Cottage Cheese Banana Bread

• Prep Time: 15 minutes

• Cook Time: 55-65 minutes

• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes

• Servings: 10 slices (1 standard 9×5-inch loaf)

Ingredients

• 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ¼ cups)

• 1 cup (220g) full-fat or 2% cottage cheese

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar

• ¼ cup (50g) packed light brown sugar

• ¼ cup (60ml) neutral oil (like avocado or canola) or melted butter

• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, but recommended)

• ½ cup (60g) chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Prep and Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.

2. Blend the Wet Ingredients: In a blender or food processor, combine the mashed bananas, cottage cheese, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil (or melted butter), and vanilla extract. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, with no visible lumps of cottage cheese. This usually takes about 30-45 seconds.

3. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (if using).

4. Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the smooth banana-cottage cheese mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold everything together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few streaks of flour are perfectly fine.

5. Add Mix-ins: If you’re using nuts, gently fold them into the batter now.

6. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If the top of the bread starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil after the 40-minute mark.

7. Cool: Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then, use the parchment paper overhang (or run a knife along the edges) to lift the loaf out of the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Recipe Intensities & Skill Level

• Skill Level: Beginner. This recipe is straightforward and forgiving, requiring only basic baking techniques like mixing and folding.

• Difficulty Intensity: Low. The most “difficult” part is waiting for it to cool, but the process itself is simple and uses minimal equipment (one blender and one bowl).

• Flavor Intensity: Medium-High. The banana flavor is prominent and sweet, balanced by the subtle tang from the cottage cheese and the warmth of cinnamon (if used).

Recipe Timeline

• 0:00 – 0:10: Preheat oven, grease pan, and measure out ingredients.

• 0:10 – 0:15: Blend wet ingredients and whisk dry ingredients.

• 0:15 – 0:20: Combine batter and pour into the pan.

• 0:20 – 1:25: Bake the loaf in the oven.

• 1:25 – 1:40: Cool in the pan.

• 1:40 – 2:00: Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition Information (Estimated)

Disclaimer: The following nutritional information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional dietary advice. Calculations are based on 10 servings and do not include optional nuts.

• Calories: 226 kcal

• Protein: 6g

• Carbohydrates: 32g

• Fat: 8g

• Saturated Fat: 2g

• Cholesterol: 45mg

• Sodium: 250mg

• Fiber: 1.5g

• Sugar: 16g