Protein Chocolate Banana Bread (with pumpkin!)

I threw everything I love – that is healthy – into this recipe and came out with a winner. It was one of those that miraculously turned out right the first time (this almost never happens, trust me) and I love that it has exactly what I love in a baked good:

• delicious and familiar banana bread flavour
• moist consistency (people have to get over their issue with that word)
• rich chocolatey taste (who doesn’t love chocolate)
• high in protein, relatively low in whole grain carbs
• naturally sweetened

= WINNER!

Enjoy…it’s more-ish, but also really filling thanks to the fibre and protein, so you shouldn’t be tempted to eat more than 2 (okay maybe 3) slices in a go…

** This is gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats
** Make this vegan by replacing the two eggs with two chia or flax eggs – and let me know how it works, because I haven’t tested that!

Protein Chocolate Banana Bread 

INGREDIENTS (serves 10 thick slices):

1 cup oats, blended or ground into a flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch salt
2 scoops protein powder (vanilla or chocolate) – I use this one
2 tbsp baking stevia (I use this one) or 1/4 cup granular sweetener like sugar, coconut sugar, Sucanat, maple sugar, date sugar etc
2 eggs
1/2 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3 very ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients plus optional walnuts/chocolate chips in a mixing bowl.

2. Blend bananas with pumpkin puree, eggs, milk and vanilla until totally smooth.

3. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined.

4. Pour into a well-greased loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. The top cooks first so don’t go by how firm the top is – it’s all about the centre!

5. Let cool then slice into 10 slices and enjoy…!

Nutrition per slice (if serves 10, without optional ingredients):

124 calories
2.9g fat (1.1g saturated)
43mg cholesterol
127mg sodium
21.9g carbohydrates
3.8g fibre
5.8g natural sugars
8.9g protein

59% of your daily Vitamin A needs
6% of your daily calcium needs
7% of your daily Vitamin C needs
11% of your daily iron needs

I’m linking this post up at Healthy Diva Eats‘ Marvelous in my Monday link party!