Zucchini Banana Bread

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This is my take on banana bread, a zucchini banana bread. It's a healthy banana bread recipe (well much healthier than many banana bread recipes). BUT no one, not even my kids complain about the zucchini at all.

Sliced zucchini banana bread on a wooden chopping board with a pink loaf tin in the background

Why This Recipe Works

  • Half the sugar of traditional banana bread recipes but this healthy banana bread still tastes great!
  • Being a Zucchini banana bread recipe means this loaf has some veggie content which is not just great for our bodies but also the zucchini keeps the banana bread moist.
  • This recipe is dairy-free so it's suitable for kids with dairy allergies.
  • Easy to make, no fancy ingredients or methods, no cake mixers needed.

Ingredients you will need

To make this recipe you will need pantry basics: flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, oil, eggs plus bananas and zucchini.

Ingredients to make zucchini banana bread laid out on a bench top with text overlay.

Substitutes

  • Flour: I use a 50:50 mix of plain flour and wholemeal flour, this means some extra fibre but still a soft texture. You can skip the wholemeal flour and use one hundred percent plain flour. However, I find the recipe is too dry if you use one hundred percent wholemeal flour.
  • Ripe Bananas: Banana can't be substituted out of a banana bread recipe, but your bananas can be bruised battered and brown and you will still get a great result. Potentially even better than using perfect bananas.
  • Zucchini: I use shredded zucchini in this recipe, you can substitute with equal quantities of grated carrots. The flavour of the banana bread will be slightly different as carrot has a stronger flavour than zucchini, but it will still be delicious.
  • Sugar: In this recipe, I use brown sugar as I like the flavour it adds to the banana bread. If you would prefer to use an unrefined then coconut sugar is a suitable substitute. You can also make this recipe with granulated white sugar.
  • Oil: I like to use a mild olive oil in my baking. Any mild flavoured oil would be a suitable alternative, such as coconut oil, as would melted butter.
  • Eggs: I haven't tested this recipe with egg substitutes.

Bananas and Zucchini

In any baking where you are using fresh produce like bananas and zucchini it is important to use the correct amount. Or at least a similar amount to the original recipe, and as we know the size of fresh produce can vary a lot.

I have therefore weighed and measured the banana and zucchini rather than just saying a generic '1 medium' or '1 large'. As too much or too little will mean your zucchini banana bread will be quite different to mine.

banana bread on a cooling rack with 2 bananas and a zucchini

The zucchini I used was quite large, it weighed approximately 200g (194g to be exact) and when it was grated it yielded 2 cups of grated zucchini.

Zucchini on a digital kitchen scale weighing 194g
2 measuring cups of grated zucchini sitting on a white chopping board

I used 2 large bananas to make my healthy banana recipe, when mashed this yielded approximately 270g of mashed banana, which was 1 cup of mashed banana.

measuring cup of mashed banana on a digital kitchen scale weighing 268g

Wholemeal Flour

In New Zealand, and I believe Australia and the UK, wholemeal flour is a common ingredient. It is quite a coarse flour as it contains wheat bran (see image below). I don't believe this exact flour is available in North America. But I understand wholewheat flour can be used as a substitute.

A scoop of wholemeal flour and a scoop of plain flour on a wooden chopping board.
As you can see the wholemeal flour has a much coarser texture than pain flour.

How to Make Zucchini Banana Bread

Prepare the banana and zucchini

  1. Mash the bananas, you want approximately 270g of mashed banana or 1 metric cup (photo 1).
  2. Grate the zucchini, you want approximately 200g of grated zucchini, which is around 2 metric cups (photo 2).
  3. Squeeze out the zucchini with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible (photo 3).

Make the loaf

  • Heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (360 F)
  • Prepare a loaf tin, I use a silicone tin so I don't need to line it, if you are using regular loaf tin then you will need to line it with baking paper
  • In a medium-sized bowl whisk the oil, eggs, and mashed bananas (photo 4).
  • Add the sugar and whisk until well combined (photo 5).
  • In a second large bowl whisk together the remaining dry ingredients: flours, baking powder, and cinnamon (photo 6).
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, fold until just combined (photo 7).
  • Fold in the grated and squeezed zucchini (photo 8).
8 photo collage showing the process steps to make healthy banana bread
  • Pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin
zucchini banana bread batter in a pink silicone loaf tin ready for baking
  • Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 40 mins or until a skewer or toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before turning out on a cooling rack.
baked banana bread in loaf tin with a woman's hand holding a clean skewer

overhead view of sliced zucchini banana bread on a wooden chopping board

Top Tips

Here is how you can make this healthy banana bread recipe perfectly every time!

  • Use a mix of plain and wholemeal flour, this yields a banana bread with higher fibre but still a great soft texture. If you cannot find wholemeal flour you can use a wholewheat flour
  • Be sure to use the correct amounts of mashed banana and grated zucchini
  • Don't forget to remove the excess liquid from the grated zucchini by squeezing it well before adding it to the batter
  • If your children are very weary of anything the slightest bit green, try peeling the zucchini before grating, then over time stop peeling it.

FAQs

How to make healthy banana bread moist?

My secret to making moist healthy banana bread is adding grated zucchini and including mild flavoured olive oil in the batter.

How to store zucchini banana bread?

