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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Sometimes the best recipes happen by accident! This banana bread came about thanks to one lonely zucchini and a few overripe bananas that needed a purpose. Together they create a deliciously moist quick bread that’s perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. And in true Magpie fashion, this recipe makes two loaves – because baking just one never feels like enough!
If you’re looking for more creative ways to use bananas or zucchini, try my Pumpkin Banana Bread or Lemon Zucchini Bread next. Both are absolutely delicious!
Reader Review
I have an old favorite banana bread that I would never substitute for another one….except this recipe! Delicious, even doubled the recipe, and it came out perfect. Thank you for my new favorite!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is easy to make, so bakers of all experience levels can tackle it with confidence!
- Total Time: Your bread takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes from start to finish, but the two loaves you get make it worth all the effort.
- Variations: Feel free to swap the oil for applesauce if you’d like a slightly lighter, fruiter version of this bread. This recipe is also endlessly customizable! Try mixing in some chocolate chips, chopped Old Fashioned Candied Pecans and walnuts, or even raisins. For a sweeter, dessert-style twist, top the loaves with my Maple Frosting or Cream Cheese Glaze!
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need two 9×5 loaf pans, two large mixing bowls, a whisk, a spatula for mixing and dividing the batter, a grater, a cake tester or toothpick to check for doneness, and a wire cooling rack.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Zucchini: Grated zucchini adds incredible moisture to this bread, helping create a soft, tender loaf with a rich crumb. The best part? It blends in perfectly, without overpowering the other flavors!
Bananas: Bananas are one of the star ingredients here, bringing that classic banana bread taste to every slice. Karlynn’s Tip: The browner and spottier your bananas are, the sweeter and more moist your bread will be!
All-Purpose Flour: Flour forms the base of the batter and works together with the baking soda, baking powder, and eggs to give the bread its structure.
Sugar: A mix of brown and white sugar creates a balanced sweetness and helps keep the bread soft. Karlynn’s Tip: You can use brown sugar only for a deeper, caramelly taste, or experiment with alternatives like coconut sugar!
Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract add a warm, cozy flavor that pairs beautifully with your banana and zucchini.
How To Make Zucchini Banana Bread
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Mix your eggs, mashed bananas, brown and white sugars, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil in a bowl.
- Whisk all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Mix the wet and the dry ingredients until just combined, then stir in the zucchini.
- Divide between two greased loaf pans.
- Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, let cool in the pans for five minutes, and transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Zucchini Banana Bread
- Don’t Toss That Zucchini: If your zucchini is starting to look a little wrinkly or has a few soft spots on the peel, it may still be perfectly usable! Just trim away any parts that aren’t good and shred the rest. Even if it’s not ideal for roasting, it can still work beautifully in baked goods like this bread!
- Freeze Extra Shredded Zucchini: If you end up with more grated zucchini than you need, it freezes very well! Place the shredded zucchini in a zip-top bag, press out most of the air, and lay it flat before sealing. Store it in the freezer and thaw it later when you need it for another recipe!
- Put It to Good Use: Once thawed, your frozen zucchini is perfect for other baked treats, too! Try adding it to these Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe or a decadent Chocolate Zucchini Bread for another easy way to use it up!
Storage Instructions
This banana bread keeps wonderfully, but in our house, it rarely lasts long with four people enjoying it!
Refrigerator: Let the loaves cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or wrap them well. The bread will keep for about 3-5 days at room temperature or in the fridge.
Freezer: This bread freezes beautifully! Wrap the cooled loaves tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months, following USDA food safety guidelines. When ready to enjoy, thaw a loaf at room temperature before slicing and serving!
More Delicious Quick Bread Recipes
If you love banana bread, cozy homemade loaves, and easy Quick Bread Recipes, you’ll definitely want to try these out next:
- This Cinnamon Swirl Bread tastes like childhood in the best way possible. Soft, easy to make, and filled with warm cinnamon spice, it’s the kind of loaf that makes the whole kitchen smell amazing!
- Got extra zucchini to use up? My classic Zucchini Bread is moist, sweet, and perfect for breakfast, snacking, or dessert.
- A delicious way to work veggies into a sweet treat, this Carrot Bread is packed full of hearty raisins and walnuts!
And just like that, you’ve got two beautiful loaves of banana bread ready to enjoy! This is an easy, delicious way to turn simple ingredients into something sweet and homemade.
Bake a batch, share a loaf if you’re feeling generous, and don’t forget to let me know how it went in the comments below! You know that I always love hearing about your kitchen adventures.
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
Zucchini Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini, do not blot the moisture away with paper towels
Optional Add-Ins – you can add up to two cups
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° °F. Grease two standard 9×5 loaf pans and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, bananas, white and brown sugar, vanilla, and oil.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, then pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture.
- Mix until just combined.
- Stir in the zucchini and a cup of your chosen addition until the zucchini is mixed throughout.
- Using a spatula, divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans. Tap each loaf pan on the counter gently to remove any bubbles and make sure to flatten the top of the batter evenly with a spatula.
- Bake until a toothpick or a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean 55-60 minutes. If the tops of the loaves start browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.
- Remove from the oven and cool until you are able to touch the pans safely.
- Turn the loaves out onto a wire baking rack to finish cooling completely.
- These will last for 3-5 days at room temperature in a sealed container, and you can wrap them up and freeze them as well.
Notes
- Calories are PER LOAF
- These freeze perfectly, simply wrap really well and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Do not blot the moisture from the shredded zucchini, you need it in the batter
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wendy Grafe says
Super moist
Thank you
M says
I have an old favorite banana bread that I would never substitute for another one….except this recipe! Delicious, even doubled the recipe and it came out perfect. Thank you for my new favorite!