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My cottage cheese banana bread is super moist and fluffy with a gorgeous, tender crumb. Made without oil or butter, this recipe is healthy and perfect for a wholesome dessert or snack.
I love a good wholesome banana bread, and this one has to be my new favorite, thanks to a secret ingredient- cottage cheese.
Yes, I know the idea of using cottage cheese in a sweet bread sounds odd, but it makes the banana bread extra moist while adding extra protein and reducing the fat. It doesn’t taste healthy, but it’s incredibly easy to make.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Quick and easy. Everything is made in one bowl, and the ingredients are pantry staples.
- It’s healthy. No oil, butter, or excessive sugar is needed. It’s higher in protein and lower in fat.
- No cottage cheese flavor. The cottage cheese adds moisture and richness to the bread without any flavor. Trust me, I would run the other way if I could taste it.
- Easy to customize. I like to keep the banana bread plain, but you can add chocolate chips, nuts, or any mix-ins of your choice.
If you love healthy banana bread recipes, try my protein banana bread, banana bread with yogurt, and low calorie banana bread next.
Key Ingredients
- Bananas. I prefer using spotty, over-ripe bananas, as the sweetness of the banana bread depends on them.
- Cottage cheese. I tested this banana bread using both full-fat cottage cheese and regular non-fat cottage cheese, and the former yields a more tender loaf; however, the difference is negligible. What I do recommend is blending the cottage cheese (also known as whipped cottage cheese) to mix into the dough seamlessly.
- Unsweetened applesauce OR oil. To make this bread low in fat, use applesauce. If you prefer a more flavorful and rich loaf, use your favorite neutral-flavored oil.
- Sugar. Adds extra sweetness to the bread. Adjust the sweetness to your taste preferences. I prefer a less-sweet bread, so use around 1/3 cup, but you can go up to a full cup.
- Eggs. Room temperature, please.
- All-purpose flour. Sifted to ensure there are no clumps.
- Baking powder. To ensure that the bread rises sufficiently.
- Salt. Just a pinch to balance out all the other ingredients.
How to make cottage cheese banana bread
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1- Mix the wet. Mix the bananas, cottage cheese, unsweetened applesauce, brown sugar, and eggs.
Step 2- Make the batter. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 3- Assemble. Transfer the batter into a lined pan.
Step 4- Bake the bread for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Do not overmix. This is the #1 reason why a banana bread isn’t moist and soft in the middle. When you overmix a quick bread batter, gluten develops, which yields a gummy loaf. You want to mix everything until everything is ‘just’ combined.
- Don’t overbake. The banana bread will continue to bake as it cools in the pan, so remove it from the oven when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Prevent browning early. Depending on your oven’s make and model, you may notice the tops of the banana bread browning early, around the 20-25 minute mark. To prevent this from happening, cover the pan with tinfoil and cook as usual.
Frequently asked questions
I tested this banana bread with whole wheat flour and found the bread to be too dense. I also tested it with almond flour, which worked, but wasn’t as moist and had a lighter crumb (top).
Technically, no, but I find the bread bakes so much better if it’s blended or whipped first.
More desserts with cottage cheese
If you tried this Cottage Cheese Banana Bread Recipe or any other recipe on The Big Man’s World, please rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It really helps others thinking of making the recipe.
Cottage Cheese Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas overripe
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese * See notes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or neutral flavored oil
- 1/2 cup sugar ** See notes
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 9 x 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, add the mashed bananas, cottage cheese, applesauce, sugar, and egg and mix well. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until combined.
- Transfer the batter into the lined pan.
- Bake the banana bread for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. If you notice the tops of the banana bread browning too quickly, cover with tin foil.
- Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Love your recipes.
Thanks, Diane!
Armen,
Can I use maple syrup or coconut sugar as the sweetener for this banana bread? I’d like to forgo the white sugar.
I would use coconut sugar, as it is still granulated 🙂
Really tasty and not near as sweet and heavy as some I’ve made in the past. I did add a teaspoon of baking soda as well as baking powder and a teaspoon of vanilla and about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
This cottage cheese banana bread is sensational. It’s so moist and tender.
I love this cottage cheese banana bread. I used allulose instead of sugar.
Hello could you make this with coconut or almond flour please
Not coconut flour, but almond flour should be okay- it’s a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour.
Would it work with almond
Flour?
I haven’t tried it with almond flour, but for swapping with all-purpose flour, it’s typically a 1 :1 cup, so should be fine. It won’t rise as much and won’t have as tender as a crumb 🙂
This was so easy! I added a little vanilla for some extra flavor too.
I haven’t made it yet I think it
will be just what I need. Health.
5th
Looks wonderful! Can I skip the eggs? Any substitute?
I haven’t tried, but you could experiment with an egg substitute.
I just tried this cottage cheese banana bread and it was sensational- I did use the full cup of sugar but I will cut back next time, as it was quite sweet! Lovely!
Yes, I do find the full cup to be a little much. Try 1/2 cup of even 2/3 cup.
How to make this eggless?
I haven’t tried, but you could experiment with an egg substitute.
Do you know the sweetener measurement if you use that instead of sugar?
Yes, allulose will be the same amount.