Zucchini Banana Bread Loaf (Printer-Friendly)
Moist quick bread combining mashed bananas and grated zucchini, cinnamon-spiced, with optional nuts or chocolate chips.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Produce
01 - 1 cup grated zucchini, excess moisture squeezed out
02 - 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
→ Wet Ingredients
03 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
06 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
→ Optional Mix-ins
12 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
13 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan, ensuring even coverage to prevent sticking.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil (or melted butter), eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended. Add the mashed bananas and grated zucchini, stirring until evenly incorporated.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon until uniformly combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender.
05 - If using, gently fold in the chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula for an even surface.
07 - Bake on the center rack for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check at the 50-minute mark to avoid overbaking.
08 - Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing into even portions.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The zucchini disappears completely into the crumb, leaving behind nothing but incredible moisture that keeps this loaf tender for days.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can stash half a loaf and forget about it until a rainy Tuesday when you need something sweet with your coffee.
02 -
- If you skip squeezing the zucchini dry, the extra water will leave a wet, sunken stripe through the middle of your loaf that no amount of extra baking can fix.
- Substituting half the oil with unsweetened applesauce adds even more moisture and a subtle fruitiness without making the bread heavy.
03 -
- Grate the zucchini on the large holes of your box grater and let it sit for five minutes before squeezing, because it releases even more liquid that way.
- Check the bread at the 45 minute mark by gently pressing the center, and if it springs back, pull it out even if the toothpick is not perfectly clean.