Zucchini Banana Bread

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Get the best of both worlds with this easy zucchini and banana bread recipe! Over-ripe bananas and shredded zucchini keep this quick bread loaf exceptionally moist for a delicious, lightly sweetened slice that's perfect as a quick breakfast or cozy snack.

Jessie's Note

This cozy banana zucchini bread is lightly sweetened with a bit of brown sugar and the natural sweetness of overripe bananas. We wanted it to walk the line between sweet and savory without feeling too much like cake (for a sweeter spin on zucchini bread, try our lemon zucchini loaf!)

I love that this bread is packed with veggies (there's a whole zucchini in there!) but still feels like a treat. It's good on its own, although I love serving it with butter and a drizzle of honey or a dusting of cinnamon sugar.

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Ingredients overview
Variations and Substitutions
Step by step instructions
Storage
Tips from our recipe testers
FAQs
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments & Reviews

Ingredients overview

Recipe ingredients, prepped and ready to go.

Find a full ingredients list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.

Over-ripe bananas. Look for bananas with lots of browning on the peels and a slightly squishy feel. Ripe, brown bananas are sweeter than their bright yellow counterparts, which impacts the loaf's final flavor. They're also easier to mash, which yields a smoother batter.
If you can, let the egg and milk come to room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes before you start baking. Room temperature ingredients incorporate more smoothly into the batter, giving you a more even texture and a higher rise.
Shredded zucchini. Shred your squash with the large holes of a box grater, and don't squeeze out any of the water - it lends important moisture to this loaf! This recipe calls for 180 grams, which is about 1 medium-to-large sized zucchini.

Use a kitchen scale

Measuring ingredients like flour by volume (with cups) is notoriously unreliable. Because each person fills a cup of flour a little bit differently, it's easy to accidentally use too much in a recipe and end up with dry, dense bread.

But when you use a kitchen scale to measure by weight (in grams), you get a perfect measurement every time. So if you have a kitchen scale, please use it! (No kitchen scale? Measure ingredients like flour with the scoop and level method for best results!)

Variations and Substitutions

Add mix-ins like chopped baking chocolate chunks, chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, or toasted nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans).
Use more or less cinnamon to suit your tastes! You can also add a pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg for more fall flavor.
Add toppings like our simple streusel topping (before baking) or a cinnamon glaze (after the bread is cooled) for a touch of sweetness.

Step by step instructions

Mashing banana and adding wet ingredients.

Mash bananas in a large bowl until they're fairly smooth, then whisk in the brown sugar and wet ingredients (an egg, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar).

Folding zucchini and dry ingredients into the batter.

Fold grated zucchini into the wet ingredients. Add the rest of the dry ingredients — all purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt — and stir until you have a thick, airy batter.

Pour the batter into a 9x5" metal loaf pan lined with parchment paper, and use your fork to spread it into a relatively even layer.

Bake in a preheated oven at 325° F, until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let your banana bread cool for just a few minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to carefully lift the bread onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing.

Pro Tip: Don't skip the wire cooling rack! If the bread cools completely in the pan, it can stick to the parchment paper and develop a chewy texture along the sides.

Storage

Store cooled, sliced banana bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Past that, the bread can start to dry out a little. We don't recommend storing this bread in the fridge, as the refrigerator air can dry it out more quickly.

You can freeze sliced banana bread in an airtight container for 3-4 months. Thaw frozen bread on the counter for a few hours when you're ready for it.

Tips from our recipe testers

Use a kitchen scale! Properly measuring ingredients yields a more consistent final result.
Adjust the spices. Some of our testers love adding ground cinnamon and other spices to this banana zucchini bread recipe; some prefer no spice at all. We split the difference here and used just a touch of cinnamon to add warmth and depth, but you should adjust the spices to suit your tastes!
Don't rush the baking. This bread might look done before it's baked all the way through. Use a cake tester to be sure!

FAQs

Can I freeze this bread?

This zucchini banana bread recipe freezes fairly well (although truth be told, we prefer it fresh out of the oven!) We recommend freezing individual slices of leftover bread in an airtight container or freezer bag and defrosting just a slice or two at a time, as needed. Defrost for an hour or two on the counter when you're ready to serve. Sliced bread will keep in the freezer for 3-4 months before it starts to dry out.

Can I turn this recipe into muffins?

Yes! You can bake this easy zucchini banana bread batter in a muffin pan. You will need to adjust the bake time: we recommend checking muffins for doneness starting around 20-25 minutes and adding time as needed (for more guidance on great muffins, check out our banana chocolate chip muffins or apple butter muffins!)

What if my loaf starts to brown too much before it's all the way baked?

If your oven runs hot, you may notice the top and edges of your bread start to brown quite a bit before the bread is all the way baked in the middle. If you're noticing too much browning, loosely cover the top of your bread with a piece of aluminum foil for the rest of baking: This will prevent additional browning but give the batter a chance to finish cooking all the way through!

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it turned out!