The Banana Bread Makeover: Roasted Strawberry Twist

Why you’ll love it

This loaf stays beautifully moist, packed with bright flavor from ripe bananas and roasted strawberries. Roasting the berries concentrates their jammy sweetness without watering down the batter. This bread has about half the calories of a traditional banana bread recipe and the strawberries add a boost of Vitamin C! You can have 2 slices or pair 1 slice with a low sugar Greek yogurt cup for a satisfying 200 calorie snack.


Full recipe below. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1¼ cups fresh strawberries, diced

  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed (look for lots of brown spots!)

  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce

  • 1¼ cups white whole wheat flour (or use regular all-purpose)

  • ¾ tsp baking soda

  • ¼ tsp kosher salt

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

  • ½ cup light brown sugar (loose, not packed)

  • 2 large egg whites

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Roast the strawberries first
    Preheat your oven to 350°F. Toss the diced strawberries onto a small baking tray and roast until they’ve lost most of their moisture and turned jammy—this prevents soggy bread later.

  2. Mix the wet ingredients
    In a medium bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Stir in the applesauce, softened butter, brown sugar, egg whites, and vanilla until well combined.

  3. Combine the dry ingredients
    In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

  4. Bring it all together
    Add the dry mix to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Fold in the roasted strawberries gently.

  5. Bake
    Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour—or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

  6. Cool & slice
    Let it cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.