Cottage cheese banana bread is a soft, moist and filled with creamy, protein packed cottage cheese. This healthier twist on the classic banana bread is easy to make and a smarter way to satisfy your sweet tooth anytime of day.
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Why Make This Recipe
There is something so cozy and inviting about banana bread. It’s straight forward and easy to make. I especially love my Brown Butter Banana Bread, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Cake Mix Banana Bread, Apple Banana Bread, Banana Zucchini Bread and Nutella Banana Bread recipes. This cottage cheese banana bread is no exception. In fact, it may even be my new favorite.
- Layers of flavors and textures. This recipe for cottage cheese banana bread has a perfectly moist and soft textures filled with sweet banana and vanilla flavor. In fact, you can’t even taste the cottage cheese.
- Easy to make, bake and eat.This moist banana bread with cottage cheese is just as simple to make as classic banana bread. The only difference is adding in 1 -2 extra minutes to blend the cottage cheese.
- You love healthier for you sweet treats. Who doesn’t love a healthier twist on banana bread (that you can’t even taste)? The addition of cottage cheese adds a boost or protein and moisture.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This buttery protein packed banana bread requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge.
- All Purpose Flour: To make this brown butter banana cake loaf gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure the amount of flour based on weight (210 g) instead of cup for cup.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: This recipe hasn’t been tested with baking powder or baking soda only. Make sure both are in date and not expired.
- Mashed Banana: Make sure the bananas are fully ripened with some brown spots.
- Unsalted Butter: Feel free to use your preferred unsalted butter.
- Light Brown Sugar: This recipe hasn’t been tested with alternative sugars. However, maple sugar would be a good substitute to make this banana bread with cottage cheese refined sugar free.
- Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
- Cottage Cheese: Use a cottage cheese you love. The flavor will not to prominent in the banana bread. Blending will smooth out the curds, so just use the kind you love. I personally love using one that is 4% fat. The cottage cheese from Good Culture or Daisy Cottage Cheese are both good choices.
- Vanilla Extract: This provides a lovely background flavor for the caramelized banana.
How To Make
Learn how to make cottage cheese banana bread takes a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (163 C). Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on two sides. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together until well combined. Set aside for now.
- Add the cottage cheese to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth like yogurt or sour cream. If you want, process the banana as well until smooth or mostly smooth with a few lumps. Otherwise, mash the banana in a large mixing bowl, then mix in the blended cottage cheese. Whisk in the melted butter, light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Whisk in the dry ingredients until just combined.
3. Evenly pour the banana cottage cheese bread batter into the prepared pan. Top with a sprinkle of sugar or ¼ cup chopped nuts if you like. Bake the banana bread for 40 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out with a few moist (not wet or gummy) crumbs. Cool the banana bread with brown butter in the loaf pan for 15 - 20 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan. Fully cool the protein banana bread for at least an hour at room temperature, slice and enjoy.
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze, Thaw and Serve
- Make Ahead: The easiest component to make ahead is the brown butter. Simply make the brown butter according to the recipe directions and pour the butter into a heat and fridge safe container. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks. When you are ready to use the brown butter in this banana bread recipe, heat the butter to melting, stir and use as written in the recipe.
- Store: Place leftover cottage cheese banana bread in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days. Then transfer the bread to the fridge for up to another 2 - 3 days.
- Freeze: Slice and individually wrap each slice of banana bread in wax or parchment paper and transfer each wrapped slice into a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: The easiest and best way to thaw the protein filled banana bread is to let it slowly thaw at room temperature or in the fridge. Then pop a slice or two into the toaster or into the microwave for that “fresh from the oven” taste.
- Serve: Enjoy the banana bread with cottage cheese plain or with honey sweetened yogurt. For more of a dessert banana bread cake, top with brown butter cream cheese frosting.
M’s Expert Tips
- Blend the cottage cheese. Unless you love the lumps that come from the curds, I suggest blending the cottage cheese until smooth and creamy, like yogurt or sour cream.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in moist and perfectly mixed protein banana bread.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Use a 9 x 5 aluminum loaf pan. A light aluminum pan is the preferred pan for baking cakes or loaf breads. The heat from the aluminum heats up more evenly and ensures a better bake on the banana bread. However, if you need to use glass, decrease the temperature to 325 F (163 C) and bake for 5 - 10 minutes longer than the time listed in the recipe.
- Fully cool the banana cottage cheese loaf. This banana bread with cottage cheese needs at least an hour, but preferably two hours to fully cool. If you slice into the banana bread too soon, the bread will be mushy.
FAQs
Yes, using cottage cheese in banana bread is an easy way to add moisture and more protein to the banana bread. The best way to incorporate cottage cheese into banana bread or any baked good is to blend the cottage cheese into a smooth, yogurt like consistency.
The tanginess from the cottage cheese compliments the sweet and creamy flavors of the bananas. Blending the cottage cheese smooths out the curds so the texture of the banana bread remains the same as the classic loaf, just with more protein.
I recommend using a 9 x 5 aluminum loaf pan since this is the pan used to develop this recipe. However, if you need to, use a 9 inch round pan or 8 x 8 square pan and bake for roughly the same amount of time. Start checking around 35 or 40 minutes of baking. If you need to use a glass pan, decrease the temperature to 325 F (163 C) and bake for 5 - 10 minutes longer than the time listed in the recipe.
Other Cottage Cheese Recipes to Try
If you try this Cottage Cheese Banana Bread recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! -M
Cottage Cheese Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 food processor or blender
- 1 9 x 5 (23 x 13 cm) aluminum loaf pan
- 1 sheet parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (210 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) cottage cheese
- 1 cup mashed banana about 3 medium bananas
- ½ cup (113 g) melted butter
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (163 C). Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on two sides.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together until well combined. Set aside for now.1¾ cups (210 g) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the cottage cheese to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth like yogurt or sour cream. If you want, process the banana as well until smooth or mostly smooth with a few lumps. Otherwise, mash the banana in a large mixing bowl, then mix in the blended cottage cheese.½ cup (113 g) cottage cheese, 1 cup mashed banana
- Whisk in the melted butter, light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Whisk in the dry ingredients until just combined.Evenly pour the banana cottage cheese bread batter into the prepared pan. Top with a sprinkle of sugar or ¼ cup chopped nuts if you like.½ cup (113 g) melted butter, ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
- Bake the banana bread for 40 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out with a few moist (not wet or gummy) crumbs. Cool the banana bread with brown butter in the loaf pan for 15 - 20 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan. Fully cool the protein banana bread for at least an hour at room temperature, slice and enjoy.
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