Cream Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Protein Loaf (Printable Version)

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

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Loaf

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

→ For the 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

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with cooking spray.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, Greek yogurt, milk, oil, sugar, and vanilla until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
04 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - In a small bowl, beat together 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 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. A small amount of cream cheese on the toothpick is acceptable.
08 - Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It sneaks nine grams of protein into something that tastes like dessert, so you can enjoy it guilt-free.
  • The cream cheese swirl is the kind of detail that makes people think you spent way more time than you actually did.
  • One loaf gives you ten slices, making it perfect for meal prep or gifting to someone who deserves nice things.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy—fold gently until you just don't see flour streaks anymore, because developing the gluten too much will give you a dense, tough loaf instead of the tender crumb you want.
  • The cream cheese must be softened to room temperature, otherwise you'll end up with lumps that refuse to blend smoothly into the swirl.
03 -
  • Invest in a proper digital oven thermometer because most loaves fail due to temperature miscalibration, not ingredients or technique.
  • The parchment paper hanging over the edges of the pan is a game-changer—it gives you something to grip when lifting the cooled loaf out cleanly.
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