This gluten-free Healthy Zucchini Banana Bread is a tender, moist, and easy quick bread you’ll want to make on repeat during summer. This easy almond flour bread recipe combines the best part of zucchini bread and banana bread. Naturally sweetened just the right amount with ripe banana and maple syrup, it’s perfect for a healthy breakfast and mid-day snack.
Summer is a perfect season to bake homemade zucchini bread! If you have abundant zucchini in your garden or from a farmer’s market, this recipe is a perfect place to add them to transform into a delicious and easy breakfast.
This recipe is a gluten-free bread made with almond flour, and you might think almond flour bread is dense. But not this recipe! It’s so fluffy and moist like regular zucchini bread thanks to added arrowroot starch.
Serve a toasted slice of zucchini banana bread with an energizing drink like Banana Matcha Latte or Iced Peanut Butter Banana Latte to kick start your day!
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Ingredients of Healthy Zucchini Banana Bread
The ingredients of this healthy banana zucchini loaf listed below are naturally gluten-free. But they can be processed with wheat or other gluten sources. So if you’re serious about avoiding gluten, please check the package label to make sure they’re gluten-free.
- Banana – use sweet and ripe bananas for the best result.
- Eggs – combine the gluten-free batter together and add structure to the bread.
- Maple syrup – I prefer to use natural sweeteners like maple syrup in baking instead of white sugar. Plus maple syrup complements the wholesome flavor of zucchini banana bread.
- Zucchini – use fresh zucchini and shred it with a box grater or a hand-held cheese grater. Just shred and add to the batter to make a moist loaf.
- Almond Flour – almond flour is ground almonds and a great flour option for gluten-free baking. It has a slight sweetness and buttery nutty flavor. Finely ground almond flour is the best for smooth bread.
- Arrowroot Starch – gluten-free bread made with almond flour can be dense and have a grainy texture. Arrowroot starch helps make the bread lighter and smooth.
- Baking powder – use fresh baking powder for the best lift. The shelf life of baking powder is 6 months after it’s opened.
- Cinnamon – I’m a big fan of Ceylon cinnamon for its sharp flavor. But any cinnamon works here.
- Salt – enhance the flavor.
- Walnuts and Chocolate Chips – adding walnuts and chocolate chips are optional but highly recommended!
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The beauty of this recipe is that there is no need to squeeze the moisture from the shredded zucchini. It reduces the mess and dirty dishes, plus makes the bread moist.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add the banana and use the back of the fork to mash.
- Add eggs and maple syrup and whisk together.
- Stir in shredded zucchini. No need to squeeze out the moisture from zucchini.
- In another large bowl, whisk together almond flour, arrowroot flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Use a fork or spatula to combine.
- Add ¾ of walnuts and ¾ of chocolate chips to the batter and fold in. Save the rest of the walnuts and chocolate chips to top the loaf.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Scatter the remaining walnuts and chocolate chips on top of the loaf.
- Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes until golden brown on top. Cover the surface with aluminum foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the toothpick inserted center comes out clean and the center of the bread is set.
- Let rest for 10 minutes and remove the bread from the pan. Let cool completely before enjoying.
Hint: I recommend measuring the dry ingredients with a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups for accurate measuring. The result of scooping flour with measuring cups can vary and affect the result. Plus, you don’t have to wash the dirty measuring cups!
Substitutions & Variations
You can swap maple syrup for other sweeteners like honey or agave syrup.
Stir in your favorite add-ins instead of chocolate chips and walnuts. Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds are delicious!
Serving Suggestion
This zucchini banana bread is naturally sweet and delicious on its own. But serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and butter is also great. Berries and a dollop of nut butter or Nutella are also amazing companions.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Box grater or hand-held cheese grater(I use a microplane grater)
- Mixing bowls
- Fork
- Spatula
- Loaf pan(I use 1 pound bread loaf pan from USA pan, dimensions are 8.5″ x 4.5″ x 2.75″)
- Parchment paper
- Kitchen scale(highly recommended for baking) or measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Storage
Gluten-free treats don’t stay fresh as long as ones with gluten. So make sure to place the zucchini banana bread in an air-tight container and keep in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before enjoying or microwave it until just warm to make chocolate chips melty. I also like enjoying a cold slice of bread just out of the fridge!
The bread also freezes well. So slice and store in an air-tight container to freeze.
FAQ
This recipe is made with naturally gluten-free ingredients. But some products on the market can be processed with wheat or other gluten sources. So if you’re serious about avoiding gluten, please check the package label to make sure all the ingredients are gluten-free.
This bread has eggs in it so it’s not vegan. But it’s vegetarian.
This bread can be dairy-free if you’re using dairy-free chocolate chips.
Related Recipes
Looking for more healthy breakfast recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Want to start the day energized? Try enjoying a slice of healthy zucchini banana bread with a cup of matcha!
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If you enjoy the recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! I’d love to know what you think!
Healthy Zucchini Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana about ½ cup
- 2 eggs
- 6 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 cup shredded zucchini(130g) no need to squeeze out the moisture
- 2 cups almond flour (224g)
- ⅓ cup arrowroot starch (48g)
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- A pinch sea salt
- ½ cup walnuts crushed
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the banana and use the back of the fork to mash.
- Add eggs and maple syrup and whisk together. Then stir in shredded zucchini.
- In another large bowl, combine almond flour, arrowroot flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Use a fork or spatula to combine.
- Add ¾ of walnuts and ¾ of chocolate chips to the batter and fold in. Save the rest of the walnuts and chocolate chips to top the loaf.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Scatter the remaining walnuts and chocolate chips on top of the loaf.
- Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes until golden brown on top. Cover the surface with aluminum foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the toothpick inserted center comes out clean and the center of the bread is set.
- Let rest for 10 minutes and remove the bread from the pan. Let cool completely before enjoying.
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