Cottage Cheese Banana Bread-Healthy & Delicious
Craving a comforting slice of banana bread but looking for a healthier twist? This Cottage Cheese Banana Bread recipe is your new go-to! It’s incredibly moist, packed with protein, and boasts all the classic banana flavor you love, with an extra creamy texture thanks to the secret ingredient. Prepare to fall in love with a loaf that’s both nutritious and utterly delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (about 3 medium) very ripe mashed bananas
- ¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (or coconut oil)
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mash the very ripe bananas until mostly smooth, leaving a few small lumps for texture if desired.
- Add the cottage cheese, eggs, melted butter (or coconut oil), brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Whisk well until combined and the cottage cheese is mostly incorporated. A few small cottage cheese curds are fine and will melt into the bread.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with a spatula or spoon until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few streaks of flour are okay. If using, fold in the chopped walnuts or chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with foil.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
