Zucchini Carrot Banana Bread is the best quickbread you’ll ever make, truly. Incredibly moist and flavorful. The carrots and zucchini are fabulous together.
This bread. This bread with zucchini, with carrots, with ripe bananas…this is Zucchini Carrot Banana Bread and it’s the best bread I’ve ever made. Ever. I know that’s a bold statement but make this bread AS SOON as you have ripe bananas and you’ll agree. I know my husband and son certainly agree. I love it so much, I’ve been sharing it with people “too much” according to them. The last time I made it my husband said “Now don’t be giving any of this one away!” And even when I don’t share it with the neighbors it doesn’t last long. The last thing Dave said to me the other day as he’s heading off for work wasn’t “I love you” or “Have a nice day” but rather “You put some of that bread in my lunch, right?” 😀
Let me tell you about the ingredients since I know you want to get started. Whole wheat flour in the recipe adds hearty flavor without being dry. In fact, this bread is so moist thanks to the carrots and zucchini in the recipe. Coconut oil (more flavor!) and creamy full fat sour cream or Greek yogurt round out the ingredients. I use a combination of dark brown sugar and granulated sugar but I’ve also used coconut sugar and added less sugar than called for with equal success so if you’re going to tweak the ingredients, I think reducing or changing the sugar will still give you success. I’ve also made the bread with carrots and no zucchini… don’t do that. The combination of both the carrots and zucchini is so much better and more moist than with just one or the other. Plus, the color combination is visually tasty. You can leave out the nuts if you must, but FYI my friend who discriminates against nuts in any recipe said she loved this bread just as you see it.
When baking the bread make sure to test with a toothpick for doneness. It will come out clean but shiny from the melted coconut oil and moisture from the carrots and zucchini. Even if the top cracks a little, it’s going to be perfectly moist but not soggy. In fact, I found the slight crack in the top tells me that it’s not going to sink in the middle from not being completely finished as I found out once when I baked it two minutes less than ALL my other perfectly successful loaves, a lesson in when to leave well-enough alone. Fifty minutes seemed to be perfect for my bread but I live in high altitude and every oven is different, of course.
Zucchini Carrot Banana Bread is perfect any way you slice it but if you can try a slice with a nice bit of creamy butter on top… Yeah, you better make two loaves.
Zucchini Carrot Banana Bread or The BEST banana bread
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon butter, to grease loaf pan
- 1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled or at least softened
- 1 cup bananas mashed, (2 bananas)
- 1 cup grated zucchini about 1 cup loose, not packed
- 1 cup grated carrots also loose, not packed
- ¼ cup full fat sour cream, or Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Butter a 9"x5" loaf pan and then dust with flour (I used dark non-stick pan)
- In a medium bowl, stir together 1 ¼ cup flour,1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, ½ cup coconut oil, 1 cup mashed bananas for about 3 minutes on medium speed to fully incorporate and smooth as much as possible. Turn mixer to low and add 1 cup grated zucchini, 1 cup grated carrots, ¼ cup sour cream (or yogurt), and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
- Fold in flour mixture and just mix until combined. Using a rubber spoon, add ½ cup walnuts and scrape down the pan.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan.
- Bake on middle rack for 50-60 minutes (50 was PERFECT) until toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven to cooling rack. Cool about 10 minutes before removing from pan, then cool completely before cutting.
What can I substitute for coconut oil?
Hello Ire, you can use regular vegetable oil or avocado oil. Any light oil will work.
I did this as muffins with vegetable oil instead of coconut and omitted the granulated sugar. Really delicious. Thank you!
Fantastic, Liz! I’ve had so many people comment that they left out the sugar with great results or swapped in a less processed sugar. Thanks for taking the time to comment and I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
I’ve made this twice and both times there was too much liquid and it never properly sets for me. Cooked, but still jelly in the center. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Hi Cheryl, sorry for my late reply. We’re out of town and I couldn’t get good call service yesterday. I’m sorry you’ve had two failed tries at this! I would try a couple of things. First of all, try letting the shredded zucchini sit for about five minutes and then squeeze as much liquid out of it using your hands or twist it in a paper towel (adding a dash of salt to it will help it release its moisture). Or you could use less zucchini in the recipe. But the zucchini is what gives the bread it’s moist texture so I would try the first option. And obviously, maybe bake the bread a few minutes longer if the top doesn’t look done or a toothpick is really wet. I hope these tips help! Let me know.
OMG! I have made zucchini bread a lot of times and I have had friends prepare it and this is the best zucchini bread I have ever had!! My children inhaled it.
