This Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread is just a little decadent, made in one bowl, and the perfect way to use up those fresh summer zucchini. This easy bread will only take you a few minutes to whip up and comes out perfect every single time. It is gluten-free, nut-free, and absolutely delicious!

One Bowl Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread

Is there anything better than a good banana bread? I would have said no but then I added fresh grated zucchini and chocolate chips to the mix, and now this one bowl chocolate chip zucchini banana bread has to be my new favorite thing. It sneaks in green veggies, is made entirely in one bowl, and could not be easier to make.

This bread is definitely a little decadent but so worth it. Eating all the healthy things does not mean you cannot take a moment to enjoy a little brown sugar and real butter every now and then. Living a healthy lifestyle is all about balance and this yummy zucchini bread is perfect to whip up when you’re craving a little banana chocolate chip goodness.

More Delicious Banana Recipes

Ingredients in Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread

Bananas: the base of this bread is of course ripe bananas! You’ll need 3-4 large bananas for this bread. Make sure they are nice and spotty and ripe for the best flavor.

Eggs: you’ll need two large eggs for this recipe.

Dark Brown Sugar: this adds the perfect touch of sweetness to the bread.

Vanilla Extract: I recommend one teaspoon but measure with your heart.

Melted Butter: unsalted butter adds the perfect about of richness to the bread. If you need to keep the recipe dairy free I’ve included a substitution below.

Cinnamon: a touch of cinnamon is always a good idea in any loaf of banana bread.

Gluten Free Flour: to keep this recipe gluten free, the recipe calls for gluten free flour. I recommend using a measure for measure all purpose gluten free flour for this bread.

Baking Soda: this adds a bit of lift to the banana bread.

Zucchini: plenty of freshly grated zucchini is folded into the batter right before baking.

Dark Chocolate Chips: last but not least dark chocolate chips add a bit of extra decadence to the banana bread.

Ingredient Swaps

Butter – need to keep this recipe dairy free? swap the butter melted coconut oil or unsweetened apple sauce.
Flour – not gluten free? swap the gluten free flour for all purpose flour instead.
Brown Sugar – if you prefer you can swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar. I don’t recommend using a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup as it will change the texture of the bread.
Mix-Ins – if you prefer, you can leave out the dark chocolate chips altogether, swap them for milk chocolate, or add in some chopped nuts in addition the chocolate chips.

Preparing the Zucchini for This Bread

Once you have grated the zucchini, it is important to remove any excess liquid. Zucchini naturally holds a lot of water. If you do not squeeze out the excess water it will make your bread soggy and hard to cook through. The best way to do this is by placing the grated zucchini in a tea towel (you could also use paper towels) and squeezing until all of the moisture has been removed.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make: Step by Step Instructions

Step One: Mash those bananas! You want them to be a liquified as possible.

Step Two: Add the melted butter, mashed banana, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and eggs to a mixing bowl. Stir until everything is well combined.

Step Three: Next, add the gluten-free flour, baking soda, and cinnamon to the mixing bowl. Stir until the batter is well mixed.

Step Four: Fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips.

Step Five: Transfer the batter to a prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle on a few extra chocolate chips, I like to use these mini-chocolate chips for the top, and bake at 350 degrees for sixty to sixty-five minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Step Six: Let the bread come to a cool in the loaf pan before transferring it to a wire rack to slice.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Zucchini Banana Bread

Use overripe bananas for the best results. Overripe bananas are the sweetest, easiest to mash, and the best to use for baking. Let your bananas ripen on the counter until they have plenty of brown spots on them before using.
I have found that the easiest way to mash bananas is with a potato masher!
This recipe calls for one teaspoon of cinnamon but feel free to add up to a tablespoon of if you really love the flavor.
Don’t like chocolate in your breads? Leave out the chocolate chips or replace them with chopped walnuts.
I like to turn the bread halfway through cooking to ensure that it cooks evenly.
You can insert a wooden skewer into the center of the bread to check on its doneness. Once it comes out clean the bread should be done.
To ensure that your bread does not stick, line the loaf pan with parchment paper. This will make it very easy to remove the bread from the loaf once it has cooled.
I love to reheat heat a slice of zucchini bread in the oven. The bread becomes just a little toasted and delicious!

How to Store

You can store your bread on the counter, tightly wrapped, for 3-4 days. If you need it to keep for a bit longer, I recommend storing the bread in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

How to Freeze

Yes! If you want to freeze your zucchini banana bread, here are a few of my favorite tips.

Slice the bread before freezing unless you know you are going to serve and eat the entire loaf at one time.
To freeze the banana bread, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place the wrapped bread in a freezer safe storage bag. When you are ready to eat, remove a slice of bread, or the entire loaf, from the freezer and let it thaw on the counter top.
If you would like, you can reheat a slice of banana bread in the oven at 350 degrees, wrapped in foil, for a few minutes until warmed through.

Can I Bake This Zucchini Banana Bread Loaf Into Muffins?

Yes! Transfer the banana bread batter to a lined muffin pan. Next, bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.

One Bowl Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 19 reviews

Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 12 slices 1x
Category: breakfast or dessert
Method: baking
Cuisine: american
Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Description

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread is just a little decadent, made in one bowl, and the perfect way to use up those fresh summer zucchini. This easy bread will only take you a few minutes to whip up and comes out perfect every single time. It is gluten-free, nut-free, and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

Scale

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ cups mashed banana, roughly 3-4 large bananas
1 heaping cup grated zucchini with all water removed
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups gluten free flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup dark chocolate chips (plus more for the top)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl add the melted butter, mashed banana, dark brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined.
Next, add the gluten free flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Stir until well combined.
Fold the grated zucchini and chocolate chips into the batter.
Transfer the batter to a prepared 9×5 loaf pan. If you would like, sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of the bread.
Bake the zucchini banana bread at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the bread cool before removing it from the pan and onto a wire rack for slicing. Enjoy!