Mash half of a very ripe speckled banana with 3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 tablespoon beaten egg, 1 teaspoon olive oil, a pinch of baking powder, vanilla and cinnamon. Cook the batter in a microwave-safe mug on high for 60-90 seconds until set throughout, then rest briefly before eating. Added sugars means sugars added during processing, plus honey, syrups and concentrated fruit juices. This mug uses only banana for sweetness, so one serving stays at 0g added sugars.
Table of Contents
- What no added sugar means
- Why a speckled banana sweetens the mug
- What to mix for one mug
- How to cook it in about a minute
What no added sugar means
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines added sugars as sugars added during processing, sugars packaged as sweeteners, plus sugars from syrups, honey and concentrated fruit or vegetable juices in the FDA added-sugars label guide.
That definition matters because honey, maple syrup and juice concentrate still count as added sugars. This recipe omits table sugar, honey, syrup and concentrates. The FDA sets the Daily Value for added sugars at 50 grams per day for a 2,000-calorie diet, so skipping those sweeteners keeps a mug serving at 0g added sugars, according to the FDA added-sugars label guide.
Why a speckled banana sweetens the mug
Very ripe speckled bananas sweeten banana bread without added sugar because ripening converts starch to simple sugars. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explains this change makes the fruit softer and sweeter in the Harvard bananas nutrition guide.
Pick a banana with many brown spots and a sweet smell. A pale yellow, firm banana will taste starchy and bland. Mash it smooth so the natural sweetness spreads through the small batter.
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What to mix for one mug
A dietitian-developed no-sugar-added loaf uses 3 large ripe bananas with whole-wheat flour, olive oil, egg, milk, vanilla, leavening and cinnamon. TELUS Health describes that combination in the TELUS Health no-sugar-added banana bread recipe. The mug borrows the same parts in a single-serve amount.
U.S. Dietary Guidelines advise making at least half of grains whole grains, favoring whole-wheat or oat flour. Use whole-wheat flour for a closer match to that eating pattern.
- Mash banana, then whisk in beaten egg, milk, olive oil and vanilla
- Stir in flour, baking powder and cinnamon until just combined
- Scrape batter into a lightly oiled microwave-safe mug
How to cook it in about a minute
Microwave the mug on high for 60-90 seconds until set throughout. Dole Food Company gives that time and rest guidance for microwave mug cakes in the Dole mug-cake method. Rest the mug briefly because it stays very hot.
Egg-containing mug batter must reach 160°F (71°C) at the center, measured with a food thermometer. FoodSafety.gov sets that minimum because microwave heating is uneven and soft centers may be undercooked, as listed in the FoodSafety.gov temperature chart. If the center looks wet, heat in 10-second bursts and check again.
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