Wow!!!!!!
Thank you so much for a delicious and a little more healthy alternative for banana bread recipe.
I added 3 bananas, a little more zucchini, more cinnamon, and 1/2 cup more of walnuts mixed with coconut oil, brown sugar, cinnamon and poured over top.
I cooked for time recommended, then tented with foil and cooked another 12 minutes . It turned out very moist & my boys love it and wanted seconds!
It’s Pam again. I used everything at room temp. The coconut oil I used is refined and cold pressed-but hard. So I nuked it til liquid. I used regular sour cream this time,only because I can’t find full fat yogurt in this town. I folded the flour mixture in with spatula, however when I tried to pour batter in loaf pan, I had to scoop it. There was no pouring.🤨
Zucchini,carrot,banana bread. I made this two times at 3,00ft elevation, and they were soooo dang goood it was like crack. Im in Colorado at 9,000mfeet. They came out really dry. Any suggestions?🤷♀️
Hi Pamela, I would Google suggestions for baking adjustments at high altitudes. There are a few different ways to make the adjustments, so rather than try to suggest something here, you can find what method you think you’d like. Sorry this isn’t more helpful.
This recipe is delicious and came out perfect! The only thing I changed was the white granulated sugar. I put about 2 heaping teaspoon of white sugar and then a quarter cup of chopped raisins. I did have to put a couple of drops of water on top of the raisins and steamed them for 20 seconds in the microwave so they could be chopped up. Cooked bread for the 50 minutes as we are in North Carolina and at an altitude of about 3000 feet. I made one, Then company came and finished that off , and I have ended up making three in two weeks. Headed to the store now to get ingredients for another group of company. The BEST bread EVER! Breakfast or dessert with vanilla ice cream on top.😋😊
I love your change with the raisins, Peachykeene! Thanks for making one of my favorite quick bread recipes, especially for making it several times, and for taking the time to comment. It means a lot.
I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour and it was still moist.
I also left out the granulated sugar and it was still sweet. I’ll have the brown sugar next time.
How can we do gluten free, but still moist? I find that the gluten free recipes always taste gritty. Anyone got any suggestions? I love these for my kiddo but I substituted honey and yacon syrup for sugar.
Tiffany, I haven’t done this, but try subbing in almond flour for a good gluten-free option. It won’t be gritty, I agree the gluten free flours are mostly terrible. I’d maybe add another egg to make up for the almond flour.
This is the 2nd time i’ve made this delicious bread. It is so wonderful and easy. I’m going to start doubling the recipe because it goes so quickly.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Hi Julie, this is awesome, thanks for making it again! We can’t resist making it frequently, ourselves. I’m about to post a new recipe for Buttermilk Banana Bread that’s nothing like the Zucchini Carrot Banana Bread but also fabulous. So, I hope you’ll stay tuned and give it a try, too! Thanks again for your comment. 🙂
This recipe is amazing! I made them tonight and put them in muffin form, which works perfectly for school lunches! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Bri! I’m so glad the muffins turned out for you and I’m honored that they’ll go with you to school. 🙂
What elevation are you at? I gave you a five star rating because I’m sure as is, your recipe would be fantastic in Rapid City (higher elevation)! I am at 1,470 feet and though I could tell this recipe had more liquids than I usually use for baked goods at my elevation, the flavor was perfection. I converted your recipe to grams and made muffins at 400 degrees for 13 minutes. They oozed a bit of oily liquid while baking but I think turning up the temp helped! Thank you for sharing! (:
Hi Becca, I’m at about 4,000 feet so that might account for your bread being a bit more “wet”. Next time, I would decrease the yogurt or sour cream to 2 tablespoons and decrease the baking soda just a tiny bit. Like maybe take out 1/8 teaspoon is all. Usually you increase oven temperature for high altitude but I’m glad that helped in your case which probably helped evaporate out the excess liquid faster. Thanks for trying the recipe! And thanks for the 5 star rating even though you had some issues. 🙂
I enjoyed this zucchini carrot banana bread, though it was too oily for my liking. So I baked it a second time that same week, reducing the oil and eggs to half and swapping applesauce for the Greek yogurt/ sour cream, which was better for me. I think I will experiment with an oil-free version in the future. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Jen, I’m so glad you were able to make the bread work to your liking! Thanks for taking the time to stop by with your adaptations. 🙂
This was too moist. When I tried to take a slice out the whole thing fell apart. So disappointed. Definitely will not use this recipe again
Ed, if you cut the bread before it’s cooled completely it might fall apart. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you but as you can see by many other comments, you’re the first to have reported this problem. Hope you’ll give it another try. Thanks for your feedback.
