Banana Zucchini Bread

Warm, comforting Banana Zucchini Bread, full of moist zucchini and sweet bananas, is one baked goodie that is hard for anyone to stop eating!

Bake up some comfort

Are banana bread-scented candles a thing? They really should be because I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love it when their house smells like this bread! The sweet smell of banana with a hint of cinnamon gets everyone drooling and when you add the secret ingredient, zucchini, you get one tender bread that is just so satisfying to eat. We love to slather our slices with butter but sometimes the kids ask for Nutella, which is unbelievably delicious! However you like your Banana Zucchini Bread, it’s sure to be a hit every time.

When you’re looking for quick and easy banana ideas for all of those ripe bananas, be sure to try these delicious Banana & Oat Cookies or 5 Ingredient Banana Cupcakes!

Other Recipes to Serve with Banana Zucchini Bread

• Take your banana snack on a tropical trip and mix a sweet and refreshing Pineapple Banana Whip! This treat is a great way to use up all those frozen bananas you’ve been hanging on to.
• When you have more zucchini than you know what to do with, and you must go big, this Zucchini Texas Sheet Cake has you covered.

Ingredients

Pantry Ingredients: To make this bread, you will need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, baking powder, and baking soda.

Refrigerated Item: You will need an egg for this recipe.

Produce: Ripe bananas and medium-sized zucchini will be used in this recipe.

Spices: Set out the cinnamon and vanilla extract for this recipe, along with a bit of salt.

Optional: If you would like to add chopped walnuts to this recipe, be sure to pick those up as well.

How to Make Banana Zucchini Bread

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. Using a mixer, beat the oil and sugar together. Add the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla extract.

STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Fold in the grated zucchini and walnuts (if using).

STEP THREE: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the bread cool for a few minutes before enjoying it.

Tips for Success

• Bananas in any stage of ripeness can be used in this bread, but for the best results, very ripe brown peeled bananas work best. These bananas have the sweetest banana flavors and are smooth and creamy when mashed.
• There is a lot of moisture in this bread, so if you’ve pulled the bread from the oven and let it cool only to cut into and discover that it’s still not done in the middle, just put it back in the oven to cook longer. It’s no problem if the bread has cooled already! If the top looks pretty brown, you can also cover it loosely with foil so it doesn’t get too toasty while cooking for additional time.
• I highly recommend lining the loaf pan with parchment paper after spraying and then spraying the paper too. It makes it easy to get the loaf out of the pan.
• To make this recipe gluten-free, you can substitute the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour.

Do you squeeze the liquid from the zucchini when making bread?

The zucchini liquid is one of the key parts that make this bread moist and tender, so there’s no need to squeeze out the liquid. There are other zucchini recipes, such as Zucchini Fritters, where squeezing the liquid out is important because you want a dry ingredient that will bind well to everything else. If you feel like the zucchini you shredded is too watery, you can remove some of the liquid without worrying about the bread drying out. This is a forgiving recipe with a knack for turning out great!

Do you peel zucchini before shredding it to make this bread?

Zucchini peels are actually very thin and tender, and when cooked, you can’t tell it apart from the rest of the zucchini unless you see that it’s a dark green color! Save yourself some time and skip the peeling since there is no need for it. On a related note, if you have a large zucchini, chances are that the seeds inside will be large, and you will want to remove those before shredding. To do this, cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds using a spoon. Shred the halves, and you’re ready to bake.

Pick a new delicious banana bread to try!

• Banana Nut Bread
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Double Chocolate Banana Bread
• Pumpkin Banana Bread
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

*This post was originally posted on 06/28/2016.