There’s nothing quite as warm and comforting as the smell of banana bread wafting throughout the home. Sweet and cozy, the taste of banana bread is always out of this world, but its texture can range from dry and crumbly to unbaked and oddly gooey. That’s why we love this banana zucchini bread.
In this recipe, grated zucchini is added to banana bread batter to bake perfectly tender and moist loaves, all while leaving zero “zucchini” taste behind. Plus, the added fiber and nutrients from zucchini make this banana bread recipe a little more wholesome.
Banana Zucchini Bread Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Quick breads like this one get their structure from all-purpose flour, which is neither too dense nor too delicate.
- Cinnamon: Who can resist a dash of cinnamon to warm up a cozy loaf of banana bread?
- Eggs: Be sure to bake with room-temperature eggs. If you start with cold eggs, your bread’s texture will be negatively impacted once it’s baked. Not worth it!
- Bananas: Use very ripe bananas for this recipe. They’re sweeter and easier to mash up. There are ways to quickly ripen bananas if you need to on the fly.
- Zucchini: Grate your zucchini on the side of the box grater with the larger holes. The smaller side would produce zucchini that’s far too mushy and watery for this banana and zucchini bread.
- Pecans: Chopped pecans add a crunchy texture and nutty flavor to these loaves. Toast the nuts for an even bolder flavor.
Directions
Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, bananas, sugar and oil. Add to the flour mixture, and whisk just until moistened.
Editor’s Tip: Only mix until the dry and wet ingredients are combined, or else your loaves will come out dense and tough. It’s OK to still have some lumps in the batter.
Step 3: Add the zucchini and pecans
Pour the zucchini and pecans into the batter and gently fold them in, being careful not to overmix the batter. Stop folding once the zucchini and pecans are evenly dispersed.
Step 4: Pour into prepared pans
Pour the batter into two greased 9×5-inch loaf pans.
Editor’s Tip: Want a bunch of mini loaves to pass out to friends and family? According to our baking pan conversions chart, this banana zucchini bread recipe can be baked into six 5-3/4 x 3-inch mini loaf pans.
Step 5: Bake
Bake the loaves until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool the loaves at room temperature in their pans for 10 minutes before removing the loaves to wire racks to cool completely to room temperature.
Banana Zucchini Bread Variations
- Use a different nut: Not a fan of pecans? No problem! Walnuts work well here, too.
- Fold in chocolate chips: Who else uses every excuse to add more chocolate into their life? Fold semisweet chocolate chips into the batter for a rich indulgence.
- Add dried fruit: Add bursts of sweetness into this banana zucchini bread by folding in dried fruit like cranberries, figs, apricots and blueberries.
- Decorate with extras: The easiest way to dress up a banana bread is by splitting an extra banana in half lengthwise and positioning the halves seed side-up on top of the unbaked banana bread in its pan. Optionally, sprinkle turbinado sugar on top for an added crunch of sparkly sugar crystals. Absolutely gorgeous!
How to Store Banana Zucchini Bread
To store, allow the banana zucchini bread loaves to cool completely to room temperature. Place the loaves into airtight containers, or wrap them tightly in storage wrap and aluminum foil. Store the banana zucchini bread at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to one week.
Can you freeze banana zucchini bread?
Yes, you can freeze banana zucchini bread. Allow the loaves to cool completely to room temperature. Place the loaves into airtight containers or wrap them tightly in two layers of storage wrap followed by a final layer of aluminum foil. Keep the loaves in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, place the banana zucchini bread in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for two hours.
Banana Zucchini Bread Tips
Should I peel the zucchini before grating it?
No, there’s no need to peel the zucchini before grating it (cheers to saving a step!). Zucchini’s skin is very thin and will have no problem softening up as it bakes. Plus, the skin stores extra fiber and other nutrients.
Should I squeeze the excess water out of the grated zucchini?
No, you should not squeeze the excess water out of the grated zucchini. The zucchini’s water is accounted for in this recipe, and without it, the loaves would come out dry and crumbly.
