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High Protein Banana Bread – Healthy & Easy

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EASY Protein Banana Bread

Do you love a warm piece of banana bread fresh from the oven? Banana bread has for a long time been a favorite of mine. I love that, in general, it is easy to make and I made sure this high protein banana bread recipe was no different (despite the addition of extra protein!)

Pair this no flour bread with some greek yogurt for a satisfying and complete breakfast or enjoy it as a snack.

protein banana bread

Healthy Protein Banana Bread Ingredients

This gluten free banana bread is full of well-planned ingredients.

  • Almond Flour
  • Whey Protein Powder
  • Bananas <– of course!
  • Eggs
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Coconut Oil
  • Maple Syrup
  • Vanilla
  • Salt
  • Baking Soda
  • Cinnamon
  • Dark chocolate chips – totally optional

Nutrition Facts

I don’t typically include a ton about nutrition facts since I tend to personally evaluate the ingredient lists foremost and eat intuitively throughout my day. However, part of intuitive eating for me is being aware of my macronutrient proportions. This bread packs 8 g protein per slice and 17 g carbohydrates. Compare this to a traditional banana bread at about 2.6 g protein and 33 g carbohydrates.

banana bread slice and bananas

Frequently Asked Questions about Protein Banana Bread

What Makes this Banana Bread Protein-Packed?

This banana bread features an almond flour base which is higher in protein than regular whole wheat flour. Additionally, it has whey protein added in to give an extra protein punch as well as greek yogurt. The combination of these ingredients makes a delicious banana bread with 8 g protein per slice!

Can you substitute protein powder for flour?

When substituting flour for protein powder, start off with substituting a small proportion of the flour. For example, start by substituting 1/3 of the recipe’s flour for protein powder and see how it turns out. You may find you can replace more of the flour in some recipes, but other recipes it will be more challenging to maintain the original properties of the recipe with the addition of protein powder.

I chose this banana bread recipe to be “no flour” by replacing the majority of the flour with almond flour and a small portion with protein powder to pack a bit higher protein punch per slice.

Why is banana bread healthy?

This can be a misconception as all banana bread certainly is not healthy! In fact, many traditional recipes are loaded with sugar and possibly even refined oils. However, banana bread can be made in a more healthful way and make a satisfying snack. When evaluating a healthy banana bread recipe be sure to evaluate the quality of the ingredients chosen including sweeteners, flours, and oils. When evaluating sweeteners remember honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar, though somewhat less refined, are still sugar and should be used in moderation. The addition of bananas in banana bread can help with lowering the amount of sweetener.

If you love healthy banana recipes, be sure to try my banana oat pancakes which are also high in protein.

Can you make this into protein banana bread muffins?

I haven’t actually tried it yet, but I see no reason this recipe, like most banana and quick bread, could not be baked into muffins. This post about how to make muffins from quick bread can be helpful in conversion, but in general, it will take much less time to cook muffins due to the smaller volume.

What kind of protein powder do you use in protein banana bread?

I used this Promix Chocolate Protein powder in my bread and it came out great. This whey protein powder is made from grass-fed cows and sweetened lightly with cane sugar (only 6 g per serving.) My husband and I chose it based on these properties as well as the company’s whey filtration process and mission for sustainability. Many whey protein powders are sweetened with artificial sweeteners or even stevia which we generally prefer to avoid. Promix also has an unflavored (unsweetened) variety which makes a great option, but do note the bread will be slightly less sweet than mine if you use this variety. My husband prefers flavored whey protein so this is the one we almost always keep on hand.

Can you make protein banana bread without protein powder?

Sure, you can just sub the 1/2 cup protein powder for almond flour.

Protein-Packed Banana Bread = Great Protein Snack

This easy recipe can make a great snack. By the way, if you are looking for other great protein snacks, be sure to get my free printable list from my resource library by signing up below.

healthy banana bread no flour

Other Healthy Dessert Recipes and Protein Snacks:

No Sugar Oatmeal Cookies with Hemp Hearts

Protein-Packed Banana Oat Pancakes Recipe

Whole Wheat Lemon Cranberry Scones

Benefits of Protein Snacks

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Protein Banana Bread

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 199kcal
Author: Muscle and Manna

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup Almond flour
  • 1/2 cup Whey protein powder I used Promix chocolate
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 3 Medium/Large Bananas mashed
  • 2 Eggs large
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup Maple syrup
  • 3 Tbsp Coconut oil
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/3 cup Dark Chocolate Chips optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: Almond flour, whey protein powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon.
  • In a medium bowl mash the bananas with a fork. Beat in eggs, greek yogurt, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla.
  • Add the banana mixture (and optional chocolate chips) into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
  • Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350°F for approximately 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes and turn onto a wire rack to slice.

Notes

Nutrition Facts*

199 Calories; 17 g Carbs; 8 g Protein
*Does not include optional chocolate chips.

Nutrition

Calories: 199kcal

high protein banana bread

healthy banana bread

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11 Comments

    1. Let us know how it turns out if you do this! Just remember to change the baking time 😉

    1. Hi Holli, I haven’t tried subbing the greek yogurt for anything else in this recipe. Let me know if you do and how it turns out!

  1. 5 stars
    My wife and I loved this recipe. Great flavor and no blood sugar crash thanks to the extra protein.

    1. Shakira – nutritional info is per serving. It is high protein from the whey protein, almond flour, and yogurt. Hope this helps!

  2. This came out very dark (almost burnt) on the outside and not fully cooked in the inside. I don’t know what happened. I followed directions exactly.

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