Banana Bread - from "it's a keeper!"

I love banana bread and I have blogged before about making a healthy version of the Willams-Sonoma banana bread....but the last few times I have made it....I don't know...it was just blah!

Maybe I just needed a new one, or maybe it was too healthy :)  I know the whole grain flour does give it a unique flavor and it is much darker than other banana breads.

While blog hopping I bookmarked a new banana bread last week. It is from Southern Living magazine and I found it on the blog It's a Keeper! Today we made it and I don't even have a picture of my own because the two year old in my life went and tried to help himself with a butter knife...now it is not so picture perfect.

IT IS AWESOME!  I made some minor tweaks to ingredients and the process.  I haven't tried the chocolate chips, but I do think it would make a perfect addition!

Ultimate Banana Bread
[Compliments of It’s a Keeper, Original Recipe From: Southern Living Magazine, www.everydaytastes.com, currently modified by Amanda from Raising Tomorrow's Men]

Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar (or I used 1 cup Splenda and 1 cup sugar)

2 large eggs

1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

(1 cup chocolate chips (optional) tossed in 6 Tbs flour)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp melted butter
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans.

Using and electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy.  Slowly add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time until incorporated, add bananas, applesauce and vanilla. Mix until well blended.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.  While mixer is on low-speed, slowly add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture until just combined. 

 If adding chocolate chips, combine chips and flour in a separate bowl then fold into batter.

Spoon batter evenly into greased loaf pans.

Stir together all ingredients for streusel topping.  Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over each.

Bake for one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  To prevent over browning, cover loaves with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.  Cool pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans.  Cool an additional 30 minutes before slicing.