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Zucchini Banana Bread

4.75 from 4 votes
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posted: 04/04/19

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

This Zucchini Banana Bread is such a simple, no rise, quick bread recipe that your family will love. Moist with a crisp exterior and the perfect balance of flavors.

a side view of zucchini banana bread sliced on a marble cutting board with a zucchini and banana in the background

Zucchini Banana Bread is such a delicious and fun twist on the classic banana bread recipe, and it will be a great and delicious way to use the zucchinis from your garden this summer. I think you are going to love this spin.

front view of zucchini banana bread recipe sliced on a marble and wood cutting board surrounded by two zucchini and a bunch of bananas on a gray wood board

How to Make Zucchini Banana Bread

I played around with this recipe quite a bit before I got a version that I felt good about. I tried adding one less banana than in a typical banana bread since I was adding so much moisture with the zucchini. That resulted in a bread that was more dense and not as sweet. It was okay, but not amazing.

Finally I ended up sticking with my same recipe, but just cooking for longer to account for the zucchini. It resulted in a delicious, sweet bread that was crisp on the outside, but not over done. Look at that perfect crack below.

stack of slices of the best zucchini banana bread recipe on a marble cutting board with a zucchini in front and a banana bunch in the back

Oil or Butter

You will notice that all of my quick breads use melted butter that has been cooled. This is a replacement for oil because it lends much better flavor to the bread. The important step here is to make sure that the butter is not piping hot from being melted. If it is, it will start to cooking your eggs before you can get everything mixed together.

No one wants chunks of cooked egg in their Zucchini Banana Bread.

Why do you Always use Unsalted Butter?

In addition to using melted butter instead of oil in my breads, I always use unsalted butter. The reason for this is that way you can control the salt level in your recipe. That said, if you only have salted butter, just cut the salt in this recipe and still make it!

loaf of zucchini banana bread cut in half, showing the inside of the bread close up

Why Does My Banana Bread Sink in the Middle?

There can be a lot of reasons that your banana bread might sink in the middle. I find that the number one reason is that it is not cooked through. You are cooking it in the oven and it looks like it is rising beautifully, you take it out and then it falls. It wasn’t fully cooked through.

The way to avoid this is sticking a toothpick in the middle towards the very end of cooking. It should come out with just a few crumbs on it, not Zucchini Banana Bread batter.

Tips for this Banana Bread Recipe

  • Scoop and level your flour. Don’t scoop it right from the container.
  • Make sure your baking soda is fresh. To do this, drop a little in some vinegar. It should bubble up right away.
  • Melt your butter and then let it cool before mixing it into the remaining ingredients.
  • Bring your eggs to room temperature by putting them in a bowl of luke warm water before adding them into the recipe.

Help! I Hate Yogurt!

Since posting my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, I’ve had so many readers comment that you can replace the yogurt in that recipe with sour cream. I haven’t tried that yet, but that would be my recommendation.

On the topic of yogurt, I would skip Greek yogurt as I find that it behaves differently in recipes than regular yogurt. I also would recommend vanilla yogurt or plain.

Other Spins on Banana Bread

front view of zucchini banana bread recipe sliced on a marble and wood cutting board surrounded by two zucchini and a bunch of bananas on a gray wood board
a side view of zucchini banana bread sliced on a marble cutting board with a zucchini and banana in the background
4.75 from 4 votes

Zucchini Banana Bread

Serves: 10 slices
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
This Zucchini Banana Bread is such a simple, no rise, quick bread recipe that your family will love.  Moist with a crisp exterior and the perfect balance of flavors. 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour (240 grams)
  • 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 very ripe bananas mashed
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (170 grams)
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 medium zucchini (should be about 2 cups grated)

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan well with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the bananas, cooled butter, eggs, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. 
  • Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Be careful not to over mix.
  • Stir in the shredded zucchini until just combined.
  • Pour the bread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted slightly off center in the bread comes out with just a few crumbs.
  • Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 35 minutes before slicing and enjoying.
Serving: 1slice Calories: 263kcal (13%) Carbohydrates: 42g (14%) Protein: 5g (10%) Fat: 9g (14%) Saturated Fat: 5g (31%) Monounsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 56mg (19%) Sodium: 230mg (10%) Potassium: 209mg (6%) Fiber: 2g (8%) Sugar: 21g (23%) Vitamin A: 500IU (10%) Vitamin C: 5.8mg (7%) Calcium: 20mg (2%) Iron: 0.4mg (2%)
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
a side view of zucchini banana bread sliced on a marble cutting board with a zucchini and banana in the background

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Zucchini Banana Bread

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Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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  1. Jackie says

    Are you saying in your bananas zucchini bread you can’t use applesauce

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m saying that it can’t be used as a substitute for yogurt.

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