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.
Homebaker says
This recipe did not work for me at all and I ended up having to throw it away. I’m not sure what happened. I am a very frequent baker and I have never had quick bread turn out so unsuccessfully. Disappointing.
Jesi says
This is so delicious! My whole house loved it and everyone wanted more! I recommend this recipe to people
Aubrey Cota says
Oh yay, thanks so much!!
Betsy says
I am so glad that I doubled this recipe since it didn’t take long to devour the first loaf. This is truly delicious.
Aubrey Cota says
Nice work thinking ahead! Thank you.
Ally says
It definitely needed a much longer cook time for me. I added chocolate chips and it was amazing tasting! I had to add about 30 min longer to bake
Aubrey Cota says
It’s interesting to learn about how different everyone’s ovens can be, as well as how much climate and altitude can change a recipe cook time. I am glad to hear it all worked out in the end.
Sandra Holm says
I have baked for 68 minutes & still not done. Oven is calibrated and this is first time i’ve Had this issue.
Aubrey Cota says
Could be a few things. Altitude can play a role, how wet the zucchini used. This is a very moist recipe as well, so sometimes it takes letting the bread rest and then testing it for doneness.
Lynn Ekstrom says
This is an excellent recipe. Very moist. My family loves it.
Mary Lou says
Can you use applesauce instead of the oil?
Aubrey Cota says
Honestly I have not tried that method but it has worked in so many other recipes, I don’t see why this one would be any different.
Aria says
Wow, this one perfect for breakfast!!! I am looking forward to making these… thank you: -)
Aubrey Cota says
You won’t regret it!
Jillian says
This recipe is AMAZING! Best zucchini bread EVER–flavorful, moist, decadent! Things I did differently: I made Texas sized muffins instead of a loaf, substituted 2/3 cup honey for the cup of sugar, and used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. I also baked at 330 degrees instead of 350 (because of the honey). Lastly, I added mini chocolate chips to half of the muffins; both the chocolate chip muffins and the ones without chocolate tasted DELICIOUS! ❤️
Sabung Ayam Online says
Thank you for the tips
Donna says
I have a garden filled with zucchini. I have made regular zucchini bread, lemon and this banana. It is one of our favorites and great way to use up bananas that are getting too ripe. I’ve been freezing loaves for fall. Great recipe. LOVE it!
Gina Zwaagstra says
I love this bread! I’ve made it a couple of times and can’t stop eating it when I have it in the house. Going to make some today to give as a gift. Thanks also for how to make them into muffins! I’ll give that a try as well!
Pat says
“When you combine Banana Break and Zucchini…”??? Might want to proofread at the top! Thanks for the awesome recipe!!?
Aubrey Cota says
Good catch! It has been fixed… Hope it didn’t impact the taste!
Myrna says
Delicious!!!!
Question: did u let it cool in the loaf pan…or put it on a rack to cool???
Aubrey Cota says
Honestly it depends, I usually let it cool in the pan as it’s easier to get out and less likely to fall apart.
LeAnne Cords says
This is a great and easy recipe . I added some lemon zest. Fabulous!
Julie @Real Housemoms says
I love the addition of lemon!
Cheryl says
I add dried cranberries when I make it. Love it!! ❤️️❤️️❤️️❤️️
Janina says
I made this bread yesterday. My husband isn’t that much into banana bread but he enjoyed it a lot.
Replaced the walnuts with almonds, still very nice 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
kayla says
How could I make these as muffins?
Cheryl says
I filled lined muffin tins 3/4 full and baked at 350 for 25 minutes. Made double batch and got 36 muffins. This is an awesome recipe
Myrna says
Yes!!!