Chocolate Chip Protein Banana Bread (Printable Version)

Moist banana bread with protein and dark chocolate chips, naturally sweetened and perfect for a wholesome snack.

# What You Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
04 - ¼ cup melted coconut oil or light olive oil
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 1½ cups whole wheat flour
07 - ⅓ cup vanilla or unflavored protein powder
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
10 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Add-ins

12 - ½ cup dark chocolate chips, 70% cocoa, unsweetened
13 - ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Whisk in eggs, maple syrup or honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if using until evenly distributed.
06 - Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top if desired.
07 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Melted chocolate streaks are acceptable.
08 - Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • No refined sugar means you can eat a slice guilt-free without the energy crash that follows regular banana bread.
  • The protein powder is honestly invisible here, so you're getting actual nutrition without any weird aftertaste or grittiness.
  • Dark chocolate chips make it feel like dessert, which is the best kind of breakfast trick.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy of tender banana bread; once you see no dry flour, put the spoon down immediately or you'll end up with a dense brick.
  • Chocolate chips actually melt into the batter slightly, which is beautiful and intentional—if you want them to stay distinct, chill the batter for fifteen minutes before baking.
03 -
  • Brown your bananas intentionally the day before if they're not dark enough—put them in a paper bag to speed up ripening, and they'll be sweeter and more aromatic when you bake.
  • Measure protein powder by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off rather than scooping directly from the container, which compacts it and throws off your ratios.
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