high protein banana bread (no protein powder)

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1/3 cups unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cups almond flour
• 1/3 cups ground flaxseed
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 medium-large very ripe bananas
• 1 2/3 cups cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cups pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• orange zest
• 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cups turbinado sugar
• 1/4 tsp cardamom

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 8.5" x 4.5" light-colored metal loaf pan with parchment paper or butter and lightly dust with flour to prevent sticking.
2. Make the brown butter: add the unsalted butter to a light-colored skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the foam subsides and small golden-brown specks appear on the bottom, pour immediately into the mixing bowl.
3. While the brown butter cooks, mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. It's ok if the butter is hot.
4. Add the cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla bean paste, and orange zest. Optional to use a handheld blender to lightly blend the cottage cheese to get rid of the curds, but be aware if it's over blended, it will liquefy and turn the bread dense and flat because the ratios have changed.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, ground flaxseed, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and ground ginger.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold gently until just combined. The batter will be thick. A few small streaks of flour are fine — stop mixing before the batter looks uniform. Then fold in the dark chocolate chips.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If using the turbinado topping, mix the turbinado sugar and cardamom together and sprinkle evenly over the batter. If skipping the topping, have foil nearby to tent the loaf toward the end.
8. Bake on the middle or lower rack for 65-70 minutes. Starting around 45 minutes, if the top is browning quickly, tent loosely with foil. The bread is done when the center springs back when gently pressed. If a toothpick comes out with wet batter (not just a melted chocolate streak), give it 5 more minutes.
9. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing. The interior continues to set as it cools.