high protein banana bread (no protein powder)

A slice of brown butter protein banana bread on a white plate.

5 from 1 vote

high protein banana bread (no protein powder)

This high protein banana bread is a recipe that once I nailed it, I legitimately said this is the best banana bread I've ever had! It's literally so tender and soft that it melts in your mouth (but not in an underbaked sort of way) and smells like you just walked into your favorite corner store bakery ♥️. It gets 10g of protein per slice entirely from cottage cheese, flaxseed, and eggs. No protein powder. No supplements!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cottage cheese, high protein

Servings:

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Mika Kinney

Ingredients

brown butter

⅓ cup (74g) unsalted butter or salted — omit added salt if using

dry ingredients

1⅓ cups (200g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (44g) almond flour
⅓ cup (41g) ground flaxseed
1¼ teaspoon (6g) baking powder
¾ teaspoon (5g) salt skip if using salted butter
¼ teaspoon (3g) cardamom
¼ teaspoon (1g) ground ginger

wet ingredients

2 medium-large very ripe bananas (279g) peeled
1⅔ cups (421g) cottage cheese any fat level
2 large eggs
¼ cup (95g) pure maple syrup increase to ⅓ cup if bananas aren't very over ripe
1 tablespoon (5g) vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest from 1 orange

fold-ins

½ cup (80g) dark chocolate chips

topping

¼ cup turbinado sugar or granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cardamom

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 8.5" x 4.5" light-colored metal loaf pan with parchment paper or butter and lightly dust with flour to prevent sticking.
Make the brown butter: add the ⅓ cup (74g) unsalted butter to a light-colored skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the foam subsides and small golden-brown specks appear on the bottom, pour immediately into the mixing bowl mentioned below.
While the brown butter cooks, mash the 2 medium-large very ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl. It's ok if the butter is hot.
Blend together the 1⅔ cups (421g) cottage cheese, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup (95g) pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon (5g) vanilla bean paste, and Zest from 1 orange. Combine this with your bananas and browned butter.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the 1⅓ cups (200g) all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup (44g) almond flour, ⅓ cup (41g) ground flaxseed, 1¼ teaspoon (6g) baking powder, ¾ teaspoon (5g) salt, ¼ teaspoon (3g) cardamom, and ¼ teaspoon (1g) ground ginger.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold gently until just combined. The batter will be thick. A few small streaks of flour are fine — stop mixing before the batter looks uniform. Then fold in the ½ cup (80g) dark chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If using the turbinado topping (which you should!!), mix the ¼ cup turbinado sugar and ¼ teaspoon cardamom together and sprinkle evenly over the batter. If skipping the topping, have foil nearby to tent the loaf toward the end.
Bake on the middle or lower rack for 65-70 minutes. Starting around 45 minutes, if the top is browning quickly (because you didn't top with the sugar), tent loosely with foil. The bread is done when the center springs back when gently pressed. If a toothpick comes out with wet batter (not just a melted chocolate streak), give it 5 more minutes.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing. The interior continues to set as it cools!

Video

Notes

Bananas must be very ripe: Almost-black is ideal. If yours aren't there, roast at 350°F for 10 minutes or microwave in 30-second intervals until the skin turns dark and the inside is soft.

Pan choice matters: Lighter-colored metal pans are strongly preferred. Dark pans tend to overbake the edges before the center finishes.

Muffins: reduce baking powder to 1 teaspoon and add ¼ teaspoon baking soda. Fill cups ¾ full. Bake at 350°F for 22-26 minutes.

Sweetener swap: brown sugar or honey work 1:1 in place of maple syrup.

Storage: room temp in an airtight container for 2-3 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, freezer for up to 3 months. Wrap individual slices for easy grab-and-go.

Nutrition