Healthy Protein Banana Bread

The first published banana bread recipe appeared in 1933 in “Balanced Recipes of Pillsbury’s Cooking Service ” by Mary Ellis Ames, the former director of the Pillsbury Cooking Service. Since then, there have been thousands of adaptations of this sweet, delicious recipe. Why? Banana bread is one of the easiest baked goods to make, and with so many variations to try, it’s likely you won’t ever get bored making it. You can add apple slices, dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes and even—protein! 

Ingredients

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted plus additional for greasing
1 cup gluten-free, all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup Life’s Abundance Vanilla Plant Protein
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups) + optional one ripe banana for the top
1/2 cup coconut sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup crushed walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with oil and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose and almond flours, protein powder, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and nutmeg.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together bananas, oil, coconut sugar, eggs, yogurt and vanilla until smooth. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture. Stir well until dry ingredients are incorporated. Add walnuts, leaving some aside to sprinkle on top of the loaf. Transfer to the prepared pan.
5. OPTIONAL STEP: Take the ripe banana, slice lengthwise, and place on top of the batter with the inside of the banana facing out.
6. TIP: for a caramelized banana you can coat the bottom of the banana with coconut sugar before placing it on your bread batter.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered.
8. Remove from the oven, loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
9. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or freeze for longer storage.

WHY WE LOVE IT What makes banana bread one of our faves is that it’s a “quick bread” (leavened with baking powder), and is one of the easiest things to bake from scratch. For this recipe, we’re pumping it up with a little protein powder. Protein helps build muscle and repair tissue.  Bananas, of course, contain nutrients, including vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium, a mineral which is important for helping lower blood pressure.   This bread comes out moist and sweet, plus it has healthy ingredient swaps such as coconut sugar, Greek yogurt and almond flour. Bonus: The vanilla protein powder will help keep you satisfied longer than your traditional banana bread.