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Banana zucchini bread with chocolate chips

Banana Zucchini Bread

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Author: Nico Pallotta

Wet Ingredients

  • 3 ripe bananas 12 ounces, 330 grams or 1⅓ cup mashed
  • 2 medium zucchini 10 ounces or 300 grams, or 2 cups grated with the large holes of a box grater
  • ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
  • ¼ cup (55 grams) olive oil or another neutral vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) almond milk or any other milk
  • 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour or 50% whole-wheat flour and 50% all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon (1 pinch) salt

Add-Ins (optional)

  • ⅓ cup (60 grams) dark chocolate chips
  • ½ cup (60 grams) walnuts chopped

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper on the bottom and brush the sides with oil or butter.
    buttered loaf pan
  • In a large bowl, mash 3 ripe bananas with a fork, then add ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup almond milk, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
    Mashed banana for banana zucchini bread
  • Rinse, dry, and grate 2 medium zucchini with the large holes of a box grater, then squeeze some of their water out.
    Fold the grated zucchini into the banana mixture.
    Add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
    Stir to combine to break off most lumps, but without overmixing.
    grated zucchini in banana zucchini bread
  • Optionally, fold in ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips and ½ cup walnuts.
    Banana Zucchini bread batter with chopped walnuts and chocolate chips in a glass bowl
  • Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes at 350°F or 180°C.
    The banana zucchini bread should be a dark golden brown on top. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly dry (not completely dry).
    Banana Zucchini bread after baking
  • Let the bread cool down completely - at least 3 hours but better overnight - on a wire rack, then slice into 0.8 Inches or 2 cm thick slices and enjoy.
    banana zucchini bread slices on a cutting board
Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 slice of banana zucchini bread out of 12 slices with chocolate and nuts.
Without add-ins each slice would be 196 calories. Without oil and add-ins each slice would be 156 calories. 
SUBSTITUTIONS
All-purpose flour: substitute 50% whole-wheat flour for 50% of AP flour.
Almond milk: substitute soy milk, oat milk, dairy milk, or any other non-dairy milk.
Olive oil: substitute vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, and sunflower oil. You can also make the recipe oil free by simply keeping the oil out. 
Vanilla extract: substitute cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or all-spice.
Dark chocolate chips: substitute a dark chocolate bar chopped with a knife.
Walnuts: substitute chopped pecans, almonds, cashews, cranberries, or raisins.
STORAGE
Make ahead: Banana zucchini bread is an excellent recipe to make ahead because the loaf needs time to cool completely. The flavors meld as the bread cools, and the recipe tastes much better the day after it is made.
Storage: Place the loaf in a reusable plastic bag and store it in a cool corner of your kitchen for up to 3 days. Alternatively, store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer: This is an excellent recipe for freezing. Let the bread cool down completely, then wrap it in freezer-friendly film and freeze for up to 3 months. You can freeze it whole or in slices.
Thaw: Defrost in the fridge, microwave, or at room temperature.
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