Banana zucchini bread combines everything you love about both banana bread and zucchini bread in one recipe! It's wonderfully fragrant, moist, and just sweet enough. But this isn't your average quick bread recipe. This healthy zucchini banana bread is vegan, made with gluten-free oat flour, and contains no oil or butter. Omit the nuts to make it low-fat, and use date sugar for a refined sugar-free bread!
Consider this zucchini banana bread healthy enough for breakfast and delicious enough for dessert! In fact, it's also quickly becoming my new favorite snack.
Even without eggs, oil, or butter, the bread is moist and so satisfying. It's delightfully fragrant thanks to bananas, cinnamon, and vanilla, and the texture of oat flour makes it somehow light and hearty at the same time!
Enjoy a thick slice in the morning with a cup of coffee. And after dinner, serve banana zucchini bread for dessert. It's especially great warm with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream on top.
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Ingredients
- bananas - make sure to use bananas that are very ripe. They should be fragrant, sweet, with plenty of dark spots. Using bananas that are ripe enough is important for moisture and overall flavor.
- zucchini - you'll need one medium zucchini.
- oat flour - you can use store-bought oat flour or make your own by blending regular rolled oats until they're the texture of coarse flour.
- nut or seed butter - though this recipe is made without extracted oils, a little bit of fat improves the texture. I used tahini, but free to substitute another nut or seed butter if needed.
- baking powder and soda - since we're not using eggs, we need a little help from these leavening agents.
- sweeteners - a combination of granulated sugar and maple syrup creates the perfect amount of sweetness and flavor without adding too much moisture. Feel free to use light brown sugar, coconut sugar, or date sugar instead of regular cane sugar. And if you don't have maple syrup, agave nectar is an easy sub.
- additions - we enjoy using both walnuts and pistachios on top; the color of pistachios is a fun nod to the green zucchini. Pecans are also great. To reduce the total amount of fat in the bread - or to avoid nuts - decorate the top with sliced banana.
See the recipe below for amounts and full instructions.
How To Make Banana Zucchini Bread
Grate the zucchini and squeeze out excess moisture. Mash the bananas and combine with the other wet ingredients. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Stir wet and dry ingredients together to form a fluffy batter, then fold in the zucchini.
Transfer batter to an 8x4-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper, and sprinkle nuts on top. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the bread rest in the pan for about 15 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
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Tip: Now the difficult part! Since this banana zucchini bread is gluten-free, it is tender and more fragile than breads that contain gluten. So it's important to let the bread cool completely before slicing.
Substitutions and FAQs
Yes, instead of adding walnuts and pistachios on top of the loaf, you can use chocolate chips, raw pumpkin seeds, sliced banana, or extra cinnamon. Note that the batter includes tahini for richness and moisture. If you also need to avoid sesame, other options are sunflower seed butter or ¼ cup oil of choice.
Of course! Customize your banana zucchini bread by folding in chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or even dried fruits before baking for even more texture and flavor.
Oat flour is the only flour I've tested so far, but other flours should be fine, such as all-purpose, spelt, or whole-wheat pastry flour. Use the same amount by weight, 190 grams.
Absolutely! Portion the batter into non-stick muffin pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Substitutions
- Tahini: If you're out of tahini or prefer a different flavor profile, almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter are alternatives.
- Maple Syrup: If you're looking for a different sweetener, agave nectar or coconut nectar can be used instead of maple syrup.
- Sugar: Substitute coconut or date sugar to make this bread refined sugar-free.
How to Store
- Room Temperature: If you plan to enjoy your bread within a day or two, you can store it at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Just make sure it's in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
- Refrigeration: For a longer shelf life, you can refrigerate your banana zucchini bread for up to 5 days. Wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. When you're ready for a slice, simply let it come to room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
- Freezing: To keep your banana zucchini bread for even longer, consider freezing it, either as a whole loaf or sliced and individually wrapped. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature whenever you're ready for a treat.
