Great Bakers: What is the key ingredient in making a moist treat?!

Substitute the butter for vegetable oil or applesauce.

The secret to moist baked goods is vegetable oil. If you want to use the healthiest oil that would be canola. There are some safflower oils on the market that are very high in Vitamin E too.

Banana pecan quick bread

Both walnuts and pecans are very good for you. This recipe relies on practically black-liquid ripe bananas which means more natural sugar from the fruit and less refined sugar from your sugar jar.

Use canola or high-in-E safflower oil for a healthier quick bread

When you want to cook with bananas, wait until they're slightly overripe, with lots of brown spots and the fruit slightly mushy and glossy.

You can peel and freeze overripe bananas until you're ready to use them.

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecan pieces, chopped [See note]

Method
Heat the oven to 350°

Puree bananas in a food processor; transfer to a bowl. Set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

Beat eggs and the sugars in a large bowl with a mixer on high speed until thick, about 3 minutes. Add the bananas, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly blended. Reduce speed to low; add the flour mixture in three portions. Fold in the walnuts with a spatula.

Transfer the batter into a greased 9” x 5” loaf pan with the bottom lined with greased parchment paper. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert the pan onto a wire rack to unmold. Set aside to cool, about 1 hour. Slice with a serrated knife.

Note:
Toast pecans in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until aromatic, about 5 minutes.

My banana bread is always moist and I use applesauce to substitute for the oil. You can use maple syrup cup for cup for the sugar too - really yummy for banana bread.

Be sure not to over cook too as that will result in dry bread.

Cook it 3-4 minutes less as the heat carries on cooking things when they come out of the oven. It may look too moist when it comes out the oven but when it cools down it will look fine

you could use use half whole wheat and half all purpose flour and half of the sugar and a little more banana