4 Ingredient Healthier Banana Bread
This simple banana bread comes together with just four ingredients—no eggs, no butter, no oil and no fuss. Mashed bananas add natural sweetness and moisture, while cottage cheese gives it a protein boost. Self-rising flour keeps things easy, so you get a soft, tender loaf with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 4 large (436 g) overripe bananas, see note
- 1/2 cup (123 g) cottage cheese 4%
- 1/2 cup -3/4 cup (4-6 fl oz/118-177 ml) maple syrup, depending on sweetness preference
- 2 1/2 cups (329 g) self-rising flour, see note before starting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Add the bananas, cottage cheese and maple syrup to a blender. Blend until smooth and well combined.
- Add the self-rising flour to a large mixing bowl and pour the blended mixture over the flour. Gently fold the flour into the wet mixture using a silicone spatula until the flour is incorporated and no dry flour streaks remain. Do your best not to overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When you apply light pressure to the surface of the bread, it should also bounce back.
- Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Store uneaten banana bread in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- Banana note: It's best to measure the bananas with a scale. If you don't own a scale, you can mash the bananas and add approximately 1.75 cups + 1 tbsp of mashed bananas to your blender. 436 grams is the weight of peeled bananas.
- Maple syrup note: If you only want the bread lightly sweet, you can use 1/2 cup of maple syrup. For more sweetness, add 3/4 cup maple syrup. My current favorite maple syrup to use is Member's Mark Organic Maple syrup.* It's one of the most affordable I've seen and it is organic.
- Self-rising flour note: There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour* (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Homemade self-rising flour: If you don't have self-rising flour you can also make homemade self-rising flour. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill which will not work well for this recipe.
- Combine 3 cups all purpose flour, 4 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 tsp salt. Whisk together until evenly combined. Measure out 2.5 cups for the recipe.
- Nutrition estimate assumes 1/2 cup of maple syrup used.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 122kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 0.4g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 246mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, NET CARBS: 26
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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