Moist No-Butter Banana Bread

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth. You can leave some small chunks if you like more texture in your bread.

Add the unsweetened applesauce, honey (or maple syrup), and vanilla extract to the bananas. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; it's okay if there are a few lumps.

If using, fold in the chopped walnuts or chocolate chips into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Once baked, remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.