Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread is the most delicious way to enjoy your ripe bananas and garden fresh zucchini! Packed with fruit, veggies and luscious chocolate chips, this is one recipe you can feel good about making and sharing.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread combines the decadence of a sweet banana bread loaded with chocolate chips and the extra moistness of zucchini. If you’ve never added zucchini to your baking, you’re in for a real treat! Zucchini makes baking so incredibly moist.
Banana bread is something we make often because it makes a great snack or even dessert and I always seem to have everything I need on hand!
I’m really excited to share this recipe with you not only because it’s one of the best banana bread recipes I’ve ever made, but also because it comes from my friends’ cookbook! Cade and Carrian make absolutely amazing recipes over at Oh Sweet Basil and when I heard they were putting out this cookbook, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy ASAP.
Our Sweet Basil cookbook is definitely going to be a staple in my kitchen because I’ve got a pile of recipes already marked with sticky notes (anyone else do that?).
You’ll find everything from breakfasts and desserts to simple and amazing main dishes. All of the recipes are geared towards family meals meaning it’s easy to find something everyone will agree on! Teriyaki Chicken and Rice Casserole is next on my list of things to make. You can grab your copy of this book here.
Ok, back to this marvelous bread. This recipe comes together easily with simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. I used semi sweet chocolate chips but milk chocolate would also be amazing in this recipe!
If you haven’t baked with zucchini, it’s something you absolutely MUST try. While you can’t taste zucchini in baking, it adds so much moisture (like pumpkin or bananas often do) making this bread incredible. In fact, zucchini is great in all kinds of baking from Zucchini Brownies with 1 Minute Frosting to Lemon Zucchini Cupcakes.
This Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe makes one loaf, with about 8 slices. The bread will go fast, so you might considering doubling the recipe if you plan to share the bread! Like most banana bread recipes, this bread freezes beautifully. We slice the loaf and freeze it in individual servings for a quick snack on the go!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup canola oil
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 cup zucchini finely grated
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1 ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt, set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat together canola oil and sugar. Add egg and continue mixing. Add zucchini and mix on medium until well blended.
- Starting and ending with the flour, alternate adding the flour mixture and the mashed banana, a little at a time, while the mixer runs on low.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake 50 to 55 minutes, tenting with foil for the last 15 minutes to avoid too much browning. Allow bread to cool before slicing, serve warm with a little butter.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Could I use some thing else in place of cream of tartar.I am out of it at this time.
I have only made this recipe as written Debbie. You could replace with 2 teaspoons of baking powder, but this may change the texture of the bread.
Do you think you could add two bananas and omit the egg? This sounds really good but my son is allergic to egg.
Hi Dori, we have only tried this recipe as written, but please let us know how it turns out!
The first time I made it and I made a double batch. My O glad that I did that. I made muffins instead of bread loaves because they are easier to freeze, eat and bake. I baked them for 23 minutes and they turned out beautifully.
Such a good idea Dory! So happy you loved them.
Recipe is so good. I just added 1 cup chocolate chips instead of 1.5 cups. So moist and soft. I was just wondering why do we have to add flour mixture and banana alternately ?
Thank you Holly for sharing this delicious recipe.
So glad you loved it Susan! Alternating the wet & dry helps to incorporate the ingredients more smoothly.
Wow, this is delicious! I made it with half whole wheat and half all purpose flour. I added a half tsp of cinnamon too. I also cooked it for ten minutes longer than it said. It is moist and so good!
I am so glad you enjoyed the bread Sarah! Adding cinnamon is a great idea!
I love this recipe and have made it probably a dozen times now. Despite being familiar with it, I’ve messed it up multiple times because the recipe does not clearly state to alternate adding flower and banana TO the wet ingredients. This should be obvious, yet on more than one occasion I’ve read the recipe incorrectly and it doesn’t turn out quite as spectacular if this step is messed up. I’m sure I’m not the only idiot who’s read this and gotten confused because it doesnt clarify to mash the banana and then add it in separately. If done correctly, this bread is one of my absolute favorite recipes
Sorry for the confusion Sabrina, I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the recipe!
Hi there! Any recommendations or recipe adjustments for baking at higher altitudes? Thank you! I can’t wait to try this!
