Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Bites (No-Bake, High Protein!)
Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Bites
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups oat flour
- 2 scoop whey protein vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup sugar granulated
- 1 banana small, 6″ to 6-7/8″ long
- 2 tbsps maple syrup
- 4 tbsps almond butter
- ¼ cup almond milk unsweetened
- 3 oz dark chocolate chips 60-69% cacao, mini chips
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine the oat flour, vanilla whey protein powder, cinnamon, sea salt, and granulated sugar. Stir until evenly mixed.
- Peel and mash the banana in a separate small bowl until smooth with very few lumps remaining. Add the mashed banana to the dry mixture and stir to combine.
- In a small bowl stir together the almond butter and maple syrup until smooth. Pour the almond butter mixture into the flour and banana mixture and stir well until fully incorporated.
- Slowly add the unsweetened almond milk a little at a time, stirring between additions, until the batter comes together and is thick enough to roll. You may not need the full amount. The mixture should hold its shape when pressed between your fingers without being sticky or crumbly.
- Fold in the dark chocolate mini chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, divide the mixture into 30 equal portions and roll each one between your palms into a smooth ball. Place on a parchment lined plate or baking sheet.
- Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set before eating. They will firm up nicely as they chill.
Nutrition
BANANA BREAD!
BANANA BREAD IS EVERYTHING!
And these bites give you that same familiar banana bread flavor in a form you can prep in 40 minutes, portion into 30 pieces, and have ready in the fridge for the entire week… Ready to just pop it right into your mouth!
They are no-bake, naturally sweetened, and have vanilla whey protein built right into the base so they are actually doing something for you nutritionally.
At 73 calories each they are the kind of snack you can grab one or two of without doing any mental math about whether it fits your day… Because I know my brain ain’t math in math as I’m moving through the day lately.
The dark chocolate chips are not an afterthought here either. The combination of banana, cinnamon, and dark chocolate is exactly what makes these taste like something you would pull out of the oven rather than roll into balls and stick in the fridge.
What Makes These Work
The oat flour gives these the same hearty base you would get from a baked banana bread without any actual baking. Combined with the whey protein it creates a filling, satisfying bite that holds together well and does not fall apart when you pick one up.
The almond butter and maple syrup get mixed together separately before going into the batter, which helps them incorporate more evenly and keeps the mixture from getting clumpy. It is a small step that makes a real difference in the final texture.
A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Start
Use a very ripe banana for the best flavor and sweetness. A banana that is still mostly yellow will not mash as smoothly and the banana flavor will be much more subtle. Spotted and soft is what you are looking for.
Add the almond milk slowly and stop when the batter is thick enough to roll. Depending on how ripe your banana is and how your protein powder absorbs liquid, you may not need the full quarter cup. If the mixture gets too wet to roll, add a small amount of extra oat flour and stir it in until it comes back together.
Give them the full 20 minutes in the fridge before eating. They are soft right after rolling and the chill time is what firms them up into that satisfying dense texture.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. They are also freezer friendly… roll them, freeze solid on a parchment lined sheet, then transfer to a bag or container and store for up to two months.
