This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This moist Zucchini Banana Bread is the perfect way to use ripe bananas and fresh summer zucchini in one easy quick bread. It’s soft, tender, full of sweet banana flavor, and loaded with melty chocolate chips in every slice.
It’s a great recipe for breakfast, after-school snacks, lunchboxes, or anytime you need a make-ahead treat. This banana zucchini bread also freezes beautifully, so go ahead and bake an extra loaf while the zucchini is piling up.
Table of Contents
- Kellie’s Note Bananas for Zucchini
- Ingredients for Zucchini Banana Bread
- How To Make Zucchini Banana Bread
- Kellie’s Tips for the Best Zucchini Banana Bread
- Do I Need to Peel or Seed the Zucchini?
- Zucchini Banana Bread Variations
- Serving Ideas
- How to Make a Healthy-ish Zucchini Banana Bread
- Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread Recipe
Kellie’s Note
Bananas for Zucchini
It’s happening! Summer zucchini is starting to pile up on the kitchen counter and there’s only one way to fix that problem, Zucchini Banana Bread!
It seems to be a common problem in the summer, the zucchini stash but the bananas are there, too. And when that happens I make one of my families favorite recipes ever Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread.
It’s simple to make, studded with melty chocolate chips and completely irresistible. And if you have a TON of zucchini, make a double batch because this easy quick bread freezes beautifully!
I’ve been making this bread for decades and it’s always gone in no time.
Ingredients for Zucchini Banana Bread
- Zucchini: Use finely grated zucchini so it blends right into the bread. If your zucchini is very watery, squeeze out the excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel before adding it to the batter.
- Bananas: Very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots are best. They add natural sweetness, moisture, and classic banana bread flavor.
- Greek yogurt: A little Greek yogurt keeps the loaf soft, tender, and moist.
- Butter: Softened butter gives the bread rich flavor.
- Milk: A splash of milk helps loosen the batter and keeps the texture tender.
- Mini chocolate chips: Mini chips spread evenly through every slice, but regular semi-sweet chocolate chips work, too.
- Flour, baking soda, and salt: These pantry staples give the bread structure and help it rise.
I know it’s hot and a lot of you don’t want to turn on the oven but this is nothing short of spectacular and well worth the little effort.
Baking things like Banana Bread and Bread Pudding….but with things we have around the house…like this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread recipe is a great way to cut back on waste. Because groceries are not cheap and I’m all about the budget friendly recipes these days.
How To Make Zucchini Banana Bread
This recipe was a mashup of my favorite Zucchini Bread and my Banana Bread recipe.
- Prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the grated zucchini, mashed banana, milk, Greek yogurt, and eggs until combined.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until blended. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Stir them in gently so they are evenly distributed.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 60–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
Kellie’s Tips for the Best Zucchini Banana Bread
- Use very ripe bananas. The browner the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be.
- Squeeze watery zucchini. Small to medium zucchini usually work best. If the grated zucchini seems very wet, squeeze it gently in a clean towel so the loaf does not turn soggy.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing can make quick bread dense or tough.
- Check the center. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Tent with foil if needed. If the top is browning before the center is done, loosely tent the loaf with foil for the last 10–15 minutes of baking.
- Cool before slicing. Letting the bread cool helps it set so you get cleaner slices.
Do I Need to Peel or Seed the Zucchini?
You do not need to peel zucchini for zucchini banana bread. The peel softens as it bakes and adds pretty green flecks throughout the loaf.
If you are using small or medium zucchini, there is no need to remove the seeds. If your zucchini is very large and seedy, slice it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds before grating.
Zucchini Banana Bread Variations
- Lighten it up: Reduce the sugar by up to half for a less-sweet loaf.
- Make it nutty: Fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Skip the chocolate: Leave out the chocolate chips for a more classic banana zucchini bread.
- Use dark chocolate: Swap semi-sweet chips for dark chocolate chips.
- Add crunch: Sprinkle coarse sugar over the top before baking for a crackly bakery-style top.
- Make muffins: Divide the batter into a lined muffin pan and bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serving Ideas
This banana zucchini bread is delicious slightly warm with butter, served with coffee, packed into lunchboxes, or enjoyed as an afternoon snack. For a sweeter treat, add a smear of cream cheese, a drizzle of honey, or a little extra butter on a warm slice.
How to Make a Healthy-ish Zucchini Banana Bread
If you want to make this a healthy Zucchini Banana Bread recipe, you can totally cut the sugar in half without really changing the texture of the bread. You can ALSO skip the chocolate chips….but WHY? Why would you do that?
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Store zucchini banana bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator if your kitchen is warm.
- To freeze, let the loaf cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze the whole loaf or individual slices for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen bread at room temperature before serving. To reheat, warm individual slices in the microwave for 15–20 seconds, or toast lightly and spread with butter.
More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
If you love this zucchini banana bread, try one of these easy quick bread recipes next:
Want to see what else we’re baking up? Follow us on Instagram!
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9 inch loaf pan
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana, about 1 1/2 bananas
- 1/4 cup 2% milk
- 1/4 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar and butter beating at medium speed until fluffy. On low-speed, add the zucchini, banana, milk, greek yogurt and eggs mixing until combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Keeping the mixer on low-speed and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat just until blended. Add the chocolate chips and stir briefly.
- Pour the batter into a 9×5 inch metal loaf pan coated with cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
- Remove from pan and cool on rack.
Notes
- For best results, use very ripe bananas and finely grated zucchini. If the zucchini seems watery, squeeze out the excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel before adding it to the batter.
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added. Stir just until combined for the most tender loaf.
- Bake for 60–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with foil during the last 10–15 minutes of baking.
- Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm individual slices in the microwave for 15–20 seconds, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If your zucchini is very watery, yes. Grate it finely, then squeeze out excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel. This helps prevent the loaf from becoming soggy.
Yes, but thaw it first and squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible before adding it to the batter.
Very ripe bananas are best. Look for bananas with lots of brown spots because they are sweeter, softer, and easier to mash.
Yes. You can leave out the chocolate chips for a more classic banana zucchini bread, or replace them with chopped walnuts, pecans, or dried fruit.
Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If it has wet batter on it, continue baking.
The bread may need more baking time, the zucchini may have had too much moisture, or the batter may have been overmixed. Squeeze watery zucchini and bake until the center is fully set.
Hi Kellie. One of the guys brought some of this to work, it was so good. I can’t wait to try your version.
It’s in the oven… all I had was the honey Greek goddess yogurt. Hope it turns out
That actually may make it even better!
awesome recipe!
Thank you so much!