This healthy zucchini banana bread makes a great snack, dessert or breakfast on the run. It’s also packed full of nutrients, moisture and flavor! Easy to make, this healthy loaf checks off so many boxes! {Gluten-fee, dairy-free and paleo}
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Healthy Banana Zucchini Bread Recipe
If you’re looking for an easy and delicious way to use up this season’s zucchini, this healthy zucchini banana bread recipe is one super tasty option!
This loaf is dense, but still incredibly moist and has just the right amount of sweetness coming from the mashed bananas and touch of maple syrup, without resulting in an overly sweet bread.
The combination of the almond and coconut flour give it a delicious nutty flavor, and also make this loaf a gluten-free option.
Keep reading for tips on how to make the perfect gluten-free banana zucchini bread!
If you’re looking for more zucchini recipes, be sure to try my Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread and Carrot Zucchini Muffins too!
Why We Love this Almond Flour Zucchini Banana Bread
- Healthy: Because this delicious banana bread incorporates banana and zucchini, it’s a great way to sneak some extra servings of fruit and vegetables into the day. Those components not only add extra moisture, but also nutrients like fibre, potassium, and B-vitamins! As a bonus, it’s low in added sugar.
- Simple: It only takes about 15 minutes to make this easy zucchini banana bread before it gets baked in the oven, so it’s a great recipe if you don’t have a lot of time to spare.
- Make ahead: This loaf recipe has a good shelf life and freezes well.
- Suits a wide range of dietary needs: Unlike your classic banana bread recipe, this healthy zucchini bread is gluten-fee, dairy-free, paleo and vegetarian-friendly, so it’s great for those with intolerances or specific dietary requirements.
Ingredient Notes
- Banana: Use overripe bananas for optimal natural sweetness and banana flavor. They will also be easier to mash before combining with the other ingredients.
- Eggs: Large eggs are used to bind the ingredients together. You could also try subbing in chia or flax eggs for an egg-free option, but this hasn’t been tested.
- Zucchini: Shred the fresh zucchini using a box grater and squeeze out any excess moisture so that your loaf doesn’t turn out too moist.
- Maple syrup: Is used instead of brown sugar or white sugar for some added sweetness and flavor. Use 100% pure maple syrup. You can also use honey in place of the maple syrup if you prefer.
- Flour: We use a mixture of almond and coconut flour, which forms nice moist crumbs when combined with the other ingredients. Use super-fine blanched almond flour for best results.
How to Make Zucchini Banana Bread – Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan using non-stick cooking spray or other desired method.
- In a large bowl, mash one and a half large bananas until mostly smooth, with some lumps.
- Add eggs and beat together with banana using a whisk or fork. Mix in grated zucchini, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt until all of the lumps are gone.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Distribute the loaf mixture into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula until the surface is even. Top with chopped walnuts, if desired.
- Bake for 55-60 min or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Let bread cool for at least 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
Slice and serve warm, cold or at room temperature.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable easy zucchini bread recipe!
Flourless Zucchini Bread Tips
- To ensure that the loaf isn’t too moist, I recommend shredding the zucchini and then using your hands or cheese cloth to wring out the excess moisture from the zucchini. To get even more moisture out, you can sprinkle the shredded zucchini with a bit of salt and allow it to sit for 10 minutes in a colander. And then give it a good squeeze.
- Be sure to use overripe brown bananas as they will provide more sweetness and better flavor to the loaf.
- Grease the pan well or line it with parchment paper to prevent the banana zucchini bread from sticking to the pan.
Storage Guidelines
Once your loaf has cooled, store it in an airtight container or wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. It will keep well for around 3 days at room temperature and up to 6 days in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
Definitely! In fact, whenever our bananas start to go all brown and spotty, the first thing that I do is pop them in the freezer right away and save them for recipes like this one!
Super handy and you know the flavor is going to be dynamite since the bananas have reached their maximum ripeness.
Yes! To do so, distribute the batter into some silicone baking cups and bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes. Add some chocolate chips to make chocolate zucchini muffins!
Absolutely! You can either freeze the entire loaf in a freezer bag and allow it to thaw when ready to serve or you can cut the loaf into individual slices and wrap each piece in saran wrap or store in little snack bags.
Place in the fridge or at room temperature for a few hours to allow it to thaw out. You can also place it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up slightly.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this healthy zucchini banana bread on its own or pair it with some sides for a more satisfying breakfast or snack!
Try this delicious loaf with:
- Oven Baked Eggs
- Creamy Scrambled Eggs
- Crustless Mini Quiche
- Raspberry Protein Smoothie
- A spread of peanut butter or almond butter
- Yogurt
- Fresh fruit
Recipe Variations
- Want more crunch? Add additional walnuts or pecans to the bread batter.
- Craving chocolate? Add chocolate chips to the batter.
- Don’t have maple syrup? Use honey instead.
- Add extra spices: Try allspice, mace and/or ginger.
