Lots of people who want to start a plant-based diet have the question of how to get vegan protein. To become a vegan is to eat no animal products of any kind. So that means no meat, poultry, or fish; and also no dairy or egg products. But you don’t have to worry because there are lots of great protein options out there.
Vegan Protein for Plant-Based Eaters
The fact is, plenty of non-meat foods have plenty of protein. Think broccoli, nuts, lentils, quinoa, sprouted grains, tofu and other soy products… the list goes on. Additionally, if you’re the kind of person who likes protein shakes or protein powders, you can use a plant-based protein powder like Vega. That will give you an added boost of veggies, fiber, antioxidants, probiotics, and more.
We had a chance to learn about Vega while at BlogHer from vegan chef Leslie Durso. Leslie taught us how to make some amazing vegan pancakes using Vega protein shake powder to give the pancakes a protein boost. Here’s a general rule of thumb: To bake with Vega protein powder, add a scoop of Vega and remove the equivalent amount of flour.
So, in search of a good vegan banana bread, we took her advice. We adapted a recipe from The Simple Veganista by pumping it up with plant-based protein powder. The result? It was a big hit with everyone. (And, for the record, no one missed the eggs or butter.)
Vegan Protein Banana Bread Recipe
Vegan Protein Banana Bread
A tasty vegan banana bread with vegan protein added for nutritional value.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 scoop Vega Vanilla Protein Shake Powder (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, combine the
flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar.
Stir until evenly mixed and any lumps of protein powder are smoothed away. -
In a larger bowl, mash the bananas. Add the coconut oil and vanilla and mix until evenly combined. Slowly add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, stirring until just evenly mixed (do not over-stir).
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Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean when inserted.
Honestly, the taste was no different from a regular baked good… and we’ve added protein, greens, vitamins, fiber, and Omega 3s. What’s not to like?
From now on, we’re keeping our Vega vegan protein on hand next to our baking supplies just so we can keep boosting our baked goods. We’ll let you know if we find any other great combinations!
More Vegan Baking
If you love vegan baking, we’ve got lots more ideas for you! Check out these favorite yummy vegan treats:
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Fig Cake (Gluten Free and Vegan)
Chamomile Muffins (Gluten Free and Vegan)
Vegan Chocolate and Cherry Mousse Tart
Blood Tests for Vegans or Those Considering a Plant-Based Diet
And one more thing: If you’re currently sticking with a plant-based diet – or you want to know if it’s the right thing for you – there are blood tests to help you find out if you’re on the right track. Check out our link to these blood tests for vegans or people considering a vegan diet, and get a 25% discount on the test.
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Vegan Protein Banana Bread
Blogger disclosure: Vega treated me to breakfast at BlogHer16 and gave me a complimentary container of vegan protein powder. However, I did not receive compensation for this post, and all opinions expressed are my own. This post contains links to my Amazon affiliates account.
Hi! I'm Jeanne Fratello - a writer, reporter, and food enthusiast who is on a mission to write great stories about food and where your food comes from.
Can I make this with vanilla whey protein powder?
Hi Amanda: Yes, that should be fine! : )
Hey, I’m trying your recipe. Could I replace the flour with same amount of oat flour and increase baking powder and baking soda?
Hi Rossanna: That sounds like it might work but I haven’t worked with oat flour much. Could you let me know how it turns out? Thanks! Jeanne
Great recipe. Made this with some modifications with what I had on-hand. I used whole wheat flour and substituted 1/3 c of it with quick cooking oats for some hearty texture and more nutrients. I used only 1/4 maple syrup instead of sugar and used Vega vanilla protein and greens powder as that’s what I use in my smoothies. I squeezed the bananas with my hand and left chunky so there are moist banana pieces in the bread. Super delicious.
Thank you Liz!
What substitutes are there instead of coconut oil?
Hi Chloe: I believe grapeseed oil and olive oil should be good equivalents, but I haven’t tried them in this recipe. If you do, please let me know! Thanks!
Do you know the macros for this?
Thank you for the question – I just calculated it: Nutrition Facts
10 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 201.0
Total Fat 7.9 g
Saturated Fat 6.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.5 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 241.6 mg
Potassium 219.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 30.3 g
Dietary Fiber 2.1 g
Sugars 12.6 g
Protein 4.1 g
Vitamin A 0.8 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 14.0 %
Vitamin C 7.2 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 0.8 %
Calcium 6.0 %
Copper 3.6 %
Folate 9.4 %
Iron 5.6 %
Magnesium 4.4 %
Manganese 9.5 %
Niacin 5.9 %
Pantothenic Acid 1.9 %
Phosphorus 4.7 %
Riboflavin 7.4 %
Selenium 8.3 %
Thiamin 9.6 %
Zinc 1.3 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Hello Jeanne
I’m new to vegan as my teenager made this decision. I tried your vegan banana bread recipe and like in smoothies, the protein powder is prominent . Like in a smoothies the powder taste doesn’t go away. In smoothies I try to leave the powder in almond milk overnight and still you can taste the powder. I thought by baking it in this recipe that would not be the case.
I used VegEssential All in One, by Progressive. I’ve used Vega in smoothies in the past and found the same thing.
Any suggestions
Hi Anna: Thank you so much for stopping by and trying the recipe! I’ve only tried it with Vega so I can’t speak to other brands, but if you’re getting a prominent “protein powder” taste maybe first try switching brands? Also, I would try mixing the flour and powder together overnight and letting them stand together before you put them in the bread. Just a thought… I will look into this further! Thanks again for stopping by! Jeanne
I have to say this is probably one of the best banana breads I’ve ever made! This is largely due to the fact that I’m completely in love with my vegan Biotech vanilla protein powder since the taste is indeed very prominent (which makes it an awesome vanilla flavored banana bread). I found that I had to add quite a lot of liquid since my batter consistency was nowhere near that of the banana breads I usually make, but after that it turned out absolutely perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m SO happy to hear this! Thanks so much for letting me know! Glad you enjoy it!
Hi, Jeanne ~ I have not made this yet but am going to this afternoon. However, you mention that …”we’ve added greens…” I see no greens in the recipe. Was something left out, or am I missing something? Thanks!
Hi Kathie: Thanks for stopping by! The “greens” I was referring to are part of the list of ingredients in the vegan protein powder. So I was saying by using the protein powder , you’ve added those things. Hope that helps! -Jeanne
Gotcha! That makes sense Well, I did make it…just took it out of the oven. It’s quite yummy! Nice and moist and lots of flavor. I used Orgain Chocolate Protein Powder!! A touch of chocolate was quite a nice addition. Thanks for the quick response and the great recipe, Jeanne! (Jeanne is my middle name) ☺️
Great – So happy to hear it! Thanks for letting me know! (And great middle name too) ; )
Hey, can you please tell how much grams is 11/4 cups of flour? Thank you.
Hi – thanks for stopping by! 150 grams. : )