I’m sorry, I haven’t cooked this recipe at a high altitude so I can’t say for sure what changes may be needed. Please let us know how it goes.
We live at 6,500 feet, so there are several adjustments I usually make when baking. I have made this recipe 3x and am trying it as muffins for the first time tonight.
Decrease sugar (I usually use 1/2 c instead of 2/3 c). The batter is pretty thick, so I haven’t adjusted the leavening, just made as the recipe states. I usually tent w/ foil after 15-20 mins & (I’m sure you’re used to this) I usually cook 15-20 minutes longer at 375* instead of 350* Not knowing what elevation you live at, it’s hard to say for sure. But when you cook at high elevation you have to go more by feel and smell than just whether or not it looks done.
How many batches does this make?
One loaf.
These were delicious! I was wondering if anyone knows how many calories are in each serving?
Hello, I have updated the recipe to include nutritional information.
This is the first time I made zucchini bread and it turned out delicious! Turned out very moist, I froze some zucchini and will be making this again!
Glad to hear that you loved the bread Angela!
As others have commented, I had to bake this loaf 10–15 minutes longer than the recipe indicated. I use an oven thermometer, so I don’t think my oven is at fault. Zucchini can have a high variability in terms of water content. Zucchini fresh from the garden (as mine was) contain a lot more moisture than zucchini that have been sitting around on a store shelf for a week or more. Also, larger zucchini hold more water than smaller ones. This can easily translate into longer baking times. Next time I might compensate with a bit more flour.
Thank you for the info on the zucchini Aaron!
Can the banana be substituted with blueberries, or just left out?
Would the rest of the recipe work the same?
I have only tried the recipe as written. I can’t say for sure if it would work.
This is so moist and delicious! I will add less chocolate next time, a little too much for me. I put slices in baggies and froze them for an easy to grab snack or breakfast. I’ll be making more…great way to use my zucchini!
Freezing them individually is a great idea!
Can you use vegetable oil instead of canola?
I think it would work, it may change the flavor slightly. Let us know how it goes!
Soooooo Good!! I couldn’t wait to make this.
I doubled the recipe and made 2 loaf pans. I placed a cookie sheet underneath, just in case of overspill, but there was none. I did tent the last 15 minutes.
I followed a couple others recommendations and used less sugar and chocolate chips (1 cup milk chocolate and 1 cup mini). I also halved the salt. I was a half cup short of banana, but the recipe still turned out moist.
I was tempted to toast some pecans and add them, but I really wanted to taste the intended flavor this first time.
My boyfriend and I killed 1/2 loaf in no time, ha ha ha
I packaged up 1/2 a loaf to share with friends and the other half for my dad and his Home Health Aide. Feels kind of tacky, but….
Thank you Holly for this recipe!! I love it!!!
I’m so glad you loved it Sandy! :) Milk chips would be delicious in this recipe!
How much flour should you use? I noticed in the directions it said to add flour but I didn’t
See it in the ingredients section …. did I miss something? Thanks!
My apologies, the recipe was updated to a new system and the flour somehow got missed. It is 1 1/2 cups of flour.
How would you use frozen zucchini in this recipe?
I would use shredded zucchini and drain it slightly before adding.
Excellent! I didn’t add the chocolate chips, but I did add some cinnamon. Have made twice already, and I know I will be making it again and again.
So glad you enjoyed it Arna!
I rate this recipe as a 5! I’ve made this bread at least a dozen times now. It is moist and delicious. I grate my zucchini using my food processor. But then I chop it again into tiny pieces with a knife before adding it Most don’t know it is in there unless they see the tiny specs of green. I also reduced the amount of chocolate chips to a heaping 3/4 of a cup. It’s just my preference to have less chocolate in it.
I’m so glad you loved it!
My husband said it was the best zucchini chocolate chip banana bread he’s ever had!
Some minor modifications: I used 1.5 bananas, just a tad under 2/3 cup of sugar, 2/3 cup chocolate chips and I had 6-7 baby carrots left over from making chicken noodle soup so I just grated them and threw them in the batter. super moist and yummy!
I also had to bake it an extra 30 min.