reduced fat cream cheese, but since most banana bread recipes don't call for cream cheese that isn't really saving anything. You shouldn't advertise that this is lightened up when it clearly is NOT!

Reviewed on Jun. 20, 2010 by shandan23

i made this recipe for my boyfriend and my mom and some close family and they all loved it! ive even shared it with friends, now they keep buggin' me for the recipe. Our family, even my boyfriend doesnt even like nuts, but he asks for me to make it just that way everytime. Now everyone gives me their old banana's hoping for a loaf of this really yummy bread in return. i would definately recommend this to anyone!

Reviewed on Jan. 29, 2010 by kmu021

This is the best banana bread. I used regular cream cheese and walnuts instead of pecans.. Very delicious and moist!

Reviewed on Jan. 18, 2010 by cjjackley

This is tasty, moist, and easy. YUM!!!

Reviewed on Dec. 28, 2009 by hag2nut

My husband leaped on this bread like a shark. When I said I was going to give the extra loaf to my daughter, he promptly said NO and hid it.

 
 
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