Apple Cinnamon Banana Oat Breakfast Bread (non-fat, low-sugar, vegan)

My don (academic advisor) had a heart attack over winter break. Don't worry, he's fine now. We had a substitute during that time, and she was very intelligent and well-versed, albeit a very dry lecturer and lacking that certain quality my don has that just brings every class and conference over the top. Really, he's brilliant. I can't even express how excited I was for his return after spring break. Then, tragedy struck, and I was actually in the hospital for a bad case of extremely painful gastroenteritis. I will spare you the details and just say that I missed my first conference and class, so I was EXTRA pumped. So excited that I decided to bake him something, knowing that he probably is eating only boring and tasteless things in whatever post-cardiac arrest regimen he's on. It had to be very low-cholesterol and with things I had on hand. So I decided to make this breakfast bread. I call it "breakfast" bread because that excuses its low-sweetness.

 Additionally, I made that Healthy Subs/Adds post and I figured I should, I don't know, act on it. So I baked this bread, wrapped it up all cute, and headed out to my conference. I even endured the blistering sun as I trekked across the non-shaded parking lot that might as well be the Sahara. I stepped into my oven-for-my-feet velvet flats, ignoring the bite in my heel, because I was finally going to have conference with my don!

And then, tragedy struck. I had forgotten that we had changed the time for my conference from 2:30 to 12. I now sat, frizzed out and with blistered heels, on the stoop outside of his office, holding this bread.

I'll just give it to him tomorrow. But hey, enjoy this recipe! It's super healthy and super fast. Not sweet or light or anything, but very dense and moist and absolutely perfect heated up in the microwave and drizzled with honey for breakfast.

Apple Cinnamon Banana Oat Bread (adapted from Taste of Home)

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 tbsp. brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 oz. applesauce

1 tbsp. milk (almond milk for vegan)

1/2 cup chopped peeled tart apple

1 mashed ripe banana

Honey for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 375. In a bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (banana, apple, applesauce, vanilla extract, milk) and in another bowl sift flour, and add other dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Pour into a greased loaf pan (decorate with apple slices if desired) and bake for 30-40 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.