Do you ever make a total mistake and it turns out to be incredible? Is that the best feeling, or what?! This recipe was one of those moments for me. Truthfully, I was actually planning to make my Easy Paleo Banana Bread and reached for the vanilla extract, but realized it was almond extract after already pouring it into the bananas and coconut oil. Zoot! I thought, “Gee that’s going to taste funny with cinnamon, let’s make it chocolatey!” And why not replace some of the original recipe’s pancake mix with protein powder to balance out the macros?! After a lot of distorting the original recipe I came up with this Chocolate Almond Protein Bread and wowzers did it turn out well.
Complete confession, all of this happened at 11:30pm when I totally should have been sleeping rather than making paleo banana bread. Maybe that’s why my hazy mind didn’t actually look at the almond extract bottle before dumping it in… ha… well it turned out well. Case in point… everything happens for a reason 😉 Maybe I should do more late-night baking…
Gluten-free, protein-packed, cakey and so darn delicious. The perfect balance of chocolate and almond flavor!
- 3 overripe, mashed bananas
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 cup Birch Benders Paleo Pancake mix
- 1/2 cup chocolate protein powder
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp almond extract
- Optional: cocoa nibs or slivered almonds
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the mashed bananas, coconut oil, cocoa powder and almond extract in a bowl.
Add the pancake mix and protein powder - thoroughly combine into a thick batter.
Pour and evenly spread the batter in a greased loaf pan.
Sprinkle with cocoa nibs or slivered almonds for added crunch and aesthetic appeal to wow your family members, significant other and/or friends on Instagram (optional).
Bake for 30-35 minutes (check with a toothpick or knife to make sure it comes out clean).
Let cool and enjoy!!
Here is a link to the Birch Benders Paleo Pancake Mix that I used in this recipe. It is basically BAE. I use this stuff for pancakes, muffins, breads… it’s the best. Get yo-self a big bag at Costco 😉
I used Ascent Chocolate Whey Protein for this recipe – this has been an absolute go-to in my baking and supplement regimen recently. It is a combination of whey isolate and concentrate, with great macros and a clean ingredient list, PLUS a great taste!
To make this recipe paleo, substitute a plant-based or collagen protein for the whey.
