Triple Chocolate Protein Banana Bread
What is it with everyone baking banana bread during quarantine!? Is it just me, or is everyone baking banana bread this week!?
If you know me, you’ll know that I’m ALWAYS trying to take a great-tasting, “comfort food” kinda recipe and turn it into a healthier, high-protein option - WITHOUT compromising on taste or flavour. (Because, really… what’s the point in making a healthier version of anything that tastes like crap!?)
And even though I have my Healthy, No-Sugar-Added Banana Bread, this past weekend, I was looking for something a little richer, more indulgent, and… you know… filled with as much chocolate as possible. (Sorry not sorry!!)
After tons of research and a bit of experimentation, I ended up whipping up this glorious masterpiece - and boy did it not disappoint. With 16g protein and 204 calories per slice (per SLICE, folks!!), this Triple Chocolate Protein Banana Bread can rival most protein bars while also tasting like literal dessert. (And not just the “red velvet cake” that’s on the package of the protein bar, but when you take a bite it just tastes like a brick.)
A few notes here:
To get the rich, chocolatey flavour without being too dense, I actually mixed two protein powders - 2 scoops of Garden of Life’s sport plant-based protein in chocolate, and 1 scoop of their grass-fed whey in chocolate. This is because their whey protein has the rich, chocolatey taste and flavour, but too much whey in baking tends to make the cake too dense. Whereas, their vegan protein definitely has the consistency I’m looking for in baked goods, but less of the chocolatey flavour. So, mixing them together was like getting the best of both worlds!
I actually took the cake out a biiiiiit before it was “done” so that it stayed super moist. (You can tell that it’s “done” by sticking a toothpick in the centre and having it come out clean - which means no crumbs or batter.) So, the timing in the baking directions reflects MY time, but you can leave it in a bit longer if you’d like!
To make this even HEALTHIER, you can feel free to replace the mini chocolate chips with sugar-free chocolate or cacao nibs - or try adding your own variety of toppings (like chopped walnuts, coconut flakes, dark cherries, etc)
Recipe & details available below!
INGREDIENTS:
175 g (¾ cups) 0% Greek Yogurt Plain
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
3 scoops Chocolate Protein Powder (see my notes above on the protein powder I used!)
2 tbsp Mini Chocolate Chips
¾ cup Oats (ground into flour)
3 Bananas, raw
2 Eggs
1 tsp Baking powder
½ tbsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Liquid Stevia (or sugar-free syrup in Vanilla)
A pinch of sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Then, line a loaf tin with parchment paper (cut to the edges) and lightly greased with a touch of coconut oil (or ghee).
In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients - oat flour, cocoa, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt - then, set aside.
In a separate, larger mixing bowl, mash down bananas with a fork (leave a bit of chunks for texture!). Add eggs, and whisk until fully combined. Then, add greek yogurt, maple syrup and liquid stevia and mix until incorporated.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Pour into greased and parchment-lined loaf tin, then add mini chocolate chips to the surface. (I like to poke some down into the batter so they’re not all on the top.)
Bake in oven for approximately 40 minutes or until cooked through. **See notes on this!
Remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy!
NUTRITION FACTS:
Servings 6
Amount Per Serving:
calories 204 (% Daily Value *)
Total Fat 4 g (7 %)
Saturated Fat 2 g (9 %)
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 62 mg (21 %)
Sodium 181 mg (8 %)
Potassium 341 mg (10 %)
Total Carbohydrate 27 g (9 %)
Dietary Fiber 4 g (15 %)
Sugars 14 g Protein 16 g (31 %)
Vitamin A (3 %)
Vitamin C (9 %)
Calcium (61 %)
Iron (11 %)
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
