High Protein Banana Bread

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This High Protein Banana Bread is incredibly moist and tender, with rich banana flavor and just the right amount of natural sweetness. Each serving packs an impressive 25 grams of protein, yet it tastes like classic banana bread-not a protein-packed substitute. Made with ripe bananas, sweet Medjool dates, and creamy yogurt, it's naturally sweetened, oil-free, gluten-free, and completely vegan.

Protein banana bread on a white plate with a silver fork.

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🔍 Quick Look: High Protein Banana Bread
👩🏽‍⚕️ Dietitian's Note
👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🍌 Substitutions
📝 How to Make High Protein Banana Bread
✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips
🥞 More High Protein Breakfast Recipes to Try
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🍞 More Banana Bread Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
High Protein Banana Bread Recipe
🛍️ Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
💬 Comments

🔍 Quick Look: High Protein Banana Bread

⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🎛 Cook Time: 40 minutes
👥 Servings: 5
📊 Calories: ~367 kcal (based on nutrition panel)
💪🏼 Nutrition: 25 grams of protein, 13 grams of fiber, 648 mg of calcium
👩🏽‍🍳 Flavor Profile: Rich banana flavor with caramel-sweet dates and a moist, tender crumb.
⭐ Difficulty: Easy. Only 10 minutes of prep with simple ingredients and few steps.

👩🏽‍⚕️ Dietitian's Note

This is one of my highest-protein banana breads, with an impressive 25 grams of protein per serving. Protein supports muscle maintenance and growth, and getting enough becomes especially important as we age. Using higher-protein nondairy milk, Greek-style yogurt, and protein powder allows us to pack in protein while keeping the bread moist and tender.

It's also a smart choice for bone health. When made with calcium-fortified nondairy milk and yogurt, each serving provides calcium alongside protein and phosphorus-nutrients that work together to support strong bones. Oat flour, bananas, dates, and psyllium also add fiber, making this a much more satisfying breakfast than traditional banana bread.

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

Not only is this vegan protein banana bread incredibly moist and delicious, it's also:

Packed with 25 grams of protein per serving for a satisfying breakfast or snack.
Naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and caramel-sweet Medjool dates, with no refined sugar.
Soft and tender with plenty of rich banana flavor, despite being oil-free.
Made with wholesome ingredients including oat flour, yogurt, and psyllium husk.
Easy to make ahead and freeze for a quick high-protein breakfast throughout the week.
Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and oil-free.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert's and trained chef's perspective.

Bananas, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, Medjool dates, protein powder, soymilk, oat flour, date syrup, Greek-style yogurt, and psyllium husk.

Bananas give this high protein banana bread its rich banana flavor, natural sweetness, and moist texture. Use very ripe, heavily spotted bananas for the sweetest, most flavorful loaf.
Medjool dates add rich, caramel-like sweetness and help keep the crumb soft and moist without refined sugar. Deglet Noor dates also work, but they are firmer and less sweet.
Vegan Greek-style yogurt adds creamy richness and moisture while boosting the protein. Choose a thick, high-protein yogurt for the best texture.
Nondairy milk keeps the crumb soft and tender without making the batter heavy. Soy or pea milk adds even more protein, but almond, oat, or another nondairy milk also works.
Vanilla extract rounds out the banana and caramel flavors and gives the loaf a sweeter, bakery-style aroma. Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor.
Protein powder packs this banana bread with protein without overpowering the banana flavor. I prefer a simple, unflavored protein powder for a more classic-tasting loaf. See my favorite brands.
Oat flour creates a soft, hearty crumb with a mild flavor that lets the ripe banana shine. Use certified gluten-free oat flour to keep the recipe gluten-free.
Psyllium husk binds the gluten-free batter and gives the loaf structure, helping create a moist, tender crumb rather than a dry or crumbly one.
Cinnamon adds cozy warmth and brings out the natural sweetness of the bananas and dates. Ceylon or regular cinnamon both work.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🍌 Substitutions

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.

