zucchini-banana whole-wheat bread with honey

Most banana bread-lovers have a trusted recipe that comes through for them every single time, no matter what surprises are thrown at it.  For me, this is the one…..made in many permutations and combinations, it still rises to a beautiful loaf.  A no-frills, one bowl kind of a bread which is perfect for a lazy weekend spent browsing the newspaper with a cup of coffee on the side.  With just a hint of sweetness, this is a breakfast bread and perfect when you want something barely sweet.

Banana bread is a staple in our house and I for one am never alarmed at the sight of bananas way past their prime on the kitchen counter.  I normally use any unrefined sweetener in my quick breads as they are a perfect pairing with whole grains and I grab whatever I spy first when I peer into the pantry.  This batch had buckwheat honey since I couldn’t find the plastic bear of regular honey and was out of maple syrup, but you could use any sweetener as long as you adjust the amount of liquid.  The dark, molasses-like buckwheat honey gives it a very robust, malty flavor and these loaves turned a tad bit darker since I baked this in my toaster oven.

I typically use a mixture of whole wheat and almond flours and the texture of the loaf is airy and moist.  It is best to refrigerate it after a day because the zucchini tends to soften the bread over time.  Although I like it as is most of the time, it is especially delicious spread with some salted butter.

Print Recipe

Zucchini Banana Bread with Honey

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp baking soda
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1 small zucchini (to give 1 cup of shreds)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x4 or 9x5 loaf pan and line bottom with parchment paper.

2

Shred the zucchini with the large holes of the grater and squeeze out as much water as you can** (I save the water and add it to soups or sambar). Keep aside half a tbsp of shreds to top the loaf before baking.

3

Mash the banana in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, eggs, honey and olive oil and mix well.

4

Add the vanilla, cinnamon, salt and baking soda and mix well.

5

Then add the whole-wheat flour, almond flour and walnuts. Mix a couple of times and fold in the shredded zucchini. Mix just until you don't see any more flour. Do not overmix as it will make the bread too gummy.

6

Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle some shredded zucchini. Bake for 45-55 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes our clean.

7

Cool in pan for ten minutes and then remove onto wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

*This is a very mildly sweet bread....you can use the half cup of honey if you like it sweeter. ** Make sure to squeeze out as much water as you can from the zucchini.