Chocolate Protein Banana Bread

My Grandad makes the best banana cake. EVER! I have the recipe but somehow whenever I make it, even as an ex-pastry chef, it never turns out the way his did. After each of my failed attempts I’ve asked that we make it together so I can see if he’s doing something different - adding a sneaky extra ingredient maybe - but as far as I’m concerned there is no magic, no secret twist or technique. Grandad does it no different to the way I do.

Perhaps banana bread is my failing and I’ll never get it right? Maybe it's my oven? Or that my bananas are fairtrade and his aren't?! Or perhaps it’s simply the fact that Grandad’s banana bread is made by Grandad and eaten in the same kitchen, at the same table with the decades old tablecloth that forms the basis of so many fond memories? Yes, not taking away from Grandad’s banana bread baking skills of course, but I think it has more to do with the memories of times past that cinches it, makes his taste so good and thus makes his the best banana bread. Ever.

Despite all this nostalgia and speak of cake - because traditional banana bread is cake, don’t kid yourself – I give to you today a recipe for my revamped, truthfully healthy chocolate protein banana bread.

This was created 1) out of desperation to use up some soon to be out of date protein powder and 2) to stock my freezer with healthy ‘treats’ so that in moments of weakness I have somewhere to turn. Traditional recipes, like Grandad's, call for butter or oil, sugar and refined flour, none of which lead to a healthy end result. Whilst these are okay to enjoy in moderation I like tweak and adapt traditional recipes so we can enjoy them more often without guilt and in fact gain nutrients from them. My banana bread recipe uses oats, quality protein powder, 'superfood' raw cacao powder and the natural sweetness of ripe bananas to elevate its nutritional status. I have been munching on this as a post-workout snack for the past week and love it! It’s delicious, moist and naturally sweet without a hint of guilt!

Chocolate Protein Banana Bread

Serves 10

40g chocolate protein powder

2 free-range, organic eggs

50g raw cacao powder

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp bicarbonate soda

175ml unsweetened almond milk

3 ripe bananas

100g natural Greek yogurt

140g oats

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
2. Whizz the oats in a blender until fine then add all remaining ingredients and blitz for a minute or so until smooth.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50-60mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.
4. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and freezing with a sheet of parchment between each slice for easy grabbing when you need.

* I like to eat mine toasted and topped with peanut butter!