- For additional nutrients: Add some chia seeds, ground flaxseed or Hemp hearts.
More Healthy Baked Goods
- Banana Bread with 2 Bananas
- Protein Banana Bread
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
- Gluten-Free Apple Muffins
- Mini Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Lemon Coconut Bread
- Gluten-Free Peach Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Healthy Zucchini Banana Bread {Gluten-Free}
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup mashed banana (about 1 1/2 large very ripe bananas)
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 small zucchini) squeezed of excess moisture**
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth (some lumps can still be present). Add eggs and beat together with banana using a whisk or fork. Mix in grated zucchini, maple syrup and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt until all lumps are gone.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pour the loaf mixture into the greased loaf pan and spread with a spatula until the surface is even. Top with walnuts, if desired.
- Bake for 55-60 min or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the loaf to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
Video
Notes
- To ensure that the loaf isn’t too moist, I recommend shredding the zucchini and then using your hands or cheese cloth to wring out the excess moisture from the zucchini. To get even more moisture out, you can sprinkle the shredded zucchini with a bit of salt and allow it to sit for 10 minutes in a colander. And then give it a good squeeze.
- Be sure to use overripe bananas as they will provide more sweetness and better flavor to the loaf.
- Grease the pan well or line it with parchment paper to prevent the loaf from sticking to the pan.
- You can also make this recipe into muffins, Simply pour the batter into a greased muffin tin or 12 silicone baking cups. Bake for 40-45 min at 350 degrees F.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted April 2018 and was updated in August 2023 to include better tips and photos.
Shelly or Brad King says
We are new to Celiac so with fall coming I am finally able to try a GF treat for my hubby. It was very tasteful and he appreciated it! I found it a bit crumbly when cutting and I apparently did not grease my pan enough BUT the taste was great! Thank you
Elysia Cartlidge says
Awesome, so glad you were able to find a GF treat that you and your husband could enjoy! If you had trouble with sticking, you could always line the bottom of the loaf pan with some parchment paper and then run a sharp knife around the sides to help it release more easily from the pan :)
Leah says
hi. I cannot use almond flour. would cup for for gf flour work as well?
Elysia Cartlidge says
The rule of thumb when substituting gluten-free flour for almond flour is to use a 1:2 ratio. So you could try doing 1/2 cup of gf flour along with the coconut flour. I haven’t tested this myself, so I’m not 100% sure how it will turn out, but this is where I would start. Let me know how it goes if you decide to experiment!
Kelly says
Delicious! Should leftovers be refrigerated?
Elysia Cartlidge says
So glad you enjoyed it! You should be able to store it at room temperature for up to three days, or in the fridge for up to a week. I typically stick the leftovers in the fridge just to be safe. Don’t want a perfectly good loaf going to waste!
Jo says
I made these into muffins and they are amazing! My husband loves the crispy top and the moist muffin! Great for breakfast, snacks or even dessert!
Elysia Cartlidge says
That’s awesome Jo! Love that you tried them as muffins :) So happy that your husband has been enjoying them too!!
Destiny Pack says
I cooked it. I added vegan unflavored protein powder and only 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Tastes good. Thanks! God bless.
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks so much for sharing your modifications and the final outcome! I love the addition of the protein powder to give the loaf an extra protein boost! I’ll definitely have to try that sometime! God bless you too :)
Destiny Pack says
I’m going to make this right now.im adding protein powder and less flour. Thanks. God bless.
Lee says
So moist and delicious. My 11 year old daughter and I made it. So many people love it and want more. We are now doubling the batch.
Elysia Cartlidge says
So happy to hear that you loved the recipe! Always good to have some extra slices of this loaf on hand!
sonia dudnic sreedharan says
What a terrific recipe Elysia. I used chia to see if it would work and it did. Really really delicious. I omitted the maple syrup as my bananas were quite ripe. It’s on the softer side but I was able to slice it. This one is a keeper. Thank you!
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks so much Sonia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Love the addition of the chia seeds too! I’ll have to try that out next time I make the loaf :)
Jessica says
I see the nutrition facts, but how big is a serving? Sorry, very particular over here 😋
Elysia Cartlidge says
The nutrition facts are for 1/8th of the loaf. At the top of the recipe card, you’ll see how many servings each recipe makes :) Hope that helps!
Heidi says
I wasn’t sure if it would be sweet enough with no sugar, but the maple syrup and the banana is just enough and it’s so delicious! I will definitely be keeping this recipe and making it again in the future.
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks so much Heidi! It’s always nice when you can sweeten baked goods more naturally and avoid that excess added sugar! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Jazmin says
I made this last week and was truly terrified the recipe had no butter or oil in the ingredients but it came out delicious and super moist! And honestly all the ingredients are as healthy as you can get for a bread! Can not wait to try the lemon coconut cake and carrot zucchini muffins!thanks for your recipe!!!
