This Cottage Cheese Banana Bread is the ultimate soft, moist and delicious banana bread to make. It’s a gluten-free, made with almond flour and it is lower in sugar and higher in protein compared to your typical banana bread.
This just may be one of my favorite banana breads to date. And I am 100% positive it is because I added in the most underrated baking ingredient – cottage cheese – the batter!
Think of cottage cheese as the reason your banana bread is going to be moist and higher in protein than usual. It acts as the fat content here (no oil in this recipe) and it’s naturally a great source of protein.
This cottage cheese banana bread though is a great quick bread to make. No yeast is involved, no crazy steps or ingredients either. Just add everything to a bowl and mix! it is a quick bread to prep, the top gets crunchy on the edges yet the center is extra moist and it is gluten-free!
Tip: serve this banana bread with a smear of butter and jam on top for the ultimate sweet snack!
What ingredients are in this gluten-free cottage cheese banana bread:
- Bananas – ripe bananas are key here! The more “freckles” the banana has, the sweeter and more moist the banana bread will be
- Eggs – I haven’t tested with flax egg or egg substitute
- Cottage cheese – I usually use full-fat but low-fat could likely work too
- Maple syrup – adjust to taste if you want sweeter bread
- Vanilla extract – adds the best splash of flavor to the loaf
- Almond flour – I haven’t tested this with other flours. Gluten-free baking flour and all purpose flour are not 1:1 subs for almond flour though
- Cinnamon – love adding this spiced into my banana breads. I didn’t add nutmeg, but you certainly can
- Optional mix-in’s: walnuts, chocolate chips or blueberries are all great
How to make cottage cheese banana bread:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease
- In a large bowl, mix together the bananas, eggs, cottage cheese, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth
- Mix in the almond flour, baking soda and cinnamon until fully combined (depending on the brand cottage cheese you use, it may be chunky – that is ok!)
- Pour batter into loaf pan and bake in oven for about 50 minutes, covering with foil after 30 minutes or so if the top is starting to brown a bit
- Remove from oven once cooked (I stick a toothpick in to test)
- Allow the bread to cool then slice and enjoy!
Shop all cooking and baking essentials here!
FAQS on making banana bread with cottage cheese:
- Why is there cottage cheese in this banana bread? It is SUCH an underrated ingredient to bake with. It adds moisture to the bread, protein and acts as the oil/fat for the recipe.
- Is this banana bread sweet? It isn’t too sweet. I only add a little maple syrup in addition to the ripe bananas. If you want sweeter, add in more maple syrup!
- Can I use another flour besides almond flour? I haven’t tested another flour for this but gluten-free flour and all purpose flour are not 1:1 subs for almond flour. So if you try to use another flour, please sub at your own risk! I do think using 2 1/4 cup all purpose or gf all purpose flour can work.
- What is the best way to store this bread? Airtight container for 3 days, fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
A few other cottage cheese recipes to try:
Gluten-free Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Viral Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
PrintCottage Cheese Banana Bread
This Cottage Cheese Banana Bread is the ultimate soft, moist and delicious banana bread to make. It’s a gluten-free, made with almond flour and it is lower in sugar and higher in protein compared to your typical banana bread.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
Yield: 8–10 slices 1x
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (adjust to taste if you want sweeter)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour**
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Optional mix-in’s: walnuts, chocolate chips or blueberries are all great
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease
- In a large bowl, mix together the bananas, eggs, cottage cheese, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth
- Mix in the almond flour, baking soda and cinnamon until fully combined (depending on the brand cottage cheese you use, it may be chunky – that is ok!)
- Pour batter into loaf pan and bake in oven for about 50 minutes, covering with foil after 30 minutes or so if the top is starting to brown a bit
- Remove from oven once cooked (I stick a toothpick in to test)
- Allow the bread to cool then slice and enjoy!
Notes
*Store banana bread in airtight container for 3 days, 5 days in fridge or 2 months in freezer
**Gluten-free baking flour and all purpose flour are not 1:1 subs for almond flour
Share this recipe
Alene
Going to definitely make this, after my lemon sorghum flour only quick bread is gone. http://Www.fromthelarder.co.uk/gluten-free-lemon-drizzle-cake. By the way, that one is divine!
