Zucchini Banana Bread (Print Version)
Moist banana and zucchini loaf with cinnamon, optional nuts or chocolate chips; great for breakfast or snacks.
# What You 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
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan, ensuring even coverage to prevent sticking.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil (or melted butter), eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Fold in the mashed bananas and grated zucchini, mixing 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 of the loaf 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.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It uses up the zucchini you forgot about and the bananas you let go too soft in one brilliant move.
- The crumb stays impossibly moist for days, which means it is one of those rare quick breads that actually tastes better on day two.
02 -
- If you skip squeezing the zucchini dry, your bread will turn out gummy and wet in the center no matter how long you bake it.
- Substituting half the oil with unsweetened applesauce makes the loaf even more moist and slightly lighter, which is a trick I now use every single time.
03 -
- Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater and let it sit in a strainer for five minutes before squeezing, because the extra draining time makes a noticeable difference.
- Use bananas that are so spotted and soft they would embarrass you at a grocery store, because their concentrated sweetness means you can get away with less sugar overall.