A garden-fresh twist on banana bread.
There are two secret ingredients that make quick bread EXTRA moist: banana and zucchini.
Recently, I decided to try to combine both of these superpowers into one loaf.
The result?! The most tender and fluffy Zucchini Banana Bread you’ve ever tasted!
It has all of the spice and nutty flavors of a typical banana nut bread but with even MORE moisture, added nutrition, and a tender bite thanks to the shredded zucchini.
And much like with these Zucchini Brownies, there’s no need to spend the extra time to wring out the liquid from the zucchini squash before baking. Nope! Simply shred it, mix it up, and let that excess moisture make the best baked bread!
This loaf is a delicious way to enjoy breakfast or even an afternoon snack! It might just become one of your favorite breads.
(One word of caution: you DO want to make sure to FULLY cook this bread. If underdone, the middle of the loaf will not be fully cooked. You can always pop on a piece of aluminum foil towards the end if the top is starting to brown too soon.)
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Zucchini. Shredded fresh zucchini adds so much moisture to this bread. You don’t even need to wring it out; in fact, you want that excess liquid.
- Banana. You’ll need a cup of mashed overripe bananas, which is about 2 medium to large-sized ones. Look for ones that are turning brown as they’re easier to mash and much sweeter.
- Flour. Both all-purpose flour and a gluten-free 1-to-1 blend work interchangeably. Whole wheat flour is grainy and absorbs moisture differently, so it’s not recommended.
- Butter. Be sure to use salted butter; you need a full stick melted. Coconut oil can be subbed, as well.
- Eggs. Two large eggs are needed. They’re best at room temperature, so get them out of the fridge a little early.
- Sugar. If you’re not on a specific diet, white sugar can be used. If needed, sub in coconut sugar.
- Pecans. Toasted pecans add the best flavor and texture.
- Seasonings. A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt are used to add that warm, earthy flavor. You’ll also need BOTH baking powder and baking soda.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Prep the zucchini and banana.
Shred the zucchini using a box grater or food processor—there’s no need to squeeze out the excess moisture. Mash the ripe bananas in a bowl with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth.
Make the base.
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt with a whisk. Be sure there are no lumps left.
Combine the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl with the mashed bananas. Stir well.
Combine the ingredients.
Pour the butter and banana mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir just until everything is combined.
Fold the grated zucchini and pecans into the bread dough. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the zucchini can release some moisture. Give it another stir.
Pro Tip: As with all quick breads, you want to be careful not to overwork the batter or the bread might end up too dense.
Bake in the oven.
Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Pour in the batter and bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.
Pro Tip: If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent it with foil. Be sure the center is fully baked—removing the loaf too early can result in a gummy middle.
FAQs
If you only have one or prefer one over the other, you can substitute zucchini for banana, or vice versa. However, zucchini has more moisture than banana, so you will need to adjust the amount of liquid added, or increase the amount of flour.
While you don’t need to refrigerate this easy zucchini banana bread, it will last longer if you do. It will keep for a few days at room temperature, and even longer in the fridge.
You can definitely freeze zucchini banana bread! It freezes remarkably well when tightly wrapped and kept up to 3 months in the freezer.
More Quick Bread Recipes
Quick breads are an awesome way to enjoy a delicious snack or breakfast. And there are so many ways to make them.
Lemon Zucchini Bread is a zesty version of this recipe. Chocolate Zucchini Bread is so decadent.
You can’t go wrong with Pumpkin Banana Nut Bread. Be sure to try Coconut Flour Pumpkin Bread, too.
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Zucchini Banana Bread Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups flour all purpose or gluten-free 1-to-1 blend
- ¾ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter salted, melted
- 1 cup bananas mashed
- 2 large eggs large
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups medium zucchini shredded, do NOT drain
- ½ cup pecans chopped, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.1 ¾ cups flour, ¾ cups sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the melted butter that has been cooled to room temperature to a separate medium-sized bowl along with the mashed bananas, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.½ cup butter, 1 cup bananas, 2 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini and pecans until everything is well mixed. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes and then give it another stir.1 ½ cups medium zucchini, ½ cup pecans
- Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and/or line with parchment paper. Spread the batter into the loaf pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick when inserted in comes out clean.*(Make sure to FULLY cook this bread. If taken out too soon, the middle of the loaf will not be fully cooked. Check on the bread after about 40 minutes; if the top is starting to brown too soon, simply place a piece of aluminum foil on top to prevent it from burning.)
- Let the bread rest until it comes to room temperature before slicing.
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Video
Notes
- Bananas: When bananas are extra ripe and brown, they are naturally sweeter.
- Mixing: Stir together the dry ingredients and wet ingredients before combining the two to ensure a smoother consistency with no lumps.
- Pecans: Roast the pecans in the oven before mixing in to add more flavor and texture.
- Zucchini: You don’t need to wring the excess moisture from the zucchini; in fact you want it in the bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini is so easy to come by in the summer. It grows well and grocery stores and farmers markets are overflowing with it! Try one of these recipes next.
For more inspiration, check out these zucchini recipes.
I made this using the gf flour. I also substituted coconut sugar and honey for the white sugar. The result was moist and delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Cynthia! I’m glad you could make it work. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!