Chocolate Chip Protein Banana Bread (Printable)

Wholesome banana bread with protein, dark chocolate chips, and natural sweetness for a nutritious snack or breakfast.

# 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, no added sugar)
13 - ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, mash bananas thoroughly. Whisk in eggs, maple syrup or honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract until mixture is smooth and well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
04 - Pour dry ingredients into wet mixture. Stir gently until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
05 - Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if using, distributing evenly throughout batter.
06 - Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on surface if desired.
07 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center emerges clean with only a few melted chocolate streaks.
08 - Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's naturally sweet from bananas and maple syrup, so no weird aftertaste or diet-food texture.
  • The protein powder makes it actually filling, unlike most banana breads that leave you hungry an hour later.
  • Dark chocolate chips folded throughout give you little pockets of richness that feel like a treat.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 10-minute cooling time in the pan—I learned this the hard way by cutting into a loaf too early and watching it crumble into mushy chunks.
  • The protein powder matters more than you'd think; some brands taste metallic while others taste like vanilla cake, so taste yours before committing to a full loaf.
  • Your banana ripeness affects everything; if they're not sweet enough, the bread tastes flat even with maple syrup, so wait until they're speckled brown.
03 -
  • If your loaf is browning too fast on top, tent it loosely with foil for the final 15 minutes of baking so the inside has time to cook through.
  • Room temperature ingredients blend together more smoothly, so take your eggs out of the fridge 20 minutes before baking if you remember—it sounds fussy, but it actually makes a difference in the final texture.
Go Back