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This cottage cheese banana bread is soft, moist, and packed with rich banana flavor in every bite. The cottage cheese bakes right into the batter, adding incredible tenderness and a boost of protein without changing the classic taste. Once you try it, you may never go back to traditional banana bread!
If you love the flavors of banana bread, try our healthy banana muffins and banana bread baked oats next!
🔍 Quick Look: Cottage Cheese Banana Bread
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- ⏱️ Cook Time: 50 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 1 hour
- 🍽 Calories: ~90 kcal per serving
- 👥 Servings: 16 servings
- 🥣 Key Ingredients: Bananas, flour, eggs, cottage cheese, applesauce
- 👩🍳 Cook Method: Baked
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy, perfect for effortless healthy baking.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Unique Twist: Adding cottage cheese sets this banana bread apart in the best way. It’s a healthier twist on classic banana bread that is soft, moist, and packed with flavor.
- Boosts the Protein: The cottage cheese boosts the protein while helping prevent the bread from drying out.
- Easy to Make: Simply mix the cottage cheese right into the batter. There aren’t any complicated steps.
- Simple Ingredients: It’s made with pantry staples you likely already have on hand.
- No Oil or Butter: Cottage cheese and applesauce keep it incredibly moist without added fat.
- Perfect Anytime: Enjoy it for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.
“This is a great recipe! So moist and delicious!! You won’t be disappointed if you make this recipe!!
– tracy
Key Ingredients
- Bananas: Mash four medium-sized ripe bananas for this banana bread.
- Eggs: You will need two large eggs for this recipe.
- Cottage Cheese: There is cottage cheese in this banana bread! It makes the texture moist. You can use fat-free, low-fat, or full-fat cottage cheese. Don’t have cottage cheese? Try our classic healthy banana bread!
- Applesauce: Use unsweetened applesauce. The applesauce eliminates the need for butter or oil. Also, it makes this banana bread moist.
- All-Purpose Flour: This cottage cheese banana bread is made with regular flour.
- Sweetener: Use sugar or a 1:1 sugar substitute such as monk fruit or Swerve.
Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions & Variations
- Mix in Chocolate Chips: You can fold 1/4 to 1/2 cups of mini chocolate chips or chocolate chunks into the batter to make chocolate chip banana bread.
- Make Muffins With the Batter: You can make individual cottage cheese banana muffins with this recipe instead of a loaf. Lightly spray a non-stick muffin pan with oil and pour the batter into the muffin cups, forming about 14-16 muffins. Bake the muffins at 350°F for about 24-28 minutes, or until fully cooked and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Or, try our blender banana cottage cheese muffins or cottage cheese blueberry muffins!
- Add Chopped Nuts: You can fold some chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter. Or, add some roughly chopped raisins.
- Sugar Replacement: You can use sugar or brown sugar in this recipe. Or, use a 1:1 sugar-free sweetener such as monk fruit or Swerve.
- Make It Gluten-Free: To make this banana bread gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
How To Make Cottage Cheese Banana Bread
- Add the peeled ripe bananas to a large bowl. Then, thoroughly mash them.
- Add the eggs, cottage cheese, unsweetened applesauce, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the mashed bananas. Then, mix to combine the wet ingredients.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients a little at a time until the batter is fully combined. Make sure not to over-mix the batter.
- Lightly spray a 9×5 oven-safe loaf pan with coconut oil or your oil of choice. Then, pour the batter into the pan. Also, you can add a piece of parchment paper to the loaf pan before pouring the batter.
- Bake the banana bread at 350°F for 50-55 minutes. Once done, let it slightly cool and then carefully remove it from the loaf pan. After that, slice the banana bread and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- How to Mash Bananas: The best way to mash the banana is with a potato masher. It’s much easier and faster than using a fork. You can thoroughly mash the bananas or leave some chunks.
- Use Ripe Bananas: Use ripe bananas for the best flavor in your banana bread.
- Don’t Over-mix Batter: Be mindful not to over-mix the batter. An over-mixed batter may cause the banana bread to become dense.
- What Size Loaf Pan: Use an oven-safe 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- How to Know When It’s Cooked: You will know this banana bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Ensure the banana bread is fully cooked before slicing and enjoying it.
- Evenly Slice: Once baked and cooled, evenly slice the banana bread. Try to slice it evenly so each piece is the same size.
Serving Suggestions
Slice this cottage cheese banana bread and enjoy it on its own, or with toppings or sides. You can spread butter, or nut butter such as peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. Or, add our strawberry chia jam, blueberry jam, or your favorite jam on top when ready to serve. We love serving it with a side of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit. It’s also delicious served with coffee or tea.
Cottage Cheese Banana Bread FAQs
Can Cottage Cheese Banana Bread Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze cottage cheese banana bread. Let it completely cool, slice it, and store it in freezer-safe bags for 1-2 months. Reheat leftovers in the oven or microwave.
How Long Does Cottage Cheese Banana Bread Last?
You can store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in tinfoil on the counter for one day. Or, store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
More Healthy Banana Recipes to Try!
If you try this recipe please be sure to leave us a comment and star rating, ★★★★★, letting us know how it turns out for you.
Cottage Cheese Banana Bread
This cottage cheese banana bread recipe is moist, tender, and packed with banana flavor. It's a healthier twist with added protein and no oil or butter.
