Tried substituting applesauce for oil in banana bread and got brick city

I swapped out 1/2 cup of vegetable oil for the same amount of applesauce in my mom's banana bread recipe last Saturday. The loaf came out dense and rubbery, not fluffy like usual. It barely rose in the pan even after 55 minutes in the oven at 350. My neighbor who bakes a lot said you gotta cut the applesauce to 1/4 cup and add a tablespoon of yogurt instead to keep moisture. Has anyone else messed up a swap like this or found a trick that actually works?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellyr186d ago

Brick city, been there. My first attempt at healthy banana bread ended up denser than a textbook and about as tasty. I swapped in applesauce AND tried to use whole wheat flour. It came out looking like a doorstop. My dog wouldn't even sniff it. That yogurt trick your neighbor mentioned is solid, I cut my applesauce by half and added a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt last week and it actually had some air in it. Also learned the hard way that bananas need to be practically rotting for the right texture, not just spotty.

thomas_roberts6d ago

The applesauce swap is tricky cause it changes the whole chemistry of the bake. Your neighbor is right about cutting it back and adding yogurt for structure. I messed up the same way with pumpkin puree once, ended up with a loaf that could double as a doorstop. Greek yogurt really does help keep things from turning into a brick. That banana tip is key too, old bananas are non negotiable for the right texture.