Trifecta Banana Bread

Not gonna lie- - - I love me some banana bread.  But around the third bite I'm usually getting bored, and by halfway into the slice, I'm totally over it.  Why?  Because the strong and distinctive taste of banana quickly overwhelms the taste buds, making it hard for the flavor profile to read anything but one-note.  Add gluten-free into the equation and you can add too sweet and depressingly dry to the list of cons.  But, that's where the beauty of this loaf comes in to play.  I've added orange zest and cinnamon to balance the flavor of the banana, cut the sugar and added just the right amount of sweetness and moisture with honey and applesauce. And the result?  A trifecta!  That's Kentucky speak for big-time-winner.  In fact, I'd be willing to bet it would take down any basic wheat based recipe in a blind taste test.  Try it for yourself... and don't forget to come back and let me know what you think!

3 bananas, smashed
6 tablespoons butter, melted (plus extra for greasing)
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup honey
¼ cup apple sauce, unsweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 ½ cups Bob Red Mill 1-1 Baking Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 8 x 4 loaf pan and fit bottom with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
 
In a medium sized mixing bowl, smash bananas.  In a small bowl, beat the egg and add to the larger bowl, along with the butter, honey, applesauce, vanilla extract and orange zest.  Stir well.  Add all dry ingredients to bowl and stir until ingredients are well mixed.
 
Pour mixture into prepared baking pan and bake for 55 minutes.
 
Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a plate.  Slice with serrated knife, and serve warm.
 
Yield:  1 loaf, about 8 slices
 
Diet:  Vegetarian, Gluten Free