If turning protein pancake mix into chocolate cake is wrong, I don’t want to be right! Kodiak Cake mix is my secret weapon (well, not so secret anymore) shortcut to taking care of overripe bananas and breakfast for the week, all in one go. Just like you can make cookies or brownies out of cake mix, playing with the ratio of wet to dry ingredients in pancake/waffle mix works just as well.
I first found a variation of this recipe on a Facebook post by Kodiak Cakes, and I kept losing the screenshot I took on my phone. After being severely disappointed by Kodiak Cakes’ microwaveable muffins, I thought I’d give a semi-homemade version a shot. I use the Kodiak Cakes whole grain buttermilk powercakes – each serving has 14g of protein, so I don’t feel as bad about eating cake for breakfast 🙂
Like most muffins I make frequently, these freeze and re-heat well in the microwave. I usually freeze half the batch, so a semi-healthy chocolate fix is always 30 seconds away! If I’m not in a rush when making these, the even lazier path is to pour into a 9×5 loaf pan and bake for longer (until a toothpick comes out clean), for thicker slices of “chocolate banana bread.”
If you can’t find Kodiak Cake mix in your grocery store (I get them at Giant), you can order them from Amazon. They are definitely more expensive than your average pancake mix, but I’d take protein-packed chocolate muffins over a protein shake any day!
- 2 large ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 whole egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup Kodiak Cakes power cakes mix
- 1/2 cup protein powder
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Mash bananas with a fork, then stir in the applesauce, honey, and coconut oil.
- Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Add remaining ingredients, using a spatula to wipe down sides of bowl until dry ingredients are no longer visible.
- Line 12-cup muffin tin with liners or spray with cooking spray; divide batter evenly and top with chocolate chips.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you're short on time, grease and pour into an 8x8 pan and adjust baking time as needed. Cut into squares to serve.
Great idea, I always have overripe bananas at home!
I got confused for a sec because it says “Christina says…” haha – but yes I have some right now I’m about to go make these with! Let me know if you try them 🙂
What kind of protein powder do you use in this recioe? Is it plain whey powder, or the stuff you might use for a morning protein shake? Thanks!!
I use the same plain Vital Proteins powder I use in my smoothies, but you could probably use anything! It doesn’t really affect the taste or texture from what I’ve used 🙂 Good luck!
I am SO excited to try these! My 13YO loves banana bread and this looks like a great alternative to the traditional recipe. 🙂
I don’t have protein powder, should I just add more mix?
I would veer toward just leaving the protein powder out instead of replacing it with more mix – never tried it, but as long as the consistency is similar it’s probably fine! The pancake mix is pretty forgiving. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
How much chocolate chips? It just says 1/2
Great catch! I’ve updated the recipe to reflect – it’s 1/2 Cup 🙂 Enjoy!
I’m not sure all that oil is necessary, they came out a bit greasy and heavy. I’ll reduce next time. The only change I made was using Kodiak cakes dark chocolate mix, and leaving out the cocoa powder.
Made these for the first time today. The kodiak brand (my Costco carries it) has whey powder in it which is why it has 14g of protein per 1/2 cup serving. Some questions above didn’t seem to realize that.