There are certain foods that I deem share-able. Billie’s Italian cream cake (couldn’t get rid of that soon enough!) was brought over to my parents house yesterday for Father’s Day dessert, asparagus, corn and mushrooms also made their way over for grilling and somehow, I ended up coming home with half a watermelon that weighs at least 12 pounds.
This bread was not among the share-able stuff. It was wrapped up in aluminum foil, secretly hiding in the back of my fridge away from Ulysses and far, far away from the rest of my family (especially my chocolate gorging brother).
Sometimes you need to be selfish in life. I deem chocolate banana bread one of those times.
I’ve kind of fallen off the Livefit bandwagon (something I’ll go into more fully in another post). I made it 7 weeks before my travel schedule seriously started limiting what I could do and when I could do it while my patience for 90+ minute workouts grew thin around the same time. I’m not following the program exactly right now, but I am still eating like I’m on it. Part of that means coming up with protein sources for post workout snacks, something that’s been almost like a fun challenge for me every week. A protein smoothie is fine once and awhile but I usually have trouble wanting to drink my calories back after a workout. I take in so much liquid before and during that it makes me nauseous just thinking about forcing a dairy based smoothie down my throat after an intense workout.
A (high protein) chocolate chip studded banana bread, however, I have no trouble scarfing down.
Especially with some peanut butter and sliced bananas on top.
Post workout perfection you’ll want to keep all to yourself.
- ¾ cup oat flour
- ½ cup spelt flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 scoop (heaping ¼ cup) chocolate whey protein powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ large bananas, mashed
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup liquid egg whites
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bread pan.
- Combine flours, cocoa powder, protein powder, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and mix together.
- Mash bananas in a medium bowl.
- Add egg, egg whites, yogurt, applesauce and vanilla extract and whisk together.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir together.
- Fold in chocolate chips and pour batter into bread pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5 minutes in pan and then remove bread and transfer to a cooling rack.
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
This sounds wonderful! I’d hide mine from the hubs too.
Ooh this sounds divine, I don’t blame you for hiding it away
I don’t need to actually do a workout to justify eating this right?
I’m the same with smoothies, just can’t bare the thought of all that sloshing, I rarely drink them these days. Interested to hear more about livefit… although 90min workouts sounds a bit dreadful to me personally.
Yeah, I think I’ll do a full post about it soon. I feel like a loser for “giving up” so far into it but it was just becoming something I dreaded with the time commitment rather than enjoyed. I’ve modified it now to do an abbreviated heavy lifting with alternating days of HIIT/moderate cardio instead with a max of 45-50 mins and it’s working out much better for me, mentally at least. I don’t think it’s compromising the physical outcome either so it seems to be win/win for now.
Delicious AND healthy, packed with extra protein and no added sugar… YES!!
I thought of you while making this when I realized it had no added sugar
I will take two slices! Thanks:)
omg I need this in my belly. pronto. That looks so amazing, I can’t imagine that it’s good for you. I seriously am so jealous of your ability to take in so much liquid. By glass 6 (of water…in a full day) I’m ready to throw up.
absolute protein perfection, Gina!!!!!!! YUMMMMM. Love Love Love it.
Ummm this must be what food in heaven is like.
I love that you were selfish with this! I would have done the same!
Well what a shame I have all the ingredients. But you said it was healthy so that’s all the justification I need!
Being that my Dad is addicted to banana bread, I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to make this for him!
This is amazing! I’m going to make it this week! Great snack cake!
This is definitely something to be hidden!! Although I think I’d plow through this loaf quick enough hiding may not be an issue.
I love the fact that the only sweeteners used are the bananas and apple sauce. This is totally something unshareable after it has been made… I will send them to your website but not to my chocolate snack!
and you did it again. another recipe that i’m swooning over. YUM.
OMG this looks so yummy!
I am always hesitant to cook with protein powder, however I am loving this recipe. Gluten free? I am with you about the dairy post workout. It’s hard for me to do that too, so this is the perfect high protein workout snack!
I guess it is gluten free! I never pay attention to that since I don’t worry about gluten so it’s always a surprise when it comes out that way by chance.
I have to say, Designer Whey seems to be awesome for baking. So many people say how they have no luck with baking & protein powders but I’ve never had an issue with that brand.
This looks amazing! Anything with chocolate & banana in it has to be good. I also conveniently store some items “out of view” so my husband doesn’t see them. What? Delicious leftovers are always stored in the vegetable drawer, silly husband!
Funny that you gave away the Billie cake but were hoarding the healthy cake. I wish I could think like you
YUM! I knew there was a way I’d enjoy chocolate whey protein powder
This looks delicious!! Chocolate+Banana is ALWAYS good in my books! And I completely understand the not-sharing thing, Brit and I have a special corner in the back of our pantry where we keep some of our favourite goodies away from our see-and-eat brothers!
LOL I love food that you want to keep to yourself. I haven’t made banana bread in way too long.
I would love to have a 12 pound watermelon, and not share any of it! I usually try to get rid of baked goods pretty quickly but there are often those that I just don’t want to share. I can imagine why this bread was one of those!
This sounds wonderful! I haven’t made banana bread in ages and this is inspiring me to do so.
There’s no way I’d be sharing this bread either. I love the different flours you use and since I still haven’t tried baking a banana/chocolate bread, this is easily at the top of my to-bake list!
Such a great recipe!! It seems really hearty and somewhat sweet, but perfectly sweet and not overwhelming.
healthy AND double chocolate? you gotta sign me up for this! too late, i already signed myself up. this looks really good, something i can see myself taking to work every morning….yup, chocolate for breakfast. i’m ALL over it.
If this is post-workout food, I want to workout. Now. (I don’t think I’ve ever said that before.)
This sounds great – I’m with you, I’d WAY rather eat my calories and protein!
I sometimes hide my no-bake protein bars. I am definitely making this! I hope my kids like it too.
This is an amazing post-workout snack! Love the addition of the protein powder!
Chocolate and bananas, yum! I would also eat it with the peanut butter and bananas. Chocolate, peanut butter and bananas, devine!
I saw you had a substitution for the spelt flour but what about the almond? Can that be subbed with whole wheat or white flour as well?
Subbing the almond flour will make it less of a “protein” bread. It’s also quite a different consistency than most flours so it might alter the outcome. I’m not sure since I haven’t done it, but you probably could. You might not need as much of the wet ingredients though.
Also, almond flour is just ground up almonds in a food processor so if it’s a matter of not having it (versus an allergy or something) you can always make your own, that’s actually what I did.