Is there a substitute for the coconut oil? Applesauce, olive oi melted butter?
Hi Nicole, any of those would work great. I would say olive oil as my first option.
It turned out great! I used a little less sugar and less bananas but increased the carrots. My family really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing the recipe. ❤️
Hi Lola! I’m so glad you all liked it. 🙂
I tried this recipe turned out excellent the whole family loves it!
Thanks, Kiran! It’s a favorite in my house, too. 🙂
I make these every other week as muffins for my three year old grandson that is not a fan of veggies. He doesn’t know it’s packed full of zucchini and carrots! His mom loves to pack in his lunch. I cut the sugar as others have mentioned and also add a couple tablespoons of flax seed to increase the health benefits. His school is a nut free environment so I add raisins, so yummy and just increases the moist texture of the muffins.
Carol, I love when little kids like and benefit from a recipe I’ve posted. This made my day, thanks so much for taking the time to comment and I like your substitutions! 🙂
Just tried this recipe, and wanted to ask about the coconut oil, do you prefer refined or virgin? Also, it’s warm today so my coconut oil was liquid when I measured it, but when I added eggs and yogurt they were cold and the coconut oil solidified into big chunks…rats! I placed the mixer bowl in a large bowl of warm water until the chunks melted. Do you bring everything to room temp before mixing, or is it OK to have chunks of solidified oil? Thanks!
Hi Kris, I always use virgin coconut oil but either will work. I will actually go in and specify to add room temperature eggs and yogurt. In baking, this is always a good practice anyway but I, like you, don’t always do it unless specified. I’ve never had a huge problem with the coconut turning solid and everything will probably be fine if the coconut oil solidifies a bit. I don’t know about “big chunks” though ;). Thanks for this information. I promise the bread will be worth it!
Hello,
I am allergic to diary and so many other things, so I wondered if I could substitute soy sour cream. I don’t know much about food chemistry so maybe the milk in your recipe is necessary in some way.
I’ve been trying new recipes to find new things I can eat. My best, Betty Petersen
I’m sure the soy sour cream would work fine. You could also use applesauce in place of the dairy and it would be excellent. Thanks for looking at my recipe, Betty. I hope it works out for you.
Looking forward to making this. Could you please advise how long to bake if making muffins instead? And any other changes?
Hi Priscilla, for muffins, the baking time is around 18-22 minutes, depending on your oven. I’d start checking the muffins around 17 minutes, just take a look at them. Are they starting to dome correctly while not being too shiny? If so, I’d do a toothpick check at this point and if it comes out relatively clean, they’re done. I’d cool on a rack for about 5 minutes and then turn them out of the tins. It’s easy to overbake this recipe as muffins- they could then be a little dry (though still yummy). But if you watch them, you should be good. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask me any other questions.
Haa! Haa! My husband says that when he doesn’t want me to share a particular dessert I’ve made too. “You don’t need to share this with anyone else, honey.” I’m LOVING everything about this recipe, Sally! Thank you so much for allowing me to share it on my zucchini round-up. Have a great day!
Michele! I’m so glad you tried the recipe and it made it (thanks to your husband) onto the recipe roundup. There are a lot of zucchini bread recipes out there and I was hoping you would take a look at mine for the roundup. I get the same comments from my family when I make this, and knew if you did try it, you’d know it is worth sharing! I’ll promote your roundup on all my social media today!
Amazing recipe!!! Everyone in my family loves it! I also cut the amount of sugar by half, and is still wonderful. Maybe my family is already used to less sugar, so they don’t mind if I cut it down 😂.
I’ve saved and I made many times. One load in the oven as I write this!!! Thank you!
Hi Ana! Thanks for this great comment. Sorry for my late reply. I just got back from a little vacation and this was such a great note to come back to! We love low or no sugar around my house too, so I think I need to make the bread again this week and I’m going to experiment with very low sugar as well. Thanks again!
Must comment on this recipe giving it my praise. It is a weekly staple in our house. SO AMAZING! I searched high and low for good banana bread recipes, preferably something healthy. I just put the carrots and zucchini in the cuisinart- I also reduce the sugar quite a bit and add a splash of honey, yet it is still very sweet. Have a 1 and 2 year old- loved by the whole family. Probably not a good fit if someone likes bread light and fluffy, with a bread like quality- this is super moist. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Wow Carries, this is such wonderful praise to receive. Thank you so much for taking the time to really comment here. I agree, this is the best banana bread recipe (of any I’ve tried, at least). I love hearing that you’re able to really lower the sugar and have it still taste great. I think the next loaf I make will be with honey only and just a bit of it. Thanks again, this really means a lot to me.
