Gluten Free Zucchini Banana Bread
Gluten Free Zucchini Banana Bread –a brilliant way to sneak a whole garden fresh zucchini into a loaf of moist and delicious banana bread. Great for customizing with chocolate chips, chopped nuts or dried fruit.
👉 Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Minimal cleanup. You’ll only need one bowl for this banana bread making clean up a breeze.
Great way to use up a surplus of summer zucchini.
Great for gifting. Gluten free zucchini banana bread is great for holiday gifting and summer barbecues.
You can eat it for breakfast, as a snack and even make the batter into muffins.
Customize your add-ins many different ways, though I love adding chocolate chunks.
For veggie skeptics, this recipe is a great way to sneak zucchini in.
🥒 Ingredients for Gluten Free Zucchini Banana Bread
- Ripe Bananas: You’ll need about 3 or 4 which will yield about a cup and a half of mashed banana.
- Melted Butter or Ghee: This wet ingredient will make the bread moist and buttery. You can use coconut oil, but it will give the banana bread a subtle coconut flavor.
- Zucchini: One large zucchini will make about 1 cup of shreds. Adding zucchini shreds keeps the bread moist and adds some vitamins and minerals.
- Vanilla Extract: adds that hint of flavor to the bread and compliments all the flavors.
- Light Brown Sugar: sweetens the bread along with the bananas. For refined sugar-free banana bread, use coconut sugar.
- Eggs: will help bind everything together and give it nice brown top.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend: I love using King Arthur Gluten Free Flour Blend because all of my gluten-free baked goods come out perfect. If gluten is of no concern, you can use all purpose flour.
- Warming Spices/ Ground Cinnamon & Nutmeg: give this zucchini banana bread warm and cozy flavor.
- Salt and Baking Powder: help the bread rise and enhance flavor.
- Recommended Equipment: box grater, nut milk bag, silicone 9 x 5 loaf pan, potato masher.
📖 How To Make Gluten Free Zucchini Banana Bread
1️⃣ Shred zucchini:
Using a box grater, carefully shred all of the zucchini. You do not need to peel it beforehand (unless you prefer it). Using a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or paper towels, wring out any excess moisture from the zucchini shreds. Set aside.
2️⃣ Preheat oven and prep loaf pan:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with butter, avocado oil or coconut oil. You could also line it with parchment paper. Once cooled, the loaf of bread will pop right out.
3️⃣ Mix wet ingredients together:
In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar until fully combined. Then, add the ripe bananas and mash them in until they are no longer chunky (although it won’t be perfect). Next, whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract and shredded zucchini until a smooth, loose batter forms.
4️⃣ Mix in dry ingredients:
To the batter, add flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix to combine.
5️⃣ Fold in mix-ins (optional):
If you are adding chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc., gently fold them in now. Save some to sprinkle on the top of the bread before baking.
6️⃣ Bake, cool, slice and serve:
Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. You may need to bake your bread 5 to 10 minutes longer depending on your oven. Let cool COMPLETELY before removing from the loaf pan, slicing and serving.
👉 Recipe Tips
- Make sure the zucchini is well drained. To make it easy, use a nut milk bag.
- Let baked bread FULLY cool before slicing. This is the hardest part but the bread will stay intact if you’re patient!
- Use VERY overripe bananas. They contribute to the texture and sweetness of the bread. You want your bananas to be soft, squishy and bruised.
- Use a gluten free flour blend that already has xanthan gum in it. My favorite to use is King Arthur Gluten Free Flour (I buy it from Costco).
- Make sure your baking powder is fresh and not expired! There is a big difference in the rise of baked goods when it comes to old or expired baking powder. Check your pantry!
- Make gluten-free banana zucchini muffins using a muffin tin.
🔁 Variations & Substitutions
Add some crunchy walnuts or pecans.
For a refined sugar-free banana bread, substitute brown sugar for coconut sugar.
Mix in white chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate.
Add shredded carrots to the batter for a double dose of veggies, flavor and moisture.
Add a ½ tsp of lemon zest or lemon extract.
Mix in ½ to 1 cup of dried raisins or cranberries.
Add pumpkin pie spice to the batter to give it some fall flavor.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Slather with butter or homemade ghee.
Spread almond butter on top.
Toast a slice for breakfast.
Crumble a slice into a yogurt parfait.
Top with whipped cream.
Banana zucchini bread can be eaten hot or cold! To reheat, warm it in the oven at 325 F for 10 to15 minutes (or microwave for 20 to 30 seconds).
❓FAQ
If your air fryer basket is large enough to fit a loaf pan, you can bake it right in there. For this banana bread, air fry at 325 F for 40 to 45 minutes. About halfway through, if the top starts getting too brown, cover it with foil. Remember that every air fryer is different, so you may need more or less time. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean, it’s done!
Plastic wrapped slices or loaves can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place on a wire rack on the counter for a few hours until completely defrosted.
It should not! This means it was slightly undercooked. Always check with a toothpick before you finish baking.
You could bake the batter in muffin tins at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes -or make a banana bread cake using cake pans.
Since the texture and structure of coconut and almond flour are completely different than gluten-free flour these would not be a good substitute.
You can use vegetable oil although not the healthiest option. Coconut oil would be best. However, it may give your banana bread a subtle coconut taste if you don’t use triple filtered coconut oil.
There are banana bread variations made with applesauce or pumpkin puree. However, I have not tested this recipe using those ingredients.
More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Gluten Free Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Gluten Free Pumpkin Banana Bread
Gluten Free Doubletree Cookie Copycat Recipe
Gluten Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Keto Cinnamon Pecan Muffins
Gluten Free Zucchini Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Banana ripe, mashed
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Zucchini shredded
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1.5 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- OPTIONAL: 1 cup Chocolate Chips or other add-ins
Instructions
- Start out by grating your zucchini with a box grater until all of it is shredded. You do not need to peel your zucchini beforehand unless you prefer it. Once shredded, place it in an almond milk bag, cheese cloth or paper towels and wring out the excess water. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9X5 loaf pan with butter, avocado oil or coconut oil. You could also line it with parchment to help the cooled and and baked bread come out of the pan easier.
- In a large bowl add in your melted butter and sugar. Whisk together until fully combined then add ripe bananas and mash them into the butter and sugar mixture until bananas are not chunky though it won’t be perfect! Whisk in eggs and vanilla extract, and shredded zucchini and mix until a smooth batter is formed.
- Add in your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and stir until everything is evenly combined.
- If you are adding in any chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit or other add ins, stir them in now. Save some to add to the top of the bread before baking.
- Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick is inserted into the middle and comes out clean. This may take 5-10 minutes longer depending on your oven. Let cool COMPLETELY before removing from the loaf pan, slicing and serving.
Looks good! I don’t see bananas in the ingredient list FYI. 🙂