Protein Banana Bread

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5 from 1075 votes
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This protein banana bread is moist and fluffy, and it’s made in just one bowl. Each slice packs over 25 grams of protein!

high protein banana bread.
Table of Contents
  1. Key Ingredients
  2. How to make protein banana bread
  3. Arman’s recipe tips
  4. Protein Banana Bread (Recipe Card)
  5. Frequently asked questions
  6. More protein powder recipes

Adding protein powder to desserts and baked goods is one of my favorite things, and my high-protein banana bread recipe is a winner! I tested it thousands of times to make sure it looked and tasted like banana bread, but it had protein powder added (trust me on this… my family members are SO picky).

It’s moist, fluffy, and has a gorgeous, tender crumb. Thanks to the whey protein powder and almond flour, each slice packs 25 grams of protein. It makes a fabulous post-workout snack or wholesome dessert you can feel good about eating.

If you love high-protein baked goods, try my protein cookies, protein muffins, and protein donuts next.

★★★★★ REVIEW

“SO MOIST LOVE IT. Did the tip of adding more protein powder and less flour work perfectly. I love that I can change the protein powder flavor! I also added semi-sweet chocolate chips cause … yum! Love this recipe.” – Gina

Key Ingredients

  • Ripe bananas. Overripe bananas are a must, as they make the bread extra moist and sweet. 
  • Milk of choice. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk will work. 
  • Vinegar. White or apple cider. This reacts with the self-rising flour to give the bread some rise and fluffiness.
  • Vanilla extract. A must for any good banana bread. 
  • Self-rising flour. Skip the expensive pre-made blends and make your own (it’s just all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder). I tested this recipe with oat flour and found the loaf to be a little too dry for my liking.
  • Almond flour. Blanched almond flour, not almond meal. The latter will yield a dense and doughy loaf instead of a fluffy one.
  • Protein powder. I like using a vanilla-flavored protein powder, but unflavored works. Brown rice protein powder or casein protein powder is the best protein blend for baking. 
  • Sugar or alternative. White, brown, coconut sugar, or sugar-free options, like a brown sugar substitute. You can use a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup, but reduce the amount by half.

How to make protein banana bread

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

protein banana bread batter.

Step 1- In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Next, add the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter remains.

baked protein banana bread.

Step 2- Transfer the batter to a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out mostly clean from the middle.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Do not overbake the banana bread, as it will continue to bake as it cools down. Once a toothpick comes out mostly clean, it’s ready to be removed from the oven.
  • If your banana bread browns too quickly, cover the top with tin foil after 15-20 minutes. This might not happen to you; it all depends on the brand of protein powder and how your oven bakes things.
  • Make banana protein muffins. Simply bake it in muffin liners and reduce the cooking time to 18 minutes.
  • Feel free to fold through fun mix-ins to change up the texture. Try walnuts, pecans, dark chocolate chips, peanut butter, nut butter, white chocolate chips, or even dried fruit.
sliced protein banana bread.

If you tried this Protein 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. 

protein banana bread recipe.

Protein Banana Bread

5 from 1075 votes
This protein banana bread is moist and fluffy, and it's made in just one bowl! Each slice packs over 25 grams of protein! Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 8 servings
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 45 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the mashed bananas, milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Gently add the self rising flour, almond flour, protein powder, sugar of choice, and mix until smooth.
  • Transfer the batter to the lined pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean from the center.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool completely, before removing from the pan and slicing.

Notes

* I used a protein flour which brought each slice of banana bread to 25 grams of protein per slice. If you use standard self-rising flour, swap out 1/2 cup of it with more protein powder to achieve the same macros. 
** Brown rice protein powder, casein powder, or a plant based protein powder. 
TO STORE: Leftovers should always be stored in the refrigerator, covered. The banana bread will keep well for up to one week. 
TO FREEZE: Place slices in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 179kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 25gFat: 10gSodium: 18mgPotassium: 125mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 69IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 15g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Frequently asked questions

Is banana bread a good source of protein?