More Recipes With Banana
- Vegan Protein Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
- Oil-Free Vegan Banana Brownies
- Healthy Banana Blondies
- Antioxidant Tofu Smoothie
- Cucumber Smoothie
- Chocolate Banana Baked Oatmeal
Top Tips
- Spotty Bananas: Overripe (or very, very ripe) bananas are the key to a banana zucchini bread with plenty of natural sweetness and moisture. Use bananas that have plenty of dark spots, and be sure to measure the amount after mashing.
- Zucchini: Grated zucchini isn't just a sneaky way to add veggies, it also lends a moist, tender crumb to your bread, but make sure to squeeze out excess moisture.
- Oat flour: Oat flour is wonderful in baked goods thanks to its neutral flavor and light-yet-hearty texture. If you don't have store-bought oat flour, blend rolled oats in a blender until they reach a fine consistency.
More Ways to Use Zucchini
Recipe Video
The process for today's recipe is very similar to my oat flour banana bread (shown in the video below). Give it a quick watch to see how easily the recipe comes together!
I hope you enjoy this healthy banana zucchini bread. If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and let us know!
Recipe
Banana Zucchini Bread (Oat Flour, Vegan)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini
- 2 to 2 ½ large very ripe bananas - should equal 1 cup when mashed
- ⅓ cup non-dairy milk - such as oat or soy
- ⅓ cup tahini or smooth almond butter - or other nut/seed butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups oat flour - see Notes
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- a few dashes nutmeg, optional
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts and/or pistachios, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C), and line an 8x4 loaf pan with parchment. The paper doesn't need to cover the ends; just make sure there's enough overhang on the long sides to easily lift the loaf from the pan after baking.
- Grate the zucchini and wrap it up in a tea towel or paper towels. Squeeze over the sink to remove as much moisture as possible. Set aside.
- Mash the bananas with a fork and measure the puree; make sure you have 1 cup (8 fl oz). Add to a bowl with the remaining wet ingredients (milk, tahini, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla, vinegar), and whisk to combine.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the oat flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Pour wet ingredients into dry. Stir to combine, then fold in the grated zucchini. The batter should be very fluffy and moist.
- Transfer batter to the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle nuts on top. Bake for about 55 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let the bread rest in the pan for about 15 minutes, then lift out by the parchment paper and place on a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Room Temperature: If you plan to enjoy your bread within a day or two, you can store it at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
- Refrigeration: For a longer shelf life, refrigerate your banana zucchini bread for up to 5 days. Place it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
- Freezing: Freeze as a whole loaf or individual slices. Wrap well then place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Annie says
Can I omit the bananas to make just zucchini bread?
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Annie - No, the bananas are critical to the batter. Sorry, I don't have a plain zucchini bread recipe to point you toward, but I do have a chocolate version.
Lori says
Wow! I love this recipe! I would never have thought to use tahini but it gives it such a unique flavor. I used unsweetened plain almond milk, as well as the optional nutmeg & walnuts. My 2 cups of oat flour weighed 200g. It’s pretty moist compared to some other quick bread recipes, but the zucchini I had might’ve been more than “medium,” or maybe I didn’t get as much liquid out of it as I should have? Regardless, it’s delicious! I am saving this recipe because I will certainly make it again! Thank you for sharing!
Valerie Hansen says
How much grated zucchini should I use? "Medium" zucchini as listed in recipe is too subjective for me. Thanks!
Lori says
I didn't weigh the zucchini; a little more or less won't break the recipe. I had 1 heaping cup full of grated zucchini, lightly packed (before squeezing out the moisture). Hope that helps!
RW says
Hello, thanks for the gluten free and vegan recipe 😊, can you use frozen bananas and if yes, what adjustments would I have to make in the recipe? Thanks again for the recipe.
Lori says
Hi! Yes, frozen bananas are great for bread. Let them thaw, and if any moisture drains off, discard that before mashing the bananas for the batter.