This zucchini banana bread stores best in an airtight paper towel-lined container at room temperature. Make sure you cool the bread completely before transferring to the container. It will store for 3-4 days.

Can I freeze healthy banana bread?

Absolutely this loaf will freeze for up to 3 months if frozen. Make sure you wrap the loaf completely in cling film before freezing. When you want to enjoy the banana bread. Defrost on the bench over night.

If you are a banana bread fan, you could also try my double chocolate banana bread recipe, or a no-bake take on banana bread: my vegan banana bread bites.

I love baking with zucchini, it adds moistness but no change in flavour to most recipes

close up of a slice of banana bread on a wooden chopping board, flecks of green zucchini just visible

If you made my healthy banana bread or any other recipes on the blog please :

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Sliced zucchini banana bread on a wooden chopping board with a pink loaf tin in the background

Healthy Zucchini Banana Bread

Healthy Banana Bread, I've taken traditional banana bread, lowered the sugar, upped the fibre and added some veggies, this zucchini banana bread is so delcious and loved by my kids.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Baking
Cuisine: Australasia
Keyword: Healthy banana bread, zucchini banana bread, banana zucchini bread, low sugar banana bread, dairy-free banana bread, easy banana bread
Servings: 16
Calories: 189kcal

RATE THIS RECIPE

4.77 from 34 votes

Ingredients

  • 200 g Zucchini This is typically 1 large zucchini
  • 250 g Banana This is typically 2 med/large bananas
  • 100 g Brown sugar ½ cup
  • 2 eggs
  • 125 ml Olive oil (mild) ½ cup
  • 160 g flour 1 Cup
  • 160 g wholemeal flour 1 Cup
  • 3 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  • Mash the bananas, you want approximately 270g of mashed banana or 1 metric cup.
  • Grate the zucchini, you want approximately 200g of grated zucchini, which is around 2 metric cups.
  • Squeeze out the zucchini with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible.
  • Heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (360 F. Prepare a loaf tin, I use a silicone tin so I don't need to line it, if you are using regular loaf tin then you will need to line it with baking paper.
  • In a medium-sized bowl whisk the oil, eggs, and mashed banana.
  • Add the sugar and whisk until well combined.
  • In a second large bowl whisk together the remaining dry ingredients: flours, baking powder, and cinnamon.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, fold until just combined.
  • Fold in the grated and squeezed zucchini.
  • Transfer the batter into your prepared loaf tin.
  • Bake at 180 degrees (360 F) celsius for 50-60 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
  • Once cooked, remove from oven, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the loaf tin before turing out on a cooling rack.

Video

Notes

  • Use a mix of plain and wholemeal flour, this yields a banana bread with higher fibre but still a great soft texture. If you cannot find wholemeal flour you can use a wholewheat flour
  • Be sure to use the correct amounts of mashed banana and grated zucchini.
  • Don't forget to remove the excess liquid from the grated zucchini by squeezing it well before adding it to the batter
  • If your children are very weary of anything the slightest bit green, try peeling the zucchini before grating, then over time stop peeling it.
  • Storage: This zucchini banana bread stores best in an airtight paper towel-lined container at room temperature. Make sure you cool the bread completely before transferring to the container. It will store for 3-4 days.
  • Freezing: This loaf will freeze for up to 3 months if frozen. Make sure you wrap the loaf completely in cling film before freezing. When you want to enjoy the banana bread. Defrost on the bench overnight.
Substitutions
  • Flour: I use a 50:50 mix of plain flour and wholemeal flour, this means some extra fibre but still a soft texture. You can skip the wholemeal flour and use one hundred percent plain flour. However, don't go for one hundred percent wholemeal flour as the bread ends up too dry.  
  • Banana: Banana can't be substituted out of a banana bread recipe, but your bananas can be bruised battered and brown and you will still get a great result. Potentially even better than using perfect bananas.
  • Zucchini: I use grated zucchini in this recipe, you can substitute with equal quantities of grated carrots. The flavour of the banana bread will be slightly different as carrot has a stronger flavour than zucchini, but it will still be delicious.
  • Sugar: In this recipe, I use brown sugar as I like the flavour it adds to the banana bread. If you would prefer to use an unrefined then coconut sugar is a suitable substitute. You can also make this recipe with granulated white sugar.
  • Oil: I like to use a mild olive oil in my baking. Any mild flavoured oil would be a suitable alternative, as would melted butter.
  • Eggs: I haven't tested this recipe with egg substitutes.
  •  

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg

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8 Comments

  1. Argh, what did I do wrong? My banana bread was still a raw, stodgy brick after 60 mins. Horrible! Yours looks nice though...

      1. Same thing happened to me when I made this bread. Raw and under cooked on the inside. I squeezed out the zucchini too.

        1. Hmmm, I've tested this recipe many times and not had this issue. Thanks for the feedback though, I will look into it further.

  2. Hi, thank you for all your wonderful recipes! Can i use only oat flour instead? If i dont have zucchini and carrots should i just increase the quantity of bananas and how many would it require? Thanks again

  3. 5 stars
    I just made this using carrot instead of zucchini and weighing out all the ingredients and it worked perfectly. The one thing I did change was using 1/3 cup sugar instead of 1/2 cup, just to reduce that down for my kids and it's really yummy. It was done after about 45 mins in my fan bake oven. Thanks for another awesome lunchbox recipe!