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whole wheat banana zucchini bread

Simple Whole Wheat Banana Zucchini Bread

Delicious Simple Whole Wheat Banana Zucchini Bread recipe with step-by-step instructions.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 7 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 1025
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the dry ingredients
  • 2 cups wheat flour (I always use King Arthur white whole wheat for a lighter texture)
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
For the wet ingredients
  • 2 bananas (mashed until smooth with few lumps)
  • 1/2 cup honey (I prefer Nature Nate's raw honey for better sweetness)
  • 1 egg (room temperature, about 70°F)
  • 1/4 cup yogurt
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup zucchini (shredded and squeezed dry in a kitchen towel to prevent sogginess)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center. While the oven heats, prepare your ingredients: shred the zucchini and squeeze it thoroughly in a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture—this prevents the bread from becoming dense and soggy. Mash the bananas in a bowl until smooth with just a few small lumps remaining; this texture creates a more tender crumb than fully pureed bananas. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan or similar size and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Whisking these dry ingredients together ensures the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed throughout the batter, which gives you consistent rise and flavor in every slice. Set this mixture aside.
  3. To the bowl with mashed bananas, add the honey, room-temperature egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla. Whisk this mixture together until well combined and smooth. I find that using room-temperature eggs helps them incorporate more smoothly into the batter without creating lumps, which makes for a better texture. The yogurt and milk add moisture while the egg acts as a binder to hold everything together.
  4. Add the squeezed zucchini to the wet ingredient mixture and stir to distribute evenly. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixture and fold together gently using a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined—do not overmix, as this can develop gluten and create a tough, dense bread. A few small streaks of flour are okay; stop folding as soon as you don't see dry patches. Fold in the chopped walnuts last.
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). I like to check at 45 minutes first since ovens vary—every oven bakes a little differently, so start checking earlier rather than later to avoid overbaking.
  6. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. This resting time in the pan allows the bread to set up enough to release cleanly from the pan, while cooling on a rack prevents the bottom from getting soggy from trapped steam.