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized ripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese, fat-free, low-fat, or full-fat
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar or a 1:1 sugar substitute such as monk fruit or Swerve
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the peeled ripe bananas to a large bowl. Then, thoroughly mash them with a fork or potato masher.
- Add the eggs, cottage cheese, unsweetened applesauce, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the mashed bananas. Then, mix to combine the wet ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients a little at a time until the batter is fully combined. Combine all the wet and dry ingredients, but don’t over-mix the batter.
- Lightly spray a 9×5 oven-safe loaf pan with coconut oil or your oil of choice. Then, pour the batter into the loaf pan. Also, you can add a piece of parchment paper to the loaf pan before pouring the batter, so the banana bread is easy to remove once baked.
- Bake the banana bread at 350°F (177°C) for 50-55 minutes, until fully cooked, when a toothpick inserted comes out clean from the center of the loaf. Once done, let it slightly cool and then carefully remove it from the loaf pan. After that, evenly slice the banana bread and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Don’t Over-Mix Batter: Be mindful not to over-mix the batter. An over-mixed batter may cause the banana bread to become dense.
- Mix In Chocolate Chips: You can fold 1/4 to 1/2 cups of mini chocolate chips or chocolate chunks into the batter to make chocolate chip banana bread.
- Make Muffins: You can make individual cottage cheese banana muffins with this recipe instead of a loaf. Lightly spray a non-stick muffin pan with oil and pour the batter into the muffin cups, forming about 14-16 muffins. Bake the muffins at 350°F for about 24-28 minutes, or until fully cooked and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Storage: You can store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in tinfoil on the counter for one day. Or, store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 90kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.9g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 0.9g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 175mg, Fiber: 1.2g, Sugar: 4.3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @wwhealthyfoodiegirl or tag #healthyfoodiegirl!
Loved this recipe! I made it for my kids so I could sneak some extra protein in the form of a snack and they loved both making it and eating it! Even my picky eater asked for seconds!! I saw someone in the comments doubled the cinnamon and I did as well. I will definitely make this again.
Hi Gabrielle, this makes me so happy to hear! I’m so glad your kids also enjoyed this recipe and even asked for seconds, that is so great to hear! I love that you doubled the cinnamon, and I’m so happy you’ll be making this recipe again! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Can I substitute the ap flour with almond flour? I’d like to make these for Passover. Thanks.
Hi Diane, we haven’t tested this recipe with almond flour and don’t recommend a direct swap, since almond flour lacks gluten and has a much higher fat content, which can make the texture turn out denser, softer, and sometimes a bit too moist or fragile in the center. If you’d still like to try it, you could use about 1 ¾ to 2 cups of almond flour and reduce the applesauce slightly to avoid excess moisture, and you could add a small amount of tapioca starch to help with structure. Just keep in mind the final result will be more tender and cake-like rather than the light, fluffy texture of the original.
Am I missing the WW points?
Hi Cynthia, to see the WW points for this recipe, scroll down to the recipe card, then look for the “notes” section within the recipe card. It’s toward the bottom of the recipe card, after the ingredients, directions, and video sections. That is where the points are listed, as well as a direct tracking link to the WW app. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it several times this month cuz we can’t get enough!
Hi Marlo, I’m so happy you enjoyed this cottage cheese banana bread and made it a few times throughout the month! This makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much for leaving a review.
Hi! Excited to try your recipe! Can we make this eggless? What do you recommend for egg replacement?
Hi, we haven’t personally tested this banana bread eggless, but you can try replacing the two eggs with two flax eggs or two chia eggs. For each egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed or chia seeds with 2 ½ tablespoons of water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken. Since this recipe uses two eggs, you’ll need to double that. The texture may be slightly softer and a bit more dense, but it should still turn out delicious. Let us know if you try it!
Can you taste the apple sauce in this bread? Are there any alternatives to using apple sauce? Thanks in advance 🙂 looks delicious!
Hi Jordan, you can’t taste the applesauce at all in this banana bread. It’s there purely to add moisture and keep the bread soft and tender, not to add apple flavor. We use it as a lighter swap for butter or oil, so you still get that classic banana bread texture, and we really recommend using it because it keeps the bread extra moist. You can substitute Greek yogurt if needed, but since yogurt is thicker than applesauce you may want to add a small splash of milk to loosen the batter, and the bread may turn out slightly denser. I hope you enjoy this cottage cheese banana bread, let us know how it goes!
I have made this twice and used mini loaf pans. I halved the recipe and that filled two mini loaf pans. I also added a heaping scoop of vanilla protein powder and doubled the cinnamon. In my oven, 25 minutes at 350 was good for the mini loaves. By my calculations, each mini loaf has 23 grams of protein for 240 calories. Very goid! Thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am so happy to hear that this cottage cheese banana bread recipe worked so well for you in your mini loaf pans and that your adjustments made it even more protein-packed!
wow!!!
everyone loved this banana bread. I made one loaf without the semi sweet chocolate chips n one with.
I will keep this recipe for sure.
thank you
Linda Steiner
Hi Linda, this makes me so happy to hear! I love that you made two loaves, one with chocolate chips and one without, and that everyone enjoyed them. It means so much that this recipe is a keeper! Thank you so much for trying this cottage cheese banana bread and for taking the time to leave a review.