Jodi
So easy and delicious!! Highly recommend. Followed recipe exactly
Rachel
YAY thank you jodi!
Amanda
How much all purpose flour would you use instead of almond flour?
Rachel
any time i have tested a sub it is listed above !
Jenn
Delicious! Making another batch today!
Rachel
so happy to hear!!
Brenda
Can you substitute the maple syrup for something like monk fruit?
Rachel
hmmm i have never baked with monk fruit so i am not sure!!
Connie
Can I make this into muffins? And if so how long in the oven or I don’t need to change anything?
Thank you kindly
Rachel
you can! i’d guess around 15-18 minutes but please keep an eye on them
Ruth
I made this yesterday and substituted 1/3 cup monk fruit for the maple syrup. It came out great!
Jessica
I made this for my toddler to sneak a little more dairy into her diet and I am impressed with how delicious it turned out! It was super easy to make and I added walnuts and cacao chips as a little bonus. My daughter loves it but so do I! can’t wait to make more and try out some other little additions.
Rachel
aw thank you!
Vlada
Hi 🙂 , If anybody needs the ingredients converted into grams like me ,here is the recipe :
2 ripe bananas, mashed: 220 grams
3 eggs: 150 grams
1/2 cup cottage cheese: 115 grams
3 tablespoons maple syrup: 63 grams
2 teaspoon vanilla extract: 10 grams
2 1/2 cups almond flour: 250 grams
1 teaspoon baking soda: 5 grams
2 teaspoons cinnamon: 4 grams
🙂 I’m looking forward to making this recipe tomorrow ! <3
Lori Cohen
Thank you Vlada! I find with baking being exact works so much better. Appreciate the conversion!
Serena
How much regular white or whole wheat flour would you add to replace the Almond flour? I don’t have Almond flour but want to try this recipe!
Rachel
usually almond flour isn’t a 1:1 sub as it absorbs more liquid. so i’d use about 1/4 cup less flour. keep me posted!
Danielle
So happy this recipe turned out so well for some many reviewers however my loaf was so dry it almost choked my husband and myself and I followed the recipe exactly. I wonder if it was my oven or elevation?
Rachel
it is definitely not a dry bread. in fact it is usually too moist.
Jess
I made it and didn’t have almond flour and only used 1 1/4 cup of flour and added chocolate chips. It’s DELICIOUS my boyfriend is obsessed. We’re always looking for healthier versions since it seems like everything is so bad for you anymore.
Rachel
yay!!!
Carmen
Why baking soda and not baking powder, as there’s no acidity for rhe baking soda to react.
Kathy Odom
I’m anxious to try this recipe! What size loaf pan did you use?
Thank you!
Rachel
this one
Marisa
Thank you Jess! I was wondering about the AP flour sub too.
Jen
This bread is DELICIOUS! I followed the recipe exactly, and I made it into 12 muffins. I cooked for 30 minutes and then watched them closely after that and cooked to doneness. They did start to brown a little early like you mentioned in the recipe, so I covered them with foil. The recipe is perfect. The muffins were moist but not gooey, perfectly sweet, and they froze beautifully! Even my toddler loved them, and I’m about to make my second batch! Thank you for this recipe!
Rachel
YAY!!
Marcella
This is so delicious! Thank you! 💛 It got incredibly dark by the time it was baked through, even with the foil covering. Do you have an idea why that might have happened?
Thank you for all the incredible recipes.
Rachel
yay thank you so much! likely can happen if your rack in the oven is too high!
Cecilia
This is delicious, I had to use all purpose flour. I added 2 cups, didn’t rise much. So need to decrease flour?
Rachel
it’s not going to rise too much !
Jane
What is the breakdown of calories carbs and protein?
Rachel
feel free to input into online calculator
Cindy
Very moist & rich tasting. Used 1 tsp honey & 1 tsp maple syrup. Perfect amount of sweetness. Also add blueberries.
Rachel
thank you!