While a classic loaf of banana bread contains some protein, it is not enough to be classified as a high-protein food.

How much protein is in homemade protein banana bread?

My protein banana bread has at least 18 grams of protein per slice. Adding walnuts or almonds on top will add even more protein.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

This banana bread is gluten-free if you use gluten-free self-rising flour (as Dove Farms).

More protein powder recipes

Originally published February 2022, updated May 2025

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Is there any better aroma than banana bread in the oven? Yum! I just made these as muffins and they were great! I used 3 bananas, 1/4 cup Swerve sugar-replacement brown sugar, added 1/4 cup chopped walnuts for some texture, and my protein powder was Muscle Milk Vanilla Creme Whey Protein. It made 16 muffins and I baked them for 22 minutes at 375F. They taste great!

  2. 5 stars
    Delicious! This will be a new staple in my house!

    My changes:
    – 2.5 bananas
    – sub 1/4 maple syrup for sugar
    – only 1.5 cups flour
    – add extra 1/2 cup protein powder

  3. 5 stars
    I followed the “make your own” self rising flour recipe and it worked great. Went for the full 2.5 cups because I didn’t have almond flour. I know my macros are off now but that’s okay. With that in mind. I did opt for 1 egg for added fluff and protein.
    After reading some comments I opted for 3 bananas.
    All in all, I know I made some tweaks, but I think the number one thing this baby is missing is salt! All sweet baked goods taste better with some salt. I would have to refer to another recipe to know what is a good amount, my spider senses say 1tsp but don’t quote me. Either way, things worked out. I think next time I’ll try maple syrup as a sweetener for depth.

  4. 5 stars
    SO MOIST LOVE IT , did the tip of adding more protein powder and less flour worked perfect and I love that I can change up the protein powder flavor ! I also added semi sweet chocolate chips cause … yum! Love this recipe

    1. 5 stars
      I am giving five stars for this recipe acting as a good base for what I created. These are the (many) changes I made:

      Subbed milk for
      1/2 cup Corepower vanilla protein shake
      1/2 cup Fairlife 2% milk

      Added 1 egg

      Added another banana (3 total)

      Added mini chocolate chips to batter and sprinkled on top.

      Used whey protein powder (Premier)

      Subbed self rising flour – for 2 cups gluten free flour (King Arthur), 1 T baking soda, 1 t salt

      I really liked the loaf I created. Despite adding an extra banana, it didn’t have a strong banana flavor and I will try with 4 next time.

      Thank you for an excellent base that allowed me to make my own changes as needed!

  5. 5 stars
    THESE ARE THE FREAKING BEST. I’m not joking. I’m a 17 year old who trains 5 days a week and loves a sweet treat but also needs to hit my protein goals and I wanna look toned for the summer!! These and many of your other recipes have saved me and my sweet tooth. Even shared it with my friends.

  6. 5 stars
    I did not have any almond flour or brown sugar. so i did 2.5 cups (instead of 2) self raising flour. Instead of brown sugar I used about 2 tablespoons of honey and also added 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. I used 3 bananas instead of 2 as they weren’t very ripe and it was a bit too dry.
    I used muffin tins instead ( so that i don’t eat it all in one go and it’s easier to freeze and defrost daily). It took approx 15-20 mins to cook and they turned out BLISSSSSSSS!

  7. 5 stars
    I want to apologize because before I said one star but I’m just now realizing that I messed up a bunch of things.

  8. 5 stars
    I made this using Optimum whey and it came out really well (for a whey protein). I’ll try it with casein next time like you suggested 🙂

    1. 5 stars
      This is the easiest protein banana bread that tastes like actual banana bread. Wouldn’t know there was so much protein in it.

      1. 5 stars
        What protein flour exactly did you use?
        I made these and they are delicious- but I get 9 grams of protein when weighing out the ingredients and using a macros calculator. Maybe you have a flour that is much higher in protein? Thanks for the great recipe and help here!

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