Warm, comforting Banana Zucchini Bread, full of moist zucchini and sweet bananas, is one baked goodie that is hard for anyone to stop eating!
Fill your house with the sweet smell of Banana Zucchini Bread that takes only minutes to make. Gather the usual pantry staples like flour, sugar, spices, freshly grated zucchini, and mashed banana for a warm treat that makes everyone smile and quickly devour!
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.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 medium ripe bananas peeled and mashed
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup zucchini shredded
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside. (I highly recommend lining the loaf pan with parchment paper after spraying and then spraying the paper too. It makes it REALLY easy to get the loaf out of the pan.)
- Beat the oil and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. (Or you can use your stand mixer.) Add in the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Fold the zucchini and walnuts into the batter using a rubber spatula or large spoon. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before removing from the pan and slicing.
Joann says
This is my favorite go to recipe.. makes the best bread.. and I love that it’s soooo forgiving which is a must for me! Fabulous recipe, if you haven’t tried this one you’re missing out! I make a triple batch and freeze up mini ones.. always a life saver.. thx Aubrey 🥰🥰
Christy Woods says
I have been making your banana zucchini bread recipe for several years now. At Christmas time I buy mini tins with plastic lids. One batch makes 2 mini loaves. I put a red ribbon around each and give them as Christmas gifts. I’ve given them as hostess gifts when we are invited to dinners. I’ve even taken a loaf to a wine tasting as a dessert! It was a big hit! Everyone loves this bread. I always have a couple of mini loaves in the freezer. The only thing I’ve changed in my recipe is the sugar. I use 3/4 cup instead of a full cup and I sprinkle Turbinado sugar on top before I put them in the oven. It gives them a little sweet crunch. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Pamela says
To peel or not to peel zucchini ?
Will it make a difference ?
Sandra says
This is one of my favorites to bake and to make for family & friends. Would be nice to know the nutritional value. Muffins take 30 minutes & a great snack.
Emily Doody says
Seriously DELICIOUS! I made mine according to the recipe with the exception of walnuts, I am allergic so I replaced them with mini chocolate chips. The one other thing I did was make them Muffins. I love muffins. I baked them @400 for 8 minutes then turned down the heat to 350 and continued baking for another 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with only a Crumb or two on it. This one is going in my recipe book!
Shena says
Can I use a 9×9 pan for this recipe
Jennifer Kimmel says
Yes Shena, you can! Just starting checking it around 20 minutes as it will take less time to cook.