Bananas - Swap with unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin purée for a different flavor.
Dates - Use prunes or date syrup for natural sweetness.
Vegan Greek-Style Yogurt - Any unsweetened yogurt works. Greek style adds much more protein.
Nondairy Milk - Soy, hemp, and pea protien add more grams of protein. Almond, oat, and cashew milks, as well as most other milks, also work well.
Protein Powder - Use any vegan protein blend you love, unflavored or vanilla.
Oat Flour - Make your own by grinding oats in a food processor. Coconut flour works too.
Cinnamon - Try pumpkin spice, nutmeg, or cardamom for variety.
Psyllium Husks - Use whole or powder.
Blueberries - Add berries to boost antioxidants.
Chopped Nuts - Fold in chopped nuts for a crunch.

For more healthy breakfasts, visit my Vegan Breakfast Recipes page.

📝 How to Make High Protein Banana Bread

The complete recipe with exact amounts is below. These additional tips will help you get the best results.

Three dates soaking in hot water in a glass pyrex.

Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes if you do not have a high-speed blender. Then pit the dates-I find it better to pit your own, as pre-pitted dates are often less fresh.

Bananas, dates, soymilk, Greek-style yogurt, and vanilla extract in a blender.

Skip mashing and measuring-just add two medium bananas to the blender with the pitted dates and liquid ingredients (yogurt, nondairy milk, and vanilla).

Black silicone whisk in a glass bowl with dry ingredients.

Whisk the dry ingredients well to make sure they are evenly distributed. This is especially important for the baking soda and baking powder, so the bread rises evenly.

Wet and dry ingredients in a glass bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix, paying attention to the texture. (Add blueberries now if using.)

Thick batter in a glass bowl with a spatula.

The batter should be thick but scoopable, not runny. If it seems too dry, add a little more nondairy milk as needed.

Three gluten-free vegan banana bread mini loaves in white parchment paper in ini loaf pans beside a colander of blueberries and one banana.

Pan Prep: Transfer the batter to a 9 × 5-inch nonstick loaf pan, or line with parchment paper, or lightly grease. You can also use mini loaf pans or make muffins!

Adjust for Pan Size: You can use a different size pan, but adjust the baking time accordingly. Wider pans where the batter is lower will need less cooking time, while deeper pans will need more. Muffins or mini loaves will require less baking time.

Shake the pan from side to side to evenly distribute the batter.

Baked protein banana bread in a white loaf pan.

Bake at a low temperature of 360°F (182 °C). The outside will brown and form a lightly crisp layer, while the inside stays moist with a dense, pudding-like texture. Test doneness by gently prodding the top-it should just bounce back. It's delicious!

See my favorite CLEAN CERAMIC BAKEWARE here.

To cool, place the loaf on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes. Slice and let it cool further to set before serving. A cooling rack allows air to circulate all around the loaf, preventing the bottom from getting soggy and helping it cool evenly and set properly.

✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips

These simple steps help this high protein banana bread preserve its flavor, texture, and nutrients.

Room temperature: Store the banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 to 3 days. There's no need to refrigerate it, which can make the texture overly moist.
Freeze for longer storage: Slice the loaf first, then freeze the individual slices in an airtight container for up to 3 months. This makes it easy to thaw only what you need.

🥞 More High Protein Breakfast Recipes to Try

These Protein Zucchini Muffins are moist and naturally sweet with caramel-like dates and pack 11 grams of protein per muffin.

This Protein Chia Pudding is thick and creamy with juicy blueberries, crunchy nuts and seeds, and contains 27 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber per serving.

My Baked Protein Oats are rich and chocolatey with tender apples, caramel-sweet dates, warm cinnamon, and a creamy hint of nut butter.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Can I skip the protein powder?

Yes! You can leave it out, but the bread will be lower in protein. You will want to replace it with almond flour or extra oat flour to maintain the right texture.

Can I make this into protein banana muffins?

Absolutely! Bake at 360°F (182 °C) for 20-22 minutes for perfect high-protein banana muffins.

How to make homemade bread higher in protein?

Add protein-rich ingredients such as protein powder, Greek-style yogurt, soy milk, nut or seed butter, nuts, and seeds. You can also replace some of the flour with higher-protein options like oat, chickpea, or almond flour. Just avoid adding too much protein powder without adjusting the liquid, as it can make baked goods dry or dense. In this High Protein Banana Bread, I combine protein powder with yogurt and nondairy milk to boost the protein while keeping the loaf moist and tender.