Bel
I’m not a fan of the chunks of cheese, would it be OK to purée the cottage cheese until it’s smooth before adding to the batter?
Rachel
absolutely !!!
Georgina Trousas
YUM!! I followed the recipe exactly and add in some dark choc chips, and it turned out to be so moist and delicious!! I’ve made other healthy style banana bread, but this is by far the best version as it comes out almost identically to a standard banana bread recipe. The texture, taste and sweetness were perfectly balanced. This will be my go to recipe for a long time. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Rachel
WOHOOOO!!!
Karen
Husband needs to eat low carb. Made him muffins using 3 bananas and no maple syrup. Added walnuts. He loved them!
For my next batch, I will try blueberries. Glad I can make a good tasting baked good that won’t spike his blood sugar.
Debbi Zimmerman
Can you give the nutrition info especially sodium and calories.
Thanks!
Rachel
feel free to input into online recipe calorie counter 🙂
Lorelei
This was delicious. I was curious if the base ingredients could be used to make it with zucchini instead of bananas? I think it with some ingredient tweaks it would also make an amazing zucchini bread.
Rachel
hmmm it may be a bit watery! zucchini and bananas aren’t 1:1 sub but i’ll try to do a zucchini bread with cottage cheese and let you know!
Lisa
Hi can you use oatmeal flour if so do I use say 1 cup and 1/4 cup .thank you .
Rachel
oat flour? yes
Cheryl
I made this exactly how recipe states (adding in blueberries) and the bread came out spongy. Any insights as to what I did wrong? Thank you!
Rachel
it shouldn’t be if recipe was exact ! maybe your cottage cheese was different consistency? we used the whole foods organic one.
Rosemary Wellner
If making in a cupcake pan does anything need to change?
Rachel
the bake time! start with 15 minutes and go from there
Fran Hewitt
It is in the oven. I used pecan flour!
Amanda
This recipe blew my mind! It is so good and can be used to create so many different versions! I added an extra half banana, 1 cup of blueberries, toasted chopped walnuts, and a few dark chocolate chunks as mix-ins. Thanks for a great base recipe!
Rachel
thank you so much! love to hear it
Teresa
Wow! So good! I used oat flour 1:1. Didn’t have any vanilla extract or cinnamon and it still tasted amazing. Can’t imagine how good this is going to taste next time I make it with those additions. This is now going to be a staple bread in my house!!
Rachel
yay thank you!
Kayla Melville
THIS RECIPE IS SO GOOD YALL I baked it for 50 minutes and it turned out super moist (a lil underbaked but it was a good consistency) and it was the perfect sweetness with a rich flavor. I added white chocolate chips too for extra sweetness.
Rachel
AW thank you!!!!
Lauren
Hi! I only had a 1/2c of Almond Flour so I added Coconut Flour to fill in for the rest. It’s in the oven now and looks like it’s not rising at all. Also my consistency once placed in bread loaf was close to cookie dough consistency. Hopefully it works out. Will know soon.
Rachel
it will not work – coconut flour is not 1:1 for almond flour or any flour!
Lorelei Cassidy
What about cottage cheese pumpkin bread for fall?!
Rachel
SSOOOOO into this idea!
Dawn Bullock
I sprinkled a little cinnamon sugar on top. I made four mini loaves to have some to share. These are very good.
Rachel
woohoo!!!
Mackenzie
So delicious, couldn’t be easier, I loved the light fluffy texture and how healthy it is! Eating two slices for breakfast sets me up for a great day! I took a risk and made the entire batter in my blender (figuring, since there’s no gluten, it won’t negatively develop texture) and it was SO worth it! The batter came together in seconds, and it was so so delicious.
Rachel
thank you so much!!!
Carrie Pomerantz
Yum!
Rachel
yay!!
Sherry
Good flavor, but as always when I bake with almond flour it is a very moist gooey bread.
Rachel
it does! add more almond flour as needed
Aubrey
I cooked mine an extra 15 minutes, so a total of 65 and it was still undercooked and too gooey. Maybe because my cottage cheese was 4% fat?
