Banana and Date Bread (Low-fat)

Whenever i grab my morning skinny latte at Starbucks, i like to pair it with their famous banana and walnut bread...until one day when i accidentally found out its caloric value on their nutrition pamphlets. You should have seen my face! 4-9-0 Cal! That's a third or more of what i need per day...

Well, I still want to enjoy that coffee with something sweet and light. My mom helped me create this hearty and healthy bread recipe with the most delicious ingredients: Banana, dates and carob molasses. Let's consider the latter as a secret ingredient. ;-)

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 ripe bananas, mashed
7 dates, mashed
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 plain yogurt (low or whole-fat)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup carob molasses (or blackstrap molasses)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup oats

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Put the dates in a non-reactive bowl with 1 tsp of oil and microwave for 30 sec. Then mash them with a fork.

3) Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Add brown sugar and yogurt and whisk. Drizzle in oil. Using a rubber spatula, fold in bananas, dates, carob molasses and walnuts.

4) Line bottom of loaf pan with parchment paper. Pour bread mix and sprinkle with oats.

5) Bake for 50-60 min or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. When ready, allow to cool for 5 min before turning the bread out of the pan. Let it cool on a rack for an additional 5 min and serve.

 Note: You should be able to find carob molasses in any middle eastern market. If you don't like its taste, replace with an equivalent amount of brown sugar (approx 1/2 cup).

Nutrition Facts: 

This recipe is clearly low in fat as it's eggless and butterless but i promise it doesn't sacrifice flavor.
While the main ingredients contain high amounts of sugars, a decent slice won't taste overly sweet and the high nutritious value- such as the rich amount of dietary fiber- is enough to balance that out. ;-)