They say necessity is the mother of invention, and that’s exactly how banana bread came to be. Our grandmothers (or great-grandmothers) started baking it back in the 1930s as a way to use up overripe bananas instead of letting them go to waste during the Depression era. Fast forward to today, and while I’m still mindful of minimizing food waste, I also want a banana bread that does more than just taste good—I want it to fuel me with protein and keep me satisfied.
That’s where this Cottage Cheese Protein Banana Bread comes in. When friends at the gym ask me how to make banana bread with more protein, I always give them this healthy banana bread with cottage cheese idea.
It has all the classic banana bread flavors —moist, sweet, and comforting—but with a powerhouse boost of protein to make it a smart choice for breakfast or a pre-/post-workout snack. Cottage cheese adds creaminess and protein without overpowering the banana flavor, and there’s no added sugar since ripe bananas naturally provide plenty of sweetness.
I also use vanilla protein powder in this cottage cheese banana bread recipe to make it even more protein rich. Choose a flavor like vanilla or even cake batter – the light sweetness (usually sugar-free) in these protein powders is also a way to avoid having to add sugar or a sweetener to the banana bread batter. However, if you use an unflavored protein powder or your bananas were not to that super-sweet ripe point yet (or you just like a sweeter bread/cake), you can add about 10 drops or so of a liquid stevia or liquid monk fruit to increase sweetness.
Each slice of this easy protein banana bread packs 19g of protein and just 253 calories, making it a great option whether you need a grab-and-go breakfast, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, or a post-gym recovery snack. It’s proof that a little creativity in the kitchen can go a long way in making healthy, high-protein choices delicious and easy.
Give this easy high-protein banana bread a try! It’s also easy to customize by sprinkling your favorite chopped nuts, seeds or shredded coconut on the top before baking – or even sugar-free chocolate chips.
- 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
- 1 ¼ cup mashed ripe banana about 2 medium
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/3 cup protein powder vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour or gluten-free baking blend
- *10-20 stevia or monk fruit drops optional
- Cooking spray
- 1-2 tablespoons optional topping like chopped nuts, sugar-free chocolate chips, coconut, etc. optional
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Pre-heat oven to 350F.
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Add cottage cheese, mashed banana (or just the hunks), eggs and oil to blender and blend for about 60 seconds until smooth and well combined.
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Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and protein powder to blender, blending for about 30 seconds until incorporated. Next add flour, pulsing in and scraping down sides of blender with spatula, as needed. Do not over blend mixture.
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Depending on your sweetness preference and/or ripeness of bananas or sweetness of protein powder you may want to add 10-20 drops of liquid stevia or monk fruit. I did NOT however, and it was still nicely, lightly sweet.
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Pour mixture into a standard loaf pan that has been liberally sprayed with cooking spray. If desired, sprinkle and desired topping on before baking.
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Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until center set and toothpick pulls clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes; cut in 8 thick slices.
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Store leftovers in fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in microwave for 10 seconds.