Rachel
hmmm hard to say. maybe? or too much banana. if everything else was exact
Megan
Just made this and it was super easy! Finally sat down to take a bite and it is SOOO moist! It’s delicious!
Rachel
yay!!!
Julia
I have used oatmeal flour and it turned out wonderfully, thank you 🥹
Rachel
love!!!
Ebony
This has become my fav recipe thanks so much for posting it. I can’t eat almond flour so I’ve been using about 1.5 cups buckwheat instead. When it’s a few days old I fry it in butter and eat with some honey for a treat
Rachel
awwww so happy to hear that!!! enjoy!
Alex
Going to make it! It looks so good and the ingredients are wholesome! I have a question: what does the baking soda react with, as there is no acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice?
Rachel
thank you! it doesn’t need one in this recipe. but perhaps the cottage cheese?
Mary Kay
This is my new favorite banana bread recipe! I offered some to my adult son and he was skeptical because some of the “healthy” banana breads I have tried were just lacking. Well, he ate one piece and said “You can make this anytime, Mom!” Thanks for another great recipe, Rachel!
Dawn Sabean
I want to try this, but do you think I could substitute yogurt for the cottage cheese?
Rachel
yes i would think so but it may need more bake time
Rachel
Not sure what happened but I cooked it for 2 hours and it still wasn’t cooked through. I added all the right amount of ingredients.
Rachel
hi rachel! something must’ve been measured wrong or swapped ingredient wise. it should be cooked through if it’s followed exactly. also the type of loaf pan can impact it as well and if you live in an area with higher altitude too
Frankie Lee
189 Calories Protein 7g Total Fat 13g Carbs 13g
per 12 slices
Calories 189
Fat 13g
Saturated Fat 1
Carbohydrates 13g
Sugar 6g
Cholesterol 42mg
Sodium 135mg
This is per Recipecard.com
Regina
Questions: What kind of cottage cheese? low-fat, fat free, full fat?
and why almond flour? Could I use regular flour?
looks great, can’t wait to make it.
Rachel
i usually do full fat or low fat. almond flour is more nutritious, filled with healthy fats and protein and it’s gluten-free. 100% of my recipes are gluten-free since my husband has celiac. but regardless it’s my favorite flour for baking! it’s not a 1:1 sub for regular flour. i hope you try it!!
Debbie Lewis
Hi, how can the liquid ingredients be adjusted if I use banana extract and no bananas? We try to keep carbs and sugar down when we bake. We use erythritol often, too. Thanks.
Rachel
please don’t make the banana bread with no bananas!! that would not turn out good.
Debbie Lewis
We’ve used a recipe from Wholesome Yum for several years now, that comes out great! We were interested in trying this one with cottage cheese for more protein. 🙁
Donna Phillips
Looks great! Any recommendations on a substitute for maple syrup?
Rachel
honey!!
Linda Moore
I was looking for a gf recipe to use some over-ripe bananas. allowScore! My son is a competitive athlete trying to make sure he gets enough protein and loved it too. I let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes before placing in the oven to let the flour soften and it was perfect! Thanks so much.
Rachel
awwww love!!!
Rosemary Mullins
I made this on Friday, but only half the recipe. I’m the only one that eats banana bread, and I only had a quarter cup of cottage cheese and I had some ripe bananas. Also, I did not have any almond flour so I used all purpose flour. I liked the bread even with the AP flour. I think it needed to be a little sweeter, so more syrup or a couple packets of Stevia on my next try. I baked the bread for 30 minutes and then another 10 minutes as it didn’t seem quite done even though a toothpick came out clean. Next time, if I don’t have almond flour by then might try bread flour. Great toasted.
Wendy
YUM! Made as written but added nutmeg and cloves as I like a lot of spice! Hard to beat how easy this was to make and it tastes amazing. Definitely going to make more to stash in the freezer!
Rachel
aw love it hear it!