A healthy slice of pure deliciousness, especially when chocolate chips are added to the recipe. I make these into mini muffins and my daughter and all of her snowboarding teammates think they are the best snack while training on the mountain. That leads me to the best part…this recipe works perfectly at 7895 feet. Yay another great high elevation recipe from Good Dinner Mom! Try the super soft chocolate chip cookies, they are amazing too!!!
Janel, Thanks so much for commenting on this recipe (that I just happen to be making today!). I love that you use it to satisfy your young snowboarder and her team! Also great to hear that it’s good at over 7,000 feet! It was great to meet you via email with your comments and questions on this and the chocolate chip cookie recipe.
i’m thinking of using this as a “cake” for my daughters 1st birthday. I am sure its yummy alone but was wondering if you had a suggestion of a good flavor frosting. I was thinking blueberry cream cheese so it would be a bright purple but im afraid those tastes might clash.
Hi Shay, I think the blueberry might clash with the other flavors in this one. I’d just use a plain cream cheese because the Zucchini Carrot Banana Bread is pretty complex on its own. If you’re wanting to use the blueberry for the color, You might think of making the cake out of the recipe I just posted for Classic Banana Bread. Thanks for stopping by and I’m honored that you want to use one of my recipes for your daughter’s birthday. 🙂
so we did it. i ended up using a little bit of beets in cream cheese frosting to make it pink! It was amazing!!!! i ended up making a huge batch of muffins after words so i can grab quick snacks for my self and my daughter. She gobbles them up! i am always desperate to find ways to get veggies in her. Every one raved about the recipe and i sent them all to your page!! thanks so much for this. It also made my house smell amazing! id give a million stars if i could yummy! you will see me on more of your posts.
Shay, that is wonderful! Love the idea of using beets to dye the frosting. Much better than chemical dyes (good job, Mom). You might want to try my Carrot and Quinoa Muffins. A lot of moms comment on this recipe as one their kids love and the quinoa is a complete protein for great benefits. These muffins can even be made without the sugar and kids still love them. Thanks again and I look forward to having you visit again. <3
I have five beautifully blackened bananas, and really want to make this bread, but it’s still too hot to turn on my oven. Can this be made in a bread machine???
Hi Heather, I’m not sure how this recipe will do in a bread machine since I don’t own one. The batter is quite wet if that matters. If you try it in your machine, let me know how it turns out for you. Is there a “quick bread” feature on a bread machine?
My absolute favourite loaf! Didn’t alter the recipe in any way and will be sharing it with friends and family.
Thank you Erin! You made my night and it’s our favorite too. 🙂
Aloha!
I just tossed a loaf into the oven 5 minutes ago!
I’m not a dairy or egg eater so I substituted 2 flax eggs and didn’t know what to do about the sour cream/yogurt… I don’t know what function it serves in the recipe but I decided it might be for a twang so I added some lemon juice to the mix.
I’m queen of not following recipes exactly and adding or changing things to my preference. So this is what I did; I only had 1 banana so I added 1/2 grated apple. I’m out of whole wheat flour so I did a mix of white flour (1/2 cup), oat flour (1/2 c) and almond flour (1/4 c). Then I added a tablespoon each of chia, hemp & sunflower seed, 1/3 cup of coconut shreds, some fresh grated ginger and I doubled the cinnamon. I’m anxiously awaiting the buzzer!!
Why do you use sour cream/yogurt? Maybe I can find something else to use next time…
Hi Michelle, these changes sound magnificent! Be sure to let me know how they turned out for you! I’d love to try this combination myself.
Thank you so much for the recipe! It is so moist and delicious. My whole family approved.
I did use half of the amount of sugar and no nuts. I am afraid I won’t be making any other recipe anymore. ?
Lol, Ana! I’m with you there. Whenever I have overripe bananas, this has become my go to recipe. I’m so glad you all liked it. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Do you recommend using sour cream or Greek yogurt? Have you tried both ways? What is the difference? Which do you prefer or use most often?
Thanks for the recipe I can’t wait to try it!!
