Fruits and Vegetables

1. Sub in equal amounts of the usual stand-ins for fat in baking: mashed bananas and applesauce.

2. Mix in other fruits and vegetables at a 1-for-1 ratio for a change of pace. Examples of produce that would work well are pumpkin, sweet potato or prunes -- using three parts prune to one part water.

3. Save time by using canned pureed produce or baby food instead of prepping a puree from scratch.

Creamy Whites

1. Swap out vegetable oil for equal amounts of creamy dairy. Rich products like cream cheese and coconut milk, which is vegan, will keep your bread moist.

2. Use fermented dairy goods like plain or flavored yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk to add a little tang.

3. To increase the health benefit, use a nonfat or low-fat dairy product.

High Fat, High Flavor

1. Swap vegetable oil with butter or olive oil. Swap one part olive oil for one part vegetable oil. Because butter is made up of water and fat while oil is pure fat, sub in a tad more butter for oil. The water content varies depending on which butter you buy, but adding 33 percent more butter is a good place to start.

2. Replace vegetable oil with bacon drippings at a 1-to-1 ratio for a savory twist on your banana bread. If the smoky flavor of the banana bread is a bit too strong, try tossing in a handful of chocolate chips or simply drizzle melted chocolate over the entire loaf. Alternatively, use lard instead of vegetable oil also at a 1-to-1 ratio -- it does not impart a discernible pork flavor yet yields a decadent, high-fat quick bread.

3. Use your favorite nut butter, a spoonful of mascarpone cheese or the solidified top part of a can of full-fat coconut milk -- called coconut cream -- to replace vegetable oil at a 1-to-1 ratio for a different take on banana bread.

Seed Power

1. Grind 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds to replace 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.

2. For a deeper flax flavor, toast the seeds briefly over medium-high heat before grinding them. Note that products baked with flaxseeds caramelize more quickly; thus, you may need to tent your bread with foil if its crust darkens too fast in the oven.

3. Toss in one tablespoon of chia seeds instead of ¼ cup of vegetable oil.