Lauren
Coconut Flour makes this taste sandy and the bread came out super dense. Plus I used Agave Syrup which was not enough sweetness for me. Will try it again but this time with the exact ingredients
Rachel
please don’t use subs that aren’t recommended! i don’t list coconut flour as a flour for this. same with agave. results will not turn out as they should. coconut flour isn’t a 1:1 sub for any flour
Austin C
Turned out really well. We added 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. I would say it could use some salt though. Probably 1/2 tsp would do it.
Claire
Hi,
This looks great but I don’t know where to find almond flour? Is it the same as ground almonds?
Rachel
amazon!
Noah Taylor
Do you have the nutritional break down of this by chance? I’ve been enjoying it immensely over the last few months but I need the nutrition info to track my food. Thanks.
Rachel
i don’t! but you can definitely add to an online nutritional tracker to see! happy you’re enjoying
Linda
Turned out just like the picture and so delicious and moist !!
Rachel
thanks linda!
Tracy Morgan
Rachel, this cottage cheese banana bread was a big hit with my daughter and her three children, who all eat gluten-free. My daughter LOVED the “clean” ingredients and huge boost of protein. Now my grands can enjoy a sweet treat anytime, because it gives them protein as well.
THANK YOU!!!
Rachel
so sweet!!!!
Janelle
This bread is delicious! I’ve made it twice. First time, exactly to the recipe with adding chocolate chips. The second time, I didn’t have enough almond flour–I used 1.5 cups almond flour and subbed a 1:1 ratio of coconut flour (1 cup). I didn’t remember it to be that doughy the first time so I added 1/3 cup or so of kefir milk. I did have to bake it an additional 10 min but it turned out as good as the first time. I looked it up later and saw that coconut to almond flour ratio is 1:4 so I should have used 1/4 cup. Now I know.
Rachel
thank you for sharing!!
Yolanda
Are changes necessary to make these in muffins rather than loaf?
Rachel
just the bake time! i’d start with 18 minutes and monitor
Anna
Wondering if anyone has used apple instead of banana and has it worked out???
Orit
Really delicious and so easy to make. I didn’t have maple syrup so I used date syrup in its place. Soft, chewy and delicious!
Rachel
LOVE!!
Lisa
Made them into muffins. Left in for 30 min as someone suggested. Substituted 1/3cup coconut sugar instead of maple syrup. They came out awesome!!
Rachel
yay!
Karen Green
This is a keeper recipe. Was looking for a banana bread muffin with cottage cheese for more protein. I made muffins vs bread just for easy sake (grab and go). I was a little short on almond flour so I topped up measure cup with hemp hearts. Added walnuts and choc. chips. I love them.
Rachel
love to hear it!
Cheryl
Glass vs Metal…? I tried this recipe twice both in my glass Pyrex loaf pan and I am convinced that this is why my sank both times?! Have you heard of this happened?!
Rachel
i have not!! maybe it was over mixed??
Kim
Is it better to mix by hand or with beaters?
Rachel
i do my hand!!
Melissa Rauen
Just made the banana bread! It was delicious. Do you think it would work to reduce the cottage cheese and add in pumpkin purée for a pumpkin twist on this recipe? I was just thinking how to incorporate pumpkin, but keep the moisture level the same..
Rachel
feel free to make this recipe 🙂
Sarah
Great banana bread. Very flavorful, good texture and I love its lower carb.
Rachel
yay thank you!!
Kellie
Tink my loaf pan was too tall. Bread is pretty thick and it’s not wanting to get done in middle. Been an hour and 15 min. Any suggestions??
Rachel
sounds like something must have been off with ingredients! also what kind of loaf pan did you use? cover with foil and continue to bake until done.
Kristin
I was skeptical about not blending the cottage cheese in and the small amount of maple syrup but it is really tasty! I have 4 more bananas so I’m going to make another double batch! I didn’t add the cinnamon and add walnuts to one loaf and dark chocolate to another! Very yummy and I love the ingredients!
Rachel
thank you!!
Irina
This is by far my favorite banana bread ever! All that protein is just an added bonus!
Rachel
YAY!!
Rebecca
If it doesn’t say packed, then is it a scoop and level method to measure the almond flour?
Rachel
yes
Cheryl Galipeau
Hi. I was wondering if frozen bananas would work?