Elysia Cartlidge says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe Jazmin! It’s amazing how much moisture the banana and zucchini add! Hope you enjoy the other recipes too if you have a chance to try them out :)
Dianna says
I have to tell you, Elysia, this recipe is now one of my favorites! I have made muffins from it many times – everyone is nuts for it, even our non-gluten free friends (often share with others). I have found over many years of gluten free baking, that I enjoy upping spice amounts, so add a bit of allspice, mace and ginger. Love chopped pecans in them, too! Thank you so much for creating and sharing such a fantastic, and easy, recipe! Dianna
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks so much Dianna! So glad you’re loving this recipe! Love the addition of the extra spices and pecans! I appreciate you stopping by to comment :)
Becky says
Made this today and it was really good. I added some chopped walnuts. This is a keeper. Moist but not too moist. I really got a lot of water out of the zucchini.
Elysia Cartlidge says
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the loaf Becky! Definitely gotta squeeze that zucchini out for the perfect level of moisture! Thanks for stopping by to comment :)
Heidi says
Made this twice now, it’s moist and the amount of sweetness is perfect. Used molasses instead of vanilla the first time. I’m puzzled that it turned out so well without any kind of fat in the recipe! Would love to try incorporating butter into it, but for now will add that to each slice :D
Elysia Cartlidge says
YES!!! So glad it worked out for you! It’s definitely delicious even without the extra fat. That zucchini and banana really helps to moisten it up!
courtney says
do I measure the zucchini before it has been drained of the moisture or after?
Elysia Cartlidge says
Good question! I measured it before draining the moisture.
Brenda says
Made several loaves of this and froze some full loaves. They were fine when taken out. We made this recipe with all bananas as well but put extra banana. Came out delicious each way. My taste buds are bad so I added extra spices with cinnamon on top. We also used raw honey instead of maple syrup where we didn’t have it. We also made some into muffins for breakfast. We made a bunch up in one day to freeze ahead so we could take out as we need it. We do this with a lot of things. Thank you for the delicious recipe. It’s nice to have good for you but tasty too. Makes me love the diet I’m on. I’ve lost 35lbs and eating everything I always did but just a healthier version of it
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks so much for your feedback Brenda! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and that you’re having so much success making healthier modifications to your diet! Keep up the good work!!!
Jolene says
Do these freeze well?? I have an over abundance of zucchini currently and want to try this recipe and if I like it would love to freeze several loaves! :)
Elysia Cartlidge says
We’ve had a good experience freezing it! In fact, we have the chocolate version of this loaf in the freezer right now! Normally, I slice it first and then freeze the individual slices in little snack-sized freezer bags. I haven’t tried freezing a whole loaf yet. If you decide to try it out, please let me know how it goes!
Julie says
Can something be subbed for the maple syrup?
Elysia Cartlidge says
You could sub in honey, agave or brown rice syrup. Any of these liquid sweeteners should work for this recipe!
Jessi says
Could I make these into bars instead of bread?
Elysia Cartlidge says
You could certainly try it out! I haven’t experimented with bars yet using this recipe, but let me know if you give it a shot!
Stacey says
Hi! Could you please advise if the zucchini could be replaced by using all banana instead? thanks
Elysia Cartlidge says
I haven’t tried it myself, but you could certainly experiment with using just the banana. Perhaps you might want to add an extra banana to replace the moisture from the zucchini. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Diana says
I made this the other day and omg it’s delicious so moist and tasty🤗🤗Thank you for sharing ☺️
Elysia Cartlidge says
So happy you enjoyed it Diana!! Thanks so much for stopping by! :)
Eddie says
This flourless banana zucchini loaf is one of the best recipes I’ve seen in months. I have not made it yet, but I will definitely make it.
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks so much Eddie!
JoJo says
All the ingredients I always have on hand, I added crushed walnuts. Simple, Guilt Free and Delish!
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks JoJo! Love the addition of the walnuts!
Sophie James says
Nice Post !!
Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe
Please share more yummy creations with us…!
thanks :)
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks Sophie — I appreciate you stopping by! :)
Farrah says
I haven’t baked anything in a while, but I feel like starting off with this would be a good idea! *-* It looks so good!
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks Farrah! I’d strongly recommend starting off with this recipe ;)
Abbey Sharp says
What a gorgeous loaf! I love how you can see the little bits of zucchini. Looks delicious
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks so much Abbey! It’s a great way to use up that zucchini and it adds so much moisture to the loaf as well!
Mikki says
Wow! Love this recipe! Gluten-free and so simple! Can’t wait to try it out!
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks Mikki! Hope you enjoy if you get a chance to try it!
GiGi Eats says
THIS LOOKS SOOOOOOOO FRIGGIN GOOD! I have still NOT made zucchini bread but it has been on my mind for quite some time!! And you’re really inspiring me to make it for one of my next recipes :)
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks so much Gigi! Glad I could provide some inspiration! :)