A delicious homemade zucchini banana bread recipe, with gooey chocolate chips in each bite. The zucchini adds moisture and flavor without all the fat!
Thank you for your kind words on my post about how I started blogging full-time.
Whenever I publish a post that’s more personal than just a recipe, there’s always a little fear and hesitation. And yet, each time, the response from you all is always so positive and supportive.
I think the internet gets a bad rap for being a negative space where anonymous trolls can run rampant, and not enough focus is put on the positivity that can be found online as well.
Even on facebook or instagram, whenever I see someone posting about feeling down, there will be dozens—or sometimes even hundreds—of comments on the post from people who take time out of their busy lives to lift someone else up.
In other news, did you know that this past Monday was National Zucchini Bread Day?
I’m not sure why we never got the day off from school, but a day devoted to eating zucchini bread definitely ought to be celebrated.
This year I took it up a notch by combining two delicious breads worth celebrating: zucchini bread and banana bread.
The recipe was adapted from my Healthy Banana Bread and inspired by this Almond Flour Banana Bread.
I also added chocolate chips.
Because it isn’t a celebration without chocolate.
The recipe could not be easier. You just throw everything into the blender and let the machine do all of the work for you.
✓Flourless
✓Refined-sugar-free
✓Vegan, gluten-free, & oil-free options
✓Freezes well
Zucchini Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (260g)
- 1 cup mashed banana (240g)
- 1 cup finely grated zucchini, loosely packed (200g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup oil OR milk of choice
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, agave, or honey
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp vinegar
- optional 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F, and grease a 9×5 loaf pan very well, making sure to go up the sides. Put the oats in a blender and blend until a fine powder forms. Add all other ingredients (except optional chips) and blend until smooth. Stir in chips, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then bake on the middle rack for 35 minutes. Turn the oven off, but DON’T open the oven. Let the bread sit in the closed oven for another 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven and let cool completely before going around the sides with a knife, then inverting onto a plate.View Nutrition Facts
Notes
More Healthy Recipes with Bananas:
Flourless Banana Blender Muffins
Oh I’m definitely making this because your Flourless Banana Bread is a WINNER. 🙂 Love the addition of zucchini Katie! Have a wonderful day <3
Aw you too 🙂
What is the vinegar for , could I use ACV?
Thanks !
Yup that works!
This will be an awesome recipe to try when my mom’s garden is just overflowing with zucchini and we’re desperate to use it up! Our traditional zucchini bread recipe doesn’t have chocolate chips in it, if you can believe that! In fact, as big a chocoholic as I am, I never thought of adding them in. Can’t wait to try your healthy, chocolatey version!
why do you need to grate the zucchini or mash the banan if its going into the vitamix?
This is mostly for measurement purposes. If you have a food scale, you definitely can just use that. But many people don’t have one, so measuring it already-mashed is more accurate than simply saying to use “X number of zucchini.”
My daughters, under ten years, and I have been enjoying these recipes as we embark on a couple of weeks dairy and gluten free meals. Thank you for posting fun, yummy and easy recipes. This is just the one we need for today. One question though, why would National Zucchini Day be in April, why not summer when all the zucchini is piling up in the kitchen? 🙂
Haha I have no idea… There is also a national “Sneak Some Zucchini Under Your Neighbor’s Porch” day in August 🙂
In Vermont our neighbors stuffed our mailboxes with their surplus zukes ?
Not trying to rain on your neighbors parade but that is against the law.
Making this AND your back bean brownies right now…. realized after the bread was in the over that I forgot the vinegar (I even had it sitting on the counter!)… So now I’m curious as to what it adds to the recipe… is it for flavour, consistency, or??? Thanks!
Oh wow, you are fast! The vinegar is an acid, which reacts with the baking soda (a base). It helps form bubbles that will lift the baked good and make it lighter and fluffier. Yours will probably be fine, just with a possibly denser texture.
I had just turned on my tablet to find a zucchini bread recipe — and this popped up. It was fate! 🙂
Thanks for answering my question about the vinegar! My bread is out of the oven, and I couldn’t wait for it to cool completely before I grabbed the end slice. It *is* dense, but soooo moist and delicious!!
No eggs??
Can I use Apple Cider Vinegar or should I just use plain vinegar.;)
Can I substitute apple sauce for the banana? If so, how much?
You can always experiment!
Can this recipe be made into muffins
Sure it can definitely! You’ll just have to experiment with the baking time. Be sure to report back if you do 🙂
Jason
Yum! I love banana bread..and I love zucchini bread. Why not mash up the two together! And for sure, I always add chocolate chips too
I made this for my family today and everyone loved it! (Even my kids who aren’t gluten free!) I love how they are simple ingredients and you can throw everything in the blender! Yay! Thanks for the simple, but delicious recipe!
Some of the flour got stuck under the blades. How can I avoid this? (It was my first attempt at mixing baking ingredients via the Vitamix.)
LOVING this!! Tis the season for all things zucchini! Can’t wait to try this gorgeous creation 🙂
Love this recipe :)) Especially because of the chocolate chips 😀
http://thehappyvegangirl.com
Hi Katie – looks delicious! But don’t oats become flour when ground up in a blender? Isn’t oat flour a type of flour? How is this really “flour free”? Thanks!
You seem fun.
Obviously she means regular wheat flour free.. blended oats make a type of flour (you can buy it that way), but it’s not got the wheat or gluten that so many have issues with. You know that noggin on top of your neck? Use it! 😉
My blender was not able to blend according to the directions. After blending the oats, remove the oats and add at the end. It thickened up and got stuck in the bottom. I ended up having to remove everything and put into food processor. That worked great. Next time I will remove the oats after blending and add at the end with the dry ingredients. ?
I have never actually tried baking with zucchini but I can only imagine that it would taste AWESOME and lend a delicious moisture to the bread! I love this idea!
Hey, I think you can get away with just using matzoh meal… it’s a close enough equivalent to the oat flour you’re basically making by grinding the oatmeal. I would just use a little less because the matzoh meal is “thirstier” than the flour. Or increase the amount of milk.
About how many bananas is 1 cup mashed (1 or 2 medium?) and 1 cup grated zucc? I honestly don’t care if this is perfect, just looking for best approximation. Thank you!
Unfortunately I really don’t remember and think the zucchini would really depend on size. One banana should yield around 1/2 cup mashed.
This was delicious!!! It is so moist and full of flavor! Thanks for the recipe! I made this along with your black bean brownies and I loved them both!
This looks delicious! I recently made a recipe for orange cranberry zucchini muffins. I love putting zucchini in baked goods – such an easy way to add some nutrition. Can’t wait to try this recipe!