Rachel
i haven’t baked with frozen bananas. if you usually do then go for it!
Emily
Did you try it with frozen bananas? Did it work?
baz
Just made this recipe this morning. The kids loved it, as did I. They had no idea it was cottage cheese, they just thought it tasted amazing. Thank you!!
Rachel
yaayy thank you!
Wilma Margaret Taggart
Moist, light, delicious and healthy. Thank you for this recipe.
Wilma, Spain
Laura
I used 1 and a 1/4 cup of all purpose flour instead as well as 3 very ripe bananas and it was absolutely perfect! Super moist ans soooooo delicious!!
Rachel
love to hear it!!
JC
HI Rachel , thanks for the recipe. I tried this with King Arthur’s gluten free flour and turned out great! Great consistency and fluffiness. I used 2.5 ripe bananas and 1.25 cups of flour. Those where to the only two alterations I made to your recipe. I will say that I don’t like sweet but I didn’t think this correctly balanced to my taste. It was a bit bland tasting. Next time I would add a bit more syrup or some chopped up dates to spice things up. Overall Im really happy with this recipe.
Andrea
Lovely recipe! Turned out perfect. Thank you!
Rachel
thank you!!
Barbara
OMG this is amazing! I matched your recipe except for the following: I added 4 T of the zero sugar Keto friendly Lakanto pure maple syrup. I also used 1 cup King Arthur almond flour (it is white and fine grind) and ran out. So I opened my Bob’s Red Mill almond flour (it’s beige like real almonds) and it’s also fine grind but also less calories and 1:1 ratio. I added 1T more of my low fat organic 365 brand cottage cheese. I also added 1 cup chopped walnuts and 1 cup organic fresh blueberries. I used 2 medium (7-7/8″ in length) bananas. THIS WAS AMAZING! After I ate one bite with those blueberries I added 1 T of whipped cream cheese along the top of it. OMG. To die for. Delicious and thank you so much!! The macro breakdown is absolutely incredible and with the chopped walnuts the good fat is high and the bad fat is near non-existent. Again, amazing.
Rachel
thank you barbara!!!
Rick Nicolls
I made this with 3 small bananas and replaced the flour with half all-purpose and half whole wheat. The batter was a bit dry so I added a bit of buttermilk. It is excellent; not sweet, just a hint of maple, and probably healthier than the breads that use oils and a lot of sugar.
Rachel
love to hear it!!
Maranatha Wall
I think I want to add more banana… anything else I should try to adjust?
Rachel
i don’t think it really needs more banana – it has great banana flavor! if anything slice up pieces and fold it in at the end like you would chocolate chips
Alisha
Hello! Flavor of the bread is wonderful but mine came out much too moist – mushy center. Any idea what I did wrong? Thanks in advance!!
Rachel
could be the brand cottage cheese! try covering with foil and baking longer
Teagan
My new fav banana bread recipe. I used 1 and 1/2 cup of all purpose gluten free flour and added some chocolate chips. So yum!
Rachel
love it!!
Sandy
Hi! This tasted great! Every time I make it, though, it sinks quite a bit in the middle. Any ideas on why that’s happening?
Rachel
hmm could be from over mixing the batter, underbaking it or if your batter is too wet. if it looks too wet and it needs more flour definitely add a little bit!
Jen
What is the weight of the 1 slice serving? How many servings? Thank you! I commented previously but I am trying to count calories. Thank you!
Rachel
thank you! i personally do not know that. i don’t own a food scale.
Franca Schulte
I was super excited about this recipe however once I added the flour, there was no ‘pouring’ into the pan it was very dry and clumpy and more of a dump into the pan. I double checked all measurements, can’t figure out why? I used coconut flour instead of almond, would that have made the difference?
Rachel
yes coconut flour is NOT a 1:1 sub for any flour. it is a beast of a flour and absorbed 2x the amount of “wet” ingredients as other flours. definitely don’t sub things in recipes unless listed to help avoid issues.
Roshni
Came out so perfect. I added chocolate chips too. Was super moist and was sweet enough.
Rachel
thank you!!!