A no-fuss, slow cooker banana bread that will have you using up all the bananas on your countertop! This high-protein banana bread is a soft, delicious, moist dessert swirled with gooey chocolate chips. And because it’s cooked in the slow cooker, it makes the easiest addition to the table during the Holidays!
Use up the extra bananas on your countertop and spend LESS time in the kitchen with this high-protein banana bread! This gluten-free banana bread comes out moist, soft, and filling thanks to the collagen powder in it.
But the best part is that you can pop it into the slow cooker, go enjoy your family time, and have it ready when you need it!
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I love that this recipe is less mess and no fuss. It's is perfect for things like Christmas morning or other Holidays in which you don’t have the oven space for one more thing. Though if you want a craving busted quickly. this single serve banana bread is great too.
Learn more about slow cookers and choosing the best one for your family (and how to use it!).
You'll Love It Because...
Allergy-friendly: The banana bread is dairy-free and gluten-free.
Easy to make: Mix it up, pour it into the slow cooker, and let it do its thing.
Kid-approved: The slow cooker banana bread is sweet but not too sweet making it great for kids.
Versatile: Thanks to the high-protein content it's great for breakfast, dessert, or a mid-afternoon snack.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Though it seems like a big list, the protein banana bread is actually mixed up pretty quickly- don’t be intimidated!
1:1 Gluten-free baking flour: every gluten-free flour is slightly unique. make sure to use baking flour and not all-purpose.
Ripe bananas: the riper bananas the sweeter the bread so use up all the old ones on the counter! If you have extra, these healthy banana cookies are great too!
Collagen powder: one of the cleanest sources of protein and great for your gut, hair, skin, and nails! Learn more about the benefits of a high protein diet and why you want to amp it up!
Almond flour: make sure to use almond flour and not almond meal for this slow cooker banana bread recipe. It will make it have a smoother, less gritty, texture. Learn the difference between almond flour and almond meal.
Eggs: this helps hold it all together.
Baking soda: it’s a delicate blend of rising and getting air into the banana bread so don’t overlook the ratios.
Baking powder: without this powder, your slow cooker banana bread will be ultra-dense and way too thick.
Apple cider vinegar: this helps balance out the baking soda and acidity levels in the recipe so don’t skip it.
Cinnamon: no protein banana bread would be complete without a dash of cinnamon!
Mini chocolate chips: make sure to use dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate chips as needed. Opt for the mini ones so that you get some gooey chocolate in each bite.
Cane sugar: though the bananas are sweet you do want a bit extra in this recipe.
Non-dairy milk: any dairy-free milk should work. We use homemade hemp milk the most.
How To Make It
- In a large bowl mash the bananas until few clumps remain. Stir in the eggs, apple cider vinegar, and milk.
- One by one add in the remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips) and mix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and mix again.
- Line a 7-quart slow cooker with parchment paper and pour the mixture in.
- Cover the slow cooker with a tea towel and then the lid.
- Cook on low for 3 hours and remove immediately.
Important Teaching Tips
Banana bread in the slow cooker can be finicky. First off, make sure to line your slow cooker with parchment paper. Not only does this make it easier to remove the high-protein banana bread but it also makes it so you don’t need to scrape a slow cooker!
Place a thick tea towel over the slow cooker before putting the lid on. This helps absorb the moisture from cooking healthy banana bread. If you don’t do this, you end up with soggy banana bread.
Do not “lock” the lid into place, just place it on top of the tea towel.
Don’t overmix your banana bread! Mix until combined and then leave it.
Ideally, remove the high-protein banana bread from the slow cooker for three hours and let it cool. If you let it hang out in the slow cooker on “warm” the outsides tend to get a bit crispy and the texture changes.
This recipe was made in a 7-quart slow cooker and set to “low”. If your slow cooker is smaller, cooking times may be different.
Choosing Collagen Powder
It’s no surprise that this slow cooker banana bread is made with collagen powder!
All the protein without the bloat.
I use collagen powder for amping up protein and boosting gut health. Learn about the difference between collagen and bone broth and how to increase protein intake with it.
Honestly, as a busy mom collagen powder just makes it easy to eat more protein and not feel like I’m living off chicken and eggs.
Plus, in recipes like this, you can sneak protein into your kids as it’s one of the purest sources.
I grab my collagen from Perfect Supplements because they source their collagen from pasture-raised (grass-fed) cows. So, I trust it. Grab some collagen powder and use code mamabear10 to save some money.
Fast, crave-worthy snacks that hit your protein goals (without tracking or extra cooking time).
Frequently Asked Questions About Slow Cooker Banana Bread
Unfortunately no. protein powder (especially vegan protein powder) absorbs a lot of liquid. Replacing the collagen with protein will leave you with a big mess.
