Zucchini Banana Bread is healthy, moist, and delicious. Made with whole wheat flour and sweetened with honey, it's the perfect way to use up abundant zucchini and overripe bananas!
¾cupgrated zucchini (approximately ½ of an average-sized zucchini)
1teaspoonsugar
1 ½cupswhole wheat pastry flour
1teaspoonbaking powder
¾teaspoonbaking soda
¼teaspoonsalt
¾cupmashed bananafrom approximately 2 medium overripe bananas
⅓cuphoney
⅓cupcoconut oilmelted & slightly cooled
1eggat room temperature
1 ½teaspoonspure vanilla extract
⅓cupplain yogurtat room temperature
1cupmini chocolate chipsoptional
Instructions
With the rack in the center position, preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan (I prefer using softened butter).
Place the grated zucchini in a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar and toss to coat. While you work on the batter, the sugar will draw the moisture out of the zucchini. Press down on the zucchini occasionally to squeeze the liquid into the bowl, removing as much liquid as possible before adding the zucchini to the batter.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the drained shredded zucchini, mashed banana, honey, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients; stir. Add the yogurt; stir. Add the remaining flour mixture and chocolate chips, if using. Stir until just blended.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the center of the bread tests done with a toothpick (my loaf required 55 minutes). Check the bread between 20 and 30 minutes and lay a sheet of foil over the top if it's getting too brown (I covered at 25 minutes). Once the bread is done, remove from the oven, carefully run a knife or thin spatula around the edge of the pan, and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run the knife around the edges again and then turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
It is recommended that ingredients be room temperature so that the melted coconut oil doesn't re-solidify when it touches cold ingredients. You can quickly warm up a cold egg (before cracking) by putting it in a bowl of warm water.
You may use up to ½ cup honey, if you wish, depending on how ripe/sweet your bananas are and how sweet you prefer your bread.