Banana Zucchini Bread


It happens every year, so you’d think I’d prepare for it, but for some reason, it always takes me by surprise. We wait and wait for that first zucchini (or tomato, or eggplant…) to be ready for harvesting, and before we know it, we are picking zucchini by the armful. Now I like zucchini, and have a great imagination when it comes to using them up in recipes, but it would be great if they wouldn’t be ready for picking all at once!

One day recently, I picked six zucchini from the garden, that I added to the other recently picked zucchini hidden away in my refrigerator, and knew  that I had to do something. I therefore pulled out all the zucchini, and that morning I made zucchini fritters, zucchini Parmesan for the freezer, and I used the rest of the zucchini in this recipe for quick bread.

I have baked a LOT of banana bread and zucchini bread throughout the years, but I have never combined the two until now. The bananas add a sweetness that is missing from the zucchini, while both ingredients add a lot of moistness to the bread.

This recipe makes two loaves, and to use up my zucchini bounty I made four loaves and froze three of them. They thawed out perfectly, and our Italian handyman was quite amazed at how tasty the bread turned out. Italians it seems, have never heard of using zucchini in desserts!

When baking with bananas, they need to be really ripe, with lots of brown spots all over. I was in a hurry, so I simply cubed my zucchini and through it in the food processor to grate it, which worked out perfectly. You can also grate it by hand if you prefer.

I use fat free Greek yogurt in my loaves, but you can use sour cream, or regular yogurt, depending on what you have on hand. I tend to avoid adding icing or glazes to my baking, but this bread would be nice with a light vanilla or cinnamon flavored glaze if you want to get a little fancy with your zucchini bread.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Banana Zucchini Bread

Banana Zucchini Bread

Yield: Makes Two 8 x 4 Inch Loaves
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Mashed Very Ripe Bananas (About 4 Large)
  • 2 Cups Grated Zucchini (See Notes Above)
  • 3/4 Cup Melted And Cooled Butter
  • 3/4 Cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt (See Notes Above)
  • 2 Large Eggs, At Room Temperature, Lightly Beaten
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 3 Cups Light Farro Flour (Or Oat Or All-Purpose Flour)
  • 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 3/4 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts

Topping:

  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans with baking spray. In one bowl, whisk together the bananas, zucchini, butter, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla until blended. In another bowl, stir to mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and soda, and salt. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined. Gently stir in the nuts. Divide the batter equally between the two loaf pans. Sprinkle on the nuts on top if using. Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!

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3 Comments

  1. Can I use melted coconut oil in place of the butter? How about a mixture of the two? Can’t wait to make this tomorrow. I appreciate a quick reply.

    1. I made this recipe with coconut oil instead of butter and the result was amazing, so moist. I plan on making some loaves tomorrow.

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