Banana zucchini bread is a moist, lightly sweetened zucchini bread filled with crunchy walnuts. It's a great way to use up leftover bananas and zucchini!
If you enjoy banana bread, you'll want to give this banana zucchini bread a try. It's lightly sweetened, moist, and filled with crunchy walnuts - you won't even notice the added zucchini inside!
Shredded zucchini and banana help add moisture and structure to this quick bread recipe. Because of this, can reduce some of the higher calorie ingredients like oil and eggs. Plus, they add nutrients like Vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants.
Serve banana zucchini bread for breakfast with your morning coffee, or enjoy as a lightened up dessert. If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy my applesauce zucchini bread or chocolate chip banana zucchini bread recipes.
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Zucchini - You'll need one cup of finely grated zucchini (before squeezing out the liquid). We're squeezing the liquid out of the zucchini because we're also adding bananas and don't want to add too much moisture (which causes your bread to be gummy). One cup of shredded zucchini should weigh about 135 grams before, and about 70 grams after squeezing the liquid out. This equals about 1 medium or 1.5 small zucchini. Zucchini can also be substituted with yellow summer squash if desired.
- Bananas - Ripe, medium-sized, several days old bananas work best in banana bread. Bananas sweeten as they age, adding extra sweetness to your bread. They're also softer and easier to incorporate into the batter.
- Sugars - We're using a combination or granulated and brown sugars in this recipe.
- Vegetable oil - Adds moisture to your bread. Can be substituted with ghee or any neutral cooking oil you have on hand.
- Egg - You'll only need one egg for this recipe today, since the banana and zucchini help add structure to our bread.
- Vanilla extract - Adds depth of flavor. Can be omitted if desired.
- All-purpose flour - Adds structure to your bread and balances out the wet ingredients in the recipe. I have not tested this recipe with other types of flour. Baking is an exact science, so I can't say for sure whether other types of flour will work as a substitute.
- Leavening - You'll need a combination of baking soda and baking powder to get the proper rise in this recipe.
- Cinnamon - Adds a hint of warmth and depth of flavor to your bread.
- Salt - Enhances the flavor of your bread.
- Walnuts - Walnuts add a bit of crunch and texture to your banana bread. They can be omitted if desired, or substituted with pecans.
Tips and tricks
Shredding zucchini for bread - I recommend using the small side of a box grater to grate zucchini for baked goods. Finely grated zucchini melts seamlessly into the batter when baked with the only sign of zucchini being the tiny green flecks. The large side of a box grater also works but adds a noticeable texture to your baked bread. Here's the box grater I use: OXO Good Grips Box Grater
Gently mix batter - If the batter is overmixed, the gluten is overworked and your bread can turn out tough. Instead, use a gentle stirring motion with a spoon (no need for a stand mixer or hand mixer) and only stir until ingredients are just incorporated.
Pan size - This recipe makes one 9x5 loaf of zucchini bread. These are the pans I use for all my zucchini bread recipes: Farberware Loaf Pan 9x5, Set of 2
Storage
Zucchini bread can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container.
Zucchini bread can be frozen for up to 6 months in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container. To thaw a whole loaf, place on the countertop for up to 3 hours to bring to room temperature. Single slices will thaw in about 1 hour or less.
See my full post for more information: How To Store Zucchini Bread
Frequently asked questions
No, there's no need to peel your zucchini before shredding it for zucchini bread. The skin of the zucchini contains fiber and other nutrients you'd otherwise be missing out on by peeling it off.
Once your bread is baked, the only sign of zucchini is tiny flecks of green throughout. Otherwise, the zucchini (skin included) melts right into the bread.
Yes, for this recipe you'll need to squeeze the excess liquid from the shredded zucchini before adding it to the batter. Too much liquid will make this bread soggy, gummy, and dense.
No, zucchini has a mild flavor that makes it ideal for baking. Cucumber has a fresh "melon" flavor that's much more pronounced and not ideal for hiding in baked goods. For more information: Zucchini vs Cucumber - What's the Difference?
Troubleshooting
If your baked zucchini bread turned out soggy or sinking in the center, then it was either underbaked or had too much moisture. Make sure not to add extra wet ingredients to this recipe, like extra zucchini, a dollop of sour cream, applesauce, or extra vegetable oil. This recipe includes exact measurements of wet and dry ingredients to ensure your bread turns out perfectly baked and moist, not wet or soggy.
Dry baked goods can happen for several reasons. Either your bread was overbaked, too many dry ingredients (like flour) were added to the recipe, or the moisture-adding ingredients (eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini) were reduced.
Bland baked goods can happen for a few reasons. Omitting the salt, reducing the sugar, or adding too much flour can cause your bread to turn out bland. Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients - it's not there to make your bread "salty". Measure flour accurately by weighing it using the gram measurements listed in the recipe card. If you don't have a scale, use the spoon and level method. Gently spoon flour into a measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife. Scooping flour with a measuring cup compacts flour into the cup, adding up to 25% extra flour to the recipe. Decreasing the listed sugar can also make your bread turn out bland (and sometimes dry).
📖 Recipe
Banana Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup (135 g) finely grated zucchini, after measuring, squeeze liquid out*
- 2 medium bananas, very ripe
- ½ cup (106 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (66 g) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (56 g) chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease one 9x5 loaf pan (or line with parchment paper) and set aside.
- Measure 1 cup (135 grams) of grated zucchini. Place zucchini into a few layers of paper towels, or a kitchen towel, and gently squeeze over the sink to remove excess liquid. Zucchini should measure about 70 grams afterward.
- In a large bowl, add peeled bananas. Mash with a fork or a hand mixer. Add remaining wet ingredients: zucchini, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix, or stir, until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to remove clumps. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Add chopped walnuts and stir to combine.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, OR until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean/with dry crumbs, or bread reaches 200 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit in the center (baking times will vary based on your oven and type of pan used).
- Allow bread to cool completely on the counter before removing from pan and slicing.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Squeeze it: Measure 1 cup (135 grams) of finely grated zucchini, then squeeze liquid out (70 grams) before adding to the batter.
- Storage: Leftover banana zucchini bread will keep in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If your bread is very moist/wet, I recommend refrigerating.
- Freezing: Banana bread can be frozen for up to 6 months. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap/foil and store in a freezer safe bag or container. Thaw on the counter top for 1 to 3 hours.
- Mix-ins: Walnuts can be omitted or substituted with pecans or chocolate chips.
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