If it fits, you can use a loaf tin in the slow cooker. However, it may alter cooking times and hasn’t been tried with this banana bread recipe.
No. cooking the protein banana bread on high will cause the outside of the bread to burn and the inside of the bread not to cook through.
This slow cooker banana bread is best stored in the fridge. When you want to consume it, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up. It’s especially delicious topped with some butter or peanut butter!
Because gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid, regular wheat flour can't be used for this protein banana bread recipe.
Other Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
- Slow cooker egg casserole
- Slow cooker Tuscan chicken
- Slow cooker chicken teriyaki
- Slow cooker chicken pot pie
- Slow cooker chicken alfredo
- Slow cooker porridge
Other High Protein Recipes You’ll love
- 33 Vegan protein powder recipes
- Protein zucchini bread
- Peanut butter protein cups
- Collagen protein donuts
- Double chocolate baked protein oats
- Flourless protein brownies
- Overnight cookie dough protein oats
- Cookies and cream protein shake
- Peanut butter and jam protein balls
- Chocolate chip protein powder muffins
- High protein pancakes
- Yogurt protein pancakes
- Chocolate protein fluff
- Easy, no-bake vanilla protein bar
- High protein snack recipes
Slow Cooker Protein Banana Bread (Dairy & Gluten-Free)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups 1:1 Gluten-free baking flour
- ½ cup Collagen powder
- ⅓ cup Almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar
- 3 Bananas
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ⅓ cup Cane sugar
- 1 cup Almond milk
- ⅓ cup Mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl mash the bananas until few clumps remain. Stir in the eggs, apple cider vinegar, and milk.
- One by one add in the remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips) and mix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and mix again.
- Line a 7-quart slow cooker with parchment paper and pour the mixture in.
- Cover the slow cooker with a thick tea towel and then the lid.
- Cook on low for 3 hours and remove immediately.
Notes
- Banana bread in the slow cooker can be finicky. First off, make sure to line your slow cooker with parchment paper. Not only does this make it easier to remove the high-protein banana bread but it also makes it so you don’t need to scrape a slow cooker!
- Place a thick tea towel over the slow cooker before putting the lid on. This helps absorb the moisture from cooking the banana bread. If you don’t do this, you end up with soggy banana bread.
- Do not “lock” the lid into place, just place it on top of the tea towel.
- Don’t overmix your banana bread! Mix until combined and then leave it.
- Ideally, remove the high-protein banana bread from the slow cooker at three hours and let it cool. If you let it hang out in the slow cooker on “warm” the outsides tend to get a bit crispy and the texture changes.
- You cannot sub in whey protein powder for collagen in this recipe (especially not vegan protein powder). However, if you don't have almond flour you can skip it and just cut the dairy-free milk in half. Keep an eye though as cooking times may vary.
- This protein banana bread recipe was made in a 7-quart slow cooker and set to “low”. If your slow cooker is smaller, cooking times may be different.
- Makes roughly 8 squares.
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Any says
I am impressed with the idea of using a slow cooker! I am going to try this soon!!
fitasamamabear says
It intrigued me as well. Then I messed it up about 6 times and we ate too much banana bread haha but we love the final version!
Katie Jacques says
This slow cooker banana bread is the perfect easy weeknight dinner!
Jess Selensky says
So delicious and moist
fitasamamabear says
Glad you enjoyed it!
tianna says
love the addition of protein in this recipe.
fitasamamabear says
Nice way to boost intake a bit!
Judith says
I didn’t realise you could bake loaves in a slow cooker. This looks great!
fitasamamabear says
Me neither until I tried and now we're obsessed.
Ksenia says
I made this with my last black bananas, and it was perfect! Felt so virtuous and yummy.
fitasamamabear says
Haha the hardcore black bananas are the best ones!
GRETA says
I tried your banana bread today in a slow cooker and never thought that actually can be good. But it's super good and delicious like all your recipes.
fitasamamabear says
Thank you so much! I'm glad it worked out for you!
Sonia says
I never thought of using my slow cooker for baking, but this recipe changed everything! I made this, and it was sooooo good! It is so easy, and delicious! thanks for sharing!
fitasamamabear says
It's definitely a nice swap to have when your ovens are in use!
Brooke says
Never in a million years would I have ever dreamed of making bread of any kind in my Crock Pot! This, like all of your other recipes was easy, delicious and healthy! Sincerely, your biggest fan!
fitasamamabear says
You are the BEST! The darn banana bread took like 8 tries to get it right. We were all so sick of banana bread haha but now we're also obsessed!
Mandy Applegate says
I'd never thought of cooking banana bread in the slow cooker, let alone high-protein banana bread - what a discovery - thank you!
fitasamamabear says
Haha right?! But now that I've done it, I'm obsessed lol