Cream Cheese Cinnamon Protein Loaf (Printable)

Moist banana-based loaf enriched with protein powder and Greek yogurt, featuring a creamy cinnamon swirl for a nutritious twist.

# What you need:

→ Loaf Base

01 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
04 - 1/4 cup milk of choice
05 - 1/4 cup light olive oil or melted coconut oil
06 - 1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
09 - 1/2 cup vanilla or unflavored whey protein powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
11 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
13 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Cream Cheese Swirl

14 - 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
15 - 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
16 - 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
17 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
18 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease the interior.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, Greek yogurt, milk, oil, sugar, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
04 - Gently fold dry ingredient mixture into wet ingredients until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain a tender crumb structure.
05 - In a small bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth.
06 - Pour half of the loaf batter into the prepared pan. Dollop half of the cream cheese mixture over the batter and gently swirl with a knife. Repeat with remaining loaf batter and swirl the remaining cream cheese mixture on top.
07 - Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Small amounts of cream cheese on the toothpick are acceptable.
08 - Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like a treat but actually delivers 9 grams of protein per slice, so you can eat it for breakfast without feeling weird about it.
  • The swirl bakes into these beautiful pockets of creamy richness that make every bite feel special.
  • One loaf lasts nearly a week in the fridge, which means you can have a grab-and-go snack ready whenever you need it.
02 -
  • Do not overmix once you've combined the wet and dry ingredients, or your loaf will bake up dense and heavy instead of having that light, tender crumb.
  • The cream cheese needs to be soft before mixing, otherwise you'll spend 10 minutes trying to beat out lumps and questioning your choices.
03 -
  • Use a serrated knife for slicing once it's completely cooled—it gives you clean pieces instead of crumbly ones.
  • If your cream cheese swirl sinks during baking, it usually means your batter was too warm when you folded it together, so let your ingredients come to room temperature first next time.
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