Preheat your oven to 350°F. While it heats, line a loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it with oil or butter. This prevents sticking and makes removal easier once the bread has cooled.

Peel and break the bananas into chunks, then add them to a large mixing bowl along with the eggs, cottage cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Blend or mix vigorously with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth—there should be no lumps of banana or cottage cheese remaining. This ensures even texture throughout your bread and helps the cottage cheese incorporate fully.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently fold this dry mixture into the wet ingredient base from Step 2 using a spatula until just combined—don't overmix, as this can make the bread dense. Fold in the chopped walnuts last. I prefer to add the walnuts at the end so they stay chunky and add nice texture throughout the bread rather than breaking down into the batter.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top gently with a spatula. Bake for 50 minutes, checking at the 30-minute mark. If the top is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil to prevent burning while the interior continues to cook through. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes—this allows the crumb structure to set. Then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. I like to wait until it's fully cooled because slicing warm banana bread can cause it to crumble, and you'll get cleaner slices this way.