I've made great banana bread over the years, but have halved the shortening & used a like amount of unsweetened applesauce instead. I also cut back on the sugar, since the applesauce adds sweetness of its own. Thus, the amount of fat and sugar is substantially reduced, without altering taste or texture. My recipe does not call for either vanilla or cinnamon, but I can imagine they add nicely to the flavor.

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