Emma's High-Protein Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Emma P.
10
15 minutes
50 minutes
There is something especially satisfying about a good banana bread: it's simple, comforting, and a wonderful way to use bananas that have gone a little too far for the fruit bowl. This version takes that familiar loaf and gives it a little more staying power with Greek yogurt and protein powder, while keeping the texture moist and tender.
It isn't trying to be a "diet" banana bread. It's simply a good banana bread that happens to contain more protein than the traditional version. Ripe bananas provide much of the sweetness, Greek yogurt keeps the loaf moist, and chocolate chips add just enough richness to make it feel like a treat.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large very ripe bananas, about 1¼–1½ cups mashed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (125 mL) plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup (80 mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt
Add-Ins
- ½–¾ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, plus a few extra for the top
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some paper hanging over the sides to make the finished loaf easy to lift out.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas until mostly smooth. A few small pieces of banana are fine and will add little pockets of banana flavour to the finished bread.
Whisk in the eggs, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold everything together just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix — protein powder can make baked goods noticeably firmer when overworked.
Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a small handful for the top.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, checking at the 40-minute mark. The loaf is ready when the centre is set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with foil during the final 10–15 minutes.
- Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift it onto a wire rack and let it cool for at least another 30 minutes before slicing — the texture will continue to firm as it cools.