Hi Katelyn, I have used both and think they’re pretty much the same however, I use sour cream the most. I don’t notice a difference when I use one over the other. I just have sour cream on hand more often. Let me know what you think of it after you try it. I highly recommend tasting your first slice when still warm with a nice pat of butter. 🙂
I made this yesterday, thinking I would slice it and freeze it for when company comes….I ate half the loaf! It was by far the best loaf I have ever made, so moist and flavorful. I followed the recipe exactly, with the addition of some ground flax seeds and chia seeds. My oven is apartment size and so it needed the 60 minutes and it came out looking just like the picture. So simple and delicious! I will definitely use this recipe for my baking program with the seniors, as it will be a huge hit.
Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
Jan, I almost choked on my lunch because I started to laugh so hard reading your comment! 😀 I totally can relate, when I make this bread at my house it never lasts the day. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and for making my day.
So this is the 4th (yes you read that right) time making this recipe in the past two weeks. My picky eater toddler is having problems gaining weight and he is obsessed with these! I made them into mini muffins and only used a total of 3/4 cup of sugar. I think I’ll try to use a little less in this upcoming batch. The coconut oil adds a nutty flavor. Oh and he’s put on 2lbs since I started making these! 🙂
Carol, I’m so happy to hear this! This bread never lasts a day in my house either and I’m thrilled to hear that they’re helping your son. If you get bored with this recipe or want another option that he’ll also like, the Carrot and Quinoa Muffins here on my blog are also super popular. In fact, more than one mom has commented on the post that their little kids love them and I think one mom even told me she left the sugar out completely and they were still great. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. You’ve made my entire week. And good luck with continued growth and weight-gain to your son!
This is indeed th best banana bread recipe ever! I will be adding it to my B&B breakfast menu as I will be great for guests to pack for a hike. Thanks for sharing as I’m making my it here at altitude in Canadian Rockies!
Carol, thanks so much for this great comment! I’m glad you agree with me that it’s definity the best banana bread and I’m honored to have this recipe on your B&B menu.
I’d love to give this recipe a try! Do you squeeze the water out of the carrots and zucchini beforehand? (I know that’s the case for a few of my other recipes, so they don’t get too soggy.) Thanks! 🙂
Hi Nicole, I do not squeeze the water from the carros and zucchini before adding to the rest of the ingredients. It’s perfect everytime and incredibly moist. I hope you like it!
I made it tonight (left the shredded veggies as-is) and it’s delicious! Can’t wait to see if I can sneak some vegetables into my 4 year old tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe!
We love love LOVE this recipe. We call it Veggie Bread & my toddlers still eat it! Does it need to be refrigerated after baking?
Kristin! It sounds like you and your family (so cute) loves this recipe as much as we do. I never refrigerate it after baking. It never lasts more than maybe two days and it’s always fine. I actually have 2 overripe bananas in my kitchen right now so you’ve got me craving “Veggie Bread”! Thanks so much for stopping by. P.S. If you like this recipe, be sure to also try my Carrot and Quinoa Muffins. Have a great weekend.
Sounds absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe. We don’t eat eggs. Can I skip that?
Hi Sowmya, This is one of my favorite quick breads, ever. In fact, I’m thrilled because I have 2 overripe bananas right now so I know what I’ll be making tomorrow. I did a little research for baking without eggs and the recommendation is to substitute 1/4 cup applesauce for each egg plus you can also add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (sounded like the baking powder is optional). If you just left out the eggs with no substitutions, I think it would still be excellent. Let me know how it goes. Be prepared for it to not last the day ;). Thanks for stopping by.
Can I pre-cut all the veggies the day before and have it turn out the same? Not be too runny from all the extracted juices?
Hi Jackie, I would not recommend that as the zucchini especially will start to release a lot of water while in the fridge and might make the bread too soggy. 🙂
So I didn’t see your reply in time and pre-grated my carrots and zucchini the night before and it turned out perfectly!
Still just as moist and delicious as always.
Plus it saved me a little time??
That is so great to know! I just might keep a bag of grated carrot and zucchini in the fridge at all times because I make this bread so much. Thanks for conducting the experiment for me, Jackie. I actually also made another loaf this morning and FYI I only had green bananas so here’s what I did (in case you ever run into this scenario). In my oven that was already preheated to 350F degrees for the bread, I placed the green bananas on a baking sheet and let them “roast” in their skins for about 15 minutes. The outside turned black and though the inside was a little softer, they still were way too firm to mash. So I put them in my food processor and processed until the bananas were in fine little pieces. Followed the recipe as written from here and my husband and I just shared a hot piece out of the oven, it was still perfect even with less than ideal bananas! Have a great weekend and thanks for the new make-ahead tip!
I’m off to the store to get some more zucchini and sour cream, I can’t wait to make this recipe, it sounds and looks absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing it, much appreciated. Best wishes Sue Patterson