This Cottage Cheese Banana Bread is moist, fluffy and delicious banana bread made in one bowl. It’s lower in sugar and contains 11 grams of protein!
We also love this cottage cheese zucchini bread, Greek yogurt banana bread and 3 ingredient banana bread!
This cottage cheese banana bread is a version of my viral almond flour banana bread but instead of oil made with cottage cheese to add moisture, cut back on oil and boost the protein.
Overall, this banana bread was a 10 out of 10 for all of us over here! It’s one of my favorite banana bread recipes I’ve ever created!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super simple recipe: To make banana bread with cottage cheese you will need just 7 other ingredients besides the ripe bananas and cottage cheese, of course.
- Moist: Cottage cheese is the secret ingredient to make this banana bread moist without any oil.
- Delicious: Soft center with crunchy edges, this cottage cheese banana bread doesn’t taste healthy at all.
- High in protein: Eggs, cottage cheese, and almond flour provide 11 grams of protein per slice!
Reader’s Review
Great recipe! Came out perfectly the first time I tried it and the entire family, kids and adults alike, loved it. Making it again this weekend. No substitutions but decided to blend the cottage cheese to avoid white specks and it turned out great. This will be done on repeat at our house like so many other of your recipes. Thank you!
Claudia Taenzer
Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Banana Bread
- Ripe bananas: Use bananas that are deep yellow with plenty of black spots. The more speckles, the sweeter and moister your bread will turn out. If you have a hard time to mash bananas, they are not ripe enough.
- Eggs: Give banana bread its rise and structure.
- Cottage cheese: A great source of protein with 24 grams per cup. My go-to usually is 2% cottage cheese, but full fat or low fat cottage cheese works too. You could try to substitute plain Greek yogurt or sour cream but I haven’t tried.
- Almond flour: I used finely ground blanched almond flour to keep bread moist, tender and high in fiber and healthy fat. I haven’t used almond meal but it tends to result in denser baked goods due to the almond skins. All-purpose flour amount will need to be adjusted, please let me know if you try.
- Maple syrup: I used maple syrup, but honey or Lakanto monkfruit sweetener (erythritol) also worked in my almond flour banana bread. I haven’t tested them in this recipe yet, but you could give it a try.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor, not imitation.
- Baking soda and baking powder: The essential leavening agents for a perfect rise.
- Cinnamon: I love adding this cozy spice. Feel free to add a hint of nutmeg too, if you wish.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Banana Bread
To prep, preheat your oven to 350 F and line a 9×5 metal loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mix wet ingredients and spices: Mash bananas in a large bowl, then add eggs, cottage cheese, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk well.
- Add almond flour: Gently fold in the almond flour with a spatula until combined.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake banana bread for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool and serve: Let the loaf cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then take it out of the pan and cool for another 30 minutes. Slice with a sharp serrated knife and enjoy.
Tips for Best Results
- Blend the cottage cheese: Most of the cottage cheese melts, so cottage cheese banana bread has only small specks of cottage cheese. I do not taste them but you can blend the cottage cheese, then you won’t see them at all.
- Measure flour correctly: Do not scoop your flour directly from the bag. Instead, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
- All ovens vary: If your oven runs hotter, you might have to pull out your banana bread sooner and vice versa.
- If bread starts to brown too soon: Cover it loosely with foil during the last 15-20 minutes of baking. Also I like to move it to the middle rack then.
Variations
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen (do not thaw) blueberries will work but know that frozen berries “bleed” more.
- Chocolate chips: Sometimes I like to add up to 1/2 cup chocolate chips to the banana bread for the kids.
- Chopped nuts: Add walnuts or pecans either alone or together with chocolate chips.
- Citrusy freshness: Stir in a little orange or lemon zest.
- For the muffins: Follow this banana bread recipe as is but bake for 20 minutes.
- For the mini loaves: Great for freezing! Bake for 30 minutes and test with a toothpick.
How to Store
Store: Keep your cottage cheese banana bread in a breathable container or cover with a linen towel in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days.
Freeze: I like to freeze my banana bread unsliced to keep it moist. Once cooled completely, store in a gallon-size Ziploc bag, remove excess air, and seal tightly. It stays fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours.
More Banana Bread Recipes to Try
- Coconut flour banana bread
- Applesauce banana bread
- Protein banana bread
- Oat flour banana bread
- Healthy zucchini banana bread
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
Cottage Cheese Banana Bread
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 2 large very ripe bananas with brown spots, 1 cup mashed
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups almond flour
- Cooking spray, I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line metal 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add bananas and mash with a fork. Then add eggs, cottage cheese, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk until combined.
- Add almond flour and stir gently with spatula to combine.
- Pour batter into previously prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove banana bread from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool off for 10 minutes. Remove from a loaf pan and let it cool off another 30 minutes. Slice with sharp serrated knife into 10 slices and enjoy!
Notes
- Store: Store bread in a ventilated container or under a linen towel in a cool dry place for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Bake and cool completely. I recommend to freeze bread unsliced to retain moisture. Place in a gallon size Ziploc container, let out as much air as possible and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for a few hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was awesome! Only I made it with coconut flour. Texture is a little bit different than regular flour. But adding the protein and less sweet, I absolutely loved it! I’m trying gluten free, as advertised by my doctor.
So glad you loved it! Coconut flour can definitely change the texture a bit, but it’s great that it worked well for your gluten-free needs. Thanks for sharing your version!
We loved this! I doubled the batch and made one loaf and several mini muffins. My 1, 2 and 3 year olds all love them. 🙂
And, to help with a comment above about subbing AP flour- I only had half of the almond flour that I needed and subbed the rest for AP flour. it came out pillowy and delicious. I’m not sure how the consistency would be with all AP flour, but half-and-half worked very well for me.
I always love your recipes!!!
Hi, Sarah! Thank you for the positive feedback. So happy that you found the recipe to be delicious, easy and most of all kid approved!
Great recipe! Came out perfectly the first time I tried it and the entire family, kids and adults alike, loved it. Making it again this weekend. No substitutions but decided to blend the cottage cheese to avoid white specks and it turned out great.
This will be done on repeat at our house like so many other of your recipes.
Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Claudia! Glad this is getting added to the repeat list! I appreciate your review.
It”s a great and easy RECIPE! I made it all in one bowl and used a potato masher to mix! and quick clean up! Costco has Blanched almond flour and I did not drain my cottage cheese and it was quite liquid, Husband gave it a thumbs up
Thanks for sharing your feedback and review + star rating, I really appreciate it! Glad your husband loved this bread!
Can you purée the cottage cheese first?
I think so. I don’t see a reason why not. Just don’t drain it before pureeing.
When do you use the cooking spray? Don’t see it in the directions?
I don’t use it anymore. I don’t find it necessary with the parchment paper. My breads do not stick and it’s the case with most parchment paper so you should be good.
I have a nut allergy and cannot eat almond flour. Do I need to adjust any other ingredients if I use all-purpose flour instead?
Unfortunately this recipe will need to be tested with all purpose flour. You cannot swap it one-to-one ratio with almond flour as they behave completely different.