I know what you’re thinking. Banana bread has been around for thousands of years. There’s a recipe on every Pinterest corner. Why do we need another one?
One word. Zucchini.
I’ve got a ton of them coming out of the garden right now, and I know you probably do too. So what do you do? Plus, this time of year it doesn’t take long for the bananas to turn soft on the hutch. In our house we have a rule: let nothing go to waste!
So bread it is!
I love the combination of fresh zucchini with the bananas because it not only gives the bread incredible flavor, but it also keeps it moist. I hate dry banana bread. But if you don’t want to use zucchini you can substitute with applesauce.
You’ll also notice I’m using pecans instead of the traditional walnuts. Trust me. Pecans rule.
Let’s make some bread!
List of ingredients
- 2 overripe bananas
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup raw sugar
- 1 large fresh egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- Splash of vanilla
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 1/4 cup grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl (I used our stand mixer) mash the bananas until they are smooth. Add the melted butter and mix well.
- Add the sugar, egg, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Mix until smooth. Then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour to the bowl and mix.
- Fold in the zucchini, chocolate chips and pecans.
- Spray or grease an 8.5 x 4.5 baking dish or pan. Pour in the batter. Optional: sprinkle the top with chocolate chips or pecans.
- Bake for 55 minutes, then check the center of the bread with a toothpick. If the toothpick pulls away clean you’re good to go. Immediately flip your bread onto a bread rack and let sit for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
A few notes
- As I mentioned about, you can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce for the zucchini
- Use regular chocolate chips instead of white chips. Or get creative and try some peanut butter chips.
- When grating the zucchini, I will usually include the outer skin unless the zucchini is overgrown and the skin gets thick. In that case I’ll simply peel the outer skin off.
My kids are usually hovering around the table when I pull the bread out of the oven. I think they would gladly burn their mouths to devour the bread before it cools if I let them. I can’t blame them. I usually do.
Okay, now it’s your turn. Let me know how your bread turns out. And if you like this recipe please share it with a friend!
