Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Protein Loaf (Printable Version)

Moist protein-rich loaf with cinnamon cream cheese swirl, perfect for breakfast or snacks.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Loaf

01 - 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
04 - 1/2 cup milk of choice
05 - 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 cup vanilla or unflavored protein powder
09 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl

13 - 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 - 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
15 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
17 - 1 egg yolk
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, Greek yogurt, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
04 - Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - In another bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, sugar, cinnamon, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
06 - Pour half of the loaf batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly across the bottom.
07 - Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture over the batter and gently swirl with a knife to create marbling effect.
08 - Add the remaining loaf batter on top, then spoon and swirl the remaining cream cheese mixture across the surface.
09 - Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs remaining but no raw batter.
10 - Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like dessert but keeps you full for hours thanks to Greek yogurt and protein powder baked right in.
  • The cream cheese swirl makes every slice look bakery perfect without any fancy skills required.
  • You can slice it, freeze it, and grab a piece straight from the freezer for breakfast on chaotic mornings.
02 -
  • Softening the cream cheese completely is non negotiable, cold cream cheese will not swirl and you'll end up with clumps instead of ribbons.
  • Don't skip the parchment paper overhang, it's the easiest way to lift the loaf out without cracking or crumbling the edges.
  • Overmixing the batter creates a tough, dense loaf, so stir only until you stop seeing dry flour streaks.
03 -
  • Use bananas with lots of brown spots, they mash easier and add natural sweetness so you can use less syrup.
  • Swirl the cream cheese mixture gently, over swirling blends it completely into the batter and you lose the pretty marbled effect.
  • Let the loaf cool completely before slicing, warm loaf is fragile and will tear instead of cutting cleanly.
Go Back