Zucchini Banana Bread

The best of all quick bread worlds, this one-bowl zucchini banana bread is fantastic! Lightly sweet and perfectly fluffy and moist, this recipe makes one amazing loaf (and muffins, too!).

I mean, really, if we’re being honest, you and I both know this zucchini banana bread was just a matter of time. (And quite honestly, I’m ashamed of myself that it’s taken 11 years of blogging to actually merge two of the best quick breads on the planet into one divine recipe.)

I already love banana bread. Heart and soul. I have several killer versions (namely this one and this one).

And this zucchini bread is my ultimate favorite z. bread in the history of ever. Put ’em together and what do you get? A really stellar quick bread combo, that’s what. 

Born out of a desire to use up garden zucchini (<– this might be the most repeated sentence uttered by millions of garden growers in the month of August) AND the bananas ripening for destruction on my counter, this zucchini banana bread is a real winner. 

Light and fluffy, like any good quick bread, it’s also sturdy and wholesome (especially if you use whole wheat flour!). Also, it’s a one bowl wonder, and you know I am never going to complain about that. 

I toss the shredded zucchini in at the bitter batter end (when just a few dry streaks still remain). 

And then, like all good quick breads (and muffins), the batter only needs mixed until just combined. Over mixing can make the bread heavy and dense and gummy. We don’t want any of those things. 

In addition to every day green zucchini, I’ve also used my bumper crop of yellow zucchini (not yellow crookneck squash, although that might work, too) for this recipe, and it works just as well. Although, admittedly, the yellow flecks in the batter don’t make me quite as happy as the pretty green bits. Yes, I’m a weirdo. I’m ok with that. 

One question I get a lot with zucchini recipes is:

Do I need to peel the zucchini before shredding? 

No siree! I never peel zucchini before using it in baked goods like bread and muffins. I give the zucchini a good wash, trim off the ends, and then grate it on the small holes of my box grater or food processor (if I feel like cleaning the dang thing). I prefer it finely shredded. 

This recipe makes one loaf of bread. But it can easily be doubled (or tripled – if you feel like overachieving on the zucchini banana bread front). 

Baked to perfection, your house is going to smell amazing. That’s pretty much a no fail, money back guarantee. 

Exercise some patience

While it may be tempting to dig in to the bread straight out of the oven, I promise you that if you wait, it will be worth it. I’ve tasted various quick breads warm out of the oven before and been totally disappointed. The texture was weird and the flavor bland.

But when I went back to try the bread later that day (or the next), it was like a whole different loaf of bread! Cooling the delicate quick bread makes all the difference. The flavors develop, and more importantly, the texture is no longer shiver-worthy. 

This zucchini banana bread stays soft and moist for several days, so it’s a great one to make ahead of time if you need it. And it freezes great! You can whip a loaf of this bread up in minutes – makes a perfect snack, dessert, or breakfast! If you want to make muffins out of the recipe, I’ve given some suggestions below in the notes. 

Zucchini Banana Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup (8.75 ounces) all-purpose or white whole wheat flour or a combination
• 2/3 cup (5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional but super delicious)
• 1 cup (6 ounces) mashed bananas, about 2 medium/large bananas
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup melted butter or neutral flavored oil
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded zucchini (see note)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice.
3. Add the bananas, egg, butter or oil, sour cream and vanilla and stir until just combined and a few dry streaks still remain.
4. Gather the zucchini into your hands (or roll up in a clean kitchen towel) and squeeze over the sink to get rid of excess moisture (you should have about 1 cup/7 ounces after squeezing out the liquid). Add the zucchini to the batter, and stir until evenly combined (don't overmix).
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick or sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
6. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before running a sharp knife around the edges to loosen and turning onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

Zucchini: Yellow or green zucchini both work well in this recipe. You'll start with about 10 ounces of zucchini (2 small/medium zucchini) and end up with about 6-7 ounces once it is shredded and squeezed dry. I don't peel before shredding. I prefer shredding on the small holes of my box grater/food processor. Squeeze the zucchini dry rolled up in a clean kitchen towel - or my lazy way: grab handfuls and give a couple squeezes over the kitchen sink and call it good.

Whole Wheat Flour: this recipe works well using whole wheat flour (I always use soft or hard white wheat - hard red wheat produces a much darker/heavier/denser baked good). If you aren't using a kitchen scale, measure the flour with a light hand.

Muffins: this will make about 14-16 muffins, depending on how full you fill the liners. Bake for 15-17 minutes.

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  8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch Loaf Pan
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  Mixing Bowl
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  Box Grater

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