Description

This Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread is a moist, delicious, and guilt-free treat perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert. Made with ripe bananas, cocoa powder, oat flour, and a choice of nut butter, it’s naturally sweetened and enriched with protein powder for a satisfying boost. The loaf combines wholesome ingredients with rich chocolate flavor, offering an easy-to-make recipe that caters to health-conscious bakers.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

3 medium ripe bananas (about 12 oz/360 g total)
2 large eggs
¼ cup (60 g) nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew, or sunflower seed butter)
⅓ cup (70 g) granular sweetener (monk fruit or brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅙ tsp sea salt
1 ½ cup (150 g) oat flour (or preferred flour)
½ cup (50 g) cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
¼ cup (40 g) chocolate chips

Optional Ingredients

½ cup (50 g) protein powder (can replace ½ cup (50 g) flour as noted)

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 20 cm (7.9 inches) loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper or greasing it lightly with oil to prevent sticking.
Mash Bananas: In a large mixing bowl, mash the three ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork until the texture is completely smooth with no large lumps.
Mix Wet Ingredients: Stir in the nut butter and eggs into the mashed bananas until the mixture is well combined.
Add Sweetener, Vanilla, and Salt: Incorporate the granular sweetener of your choice, vanilla extract, and sea salt into the wet mixture. Use a whisk or fork to mix vigorously for about two minutes until smooth and fully combined.
Add Dry Ingredients: Add the oat flour (or a combination of oat flour and protein powder), cocoa powder, and baking powder to the wet mixture. Stir gently but thoroughly until all ingredients are just combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips evenly through the batter.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly. Optionally, top with extra chocolate chips for garnish. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool: Once baked, remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Notes

You can substitute almond, peanut, cashew, or sunflower seed butter based on personal preference or dietary needs.
The protein powder can replace up to half a cup of oat flour to increase protein content without compromising texture.
Using monk fruit as the sweetener keeps the recipe lower in sugar, but brown sugar can be used for a more traditional flavor.
This bread is best enjoyed within 2-3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature or refrigerated for longer freshness.
Ensure bananas are very ripe for natural sweetness and moisture in the bread.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Baking
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: healthy banana bread, chocolate banana bread, low sugar bread, protein packed banana bread, oat flour banana bread, nutritious dessert