Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread

This Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread is a delicious way to use up ripe bananas and get in your veggies. The natural sweetness of ripe bananas with the subtle freshness of zucchini make it a wholesome snack or breakfast for both kids and adults! Plus it’s dairy-free and vegan.

I LOVE banana bread. I always have bananas on hand, however sometimes they “hang” around longer than expected and become overripe. This is a great recipe to use up those brown bananas rather than waste them and it also incorporates the zucchini you might have forgotten was still in the fridge. I literally created this recipe when I realized I had old bananas and zucchini since I hate throwing away food. This is a perfect way to use them both!

Zucchini might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about baking but trust me, it is a game-changer. The zucchini adds so much moisture to the bread which is why you want to make sure you squeeze out the additional moisture after shredding the zucchini and before adding it to the mixture. This step ensures there is not too much extra liquid and that the zucchini banana bread will have the perfect consistency. 

I crave banana bread especially when I’m looking for a sweet treat in the morning. This recipe uses maple syrup and vanilla for flavor, leaving out all of the additional sugar that is in your typical banana bread recipes. This recipe in particular incorporates zucchini with all its added health benefits so I feel even less guilty when I cut a slice of this for myself or the kids in the morning. It contains natural sugar and is a great way to camouflage veggies so your kids won’t even know! The chocolate chips are a great addition but if you want to leave them out, you can use walnuts instead.

This recipe uses gluten-free all purpose flour, which makes this chocolate chip zucchini banana bread gluten-free. You can use regular all purpose flour if you prefer but I would not suggest using any other flour as it is not a 1:1 substitute. 

This gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini banana bread is amazing when it is fresh, but also freezes well. You can freeze the entire load or half left over after you enjoy it warm. You can even freeze individual slices for a late night snack or for the kids’ lunchbox. It is also nice to have on hand when you make last minute plans and need a treat to bring to your friends or for when guests come over. 

I hope you love this gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini banana bread as much as I do! Let me know what you think!

What ingredients you need to make this gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini banana bread:

• Bananas- overripe large bananas
• Zucchini- you will need about half of a large one
• Maple Syrup- adds sweetness
• Ground flaxseed- this will be mixed with water and is a great source of fiber
• Avocado oil- can use melted coconut oil or butter if you prefer
• Gluten-free flour- or all-purpose flour
• Baking soda- helps the loaf rise
• Baking powder- provides the light, airy texture
• Sea salt- helps enhance sweetness
• Cinnamon- adds depth of flavor
• Vanilla extract- additional flavor as well
• Chocolate chips- any type will work
• Walnuts- optional in addition or as a replacement for chocolate chips 

How to make this gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini banana bread:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9″ loaf pan with olive oil or coconut oil
2. In a large bowl, mash together bananas and combine with zucchini
3. Add in maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, and flaxseed. Mix until well combined
4. Next add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt
5. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts if using 
6. Pour batter into the loaf pan 
7. Place banana bread into the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving

FAQs and tips on making this gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini banana bread:

• Mash the bananas on a cutting board. I used to put the bananas in a mixing bowl and always found it more difficult to mash them. If you lay them flat on a cutting board or plate, you can easily mash them and then put them into your bowl pre-mashed!
• Do I need to use ripe bananas? Yes! Aside from ripe bananas being easier to mash and create a smooth consistency, they are sweeter when they are freckled or even completely brown. If you are eager to make this and do not have ripe bananas, you can put the bananas in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. 

• Do I need to add zucchini? When I made this recipe, I used all measurements based on incorporating the zucchini. If you leave it out, the moisture might be off. I would suggest making my regular Classic Gluten-free Banana Bread Recipe if you are looking to omit the zucchini.

• Shred the zucchini- You will want to use a handheld shredder or cheese grater for this. The zucchini pieces should be fine, not cubed. You can leave the skin on or take it off, whatever you prefer.

• Dairy-free? Yes as long as you use dairy free chocolate chips or if you don’t want to add chocolate, leave it out! You can substitute with walnuts instead if you wish.

A few other banana bread recipes to try:

Classic Gluten-free Banana Bread Recipe

Gluten-free Blender Banana Bread

The BEST Cottage Cheese Banana Bread

Gluten-free Strawberry Banana Bread

Vegan Salted Caramel Banana Bread (gluten-free)