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Today is a chocolate chip olive oil zucchini banana bread kind of day…for so many reasons.
For one, it’s FRIDAY and you guys know me, my mom always taught me that all Friday’s require a little chocolate. Two, we had a really long week of filming new recipe videos and it’s totally left me (and my brother Kai who films and edits all of HBH’s videos) just a little beat. And three, as many of you know, my grandma is not doing well and it’s been really hard for everyone. Things are pretty sad over here and I can’t deny it’s an extremely hard time right now.
Thank you all again for the continued kind words. It means so much, especially to my mom who I know appreciates the kindness and love you guys are sending. I think we’re all just trying to keep our heads up and be there for each other as best as we can. It’s really all we can do.
One of things I do when I’m sad or stressed is bake. I wish I was baking up a fresh loaf of this zucchini banana bread today, but even just being able to share the recipe with you guys excites me.
So. in trying to keep things positive, let’s chat banana bread recipes…with chocolate chips, because let’s be real, is there really another way to bake up banana bread?
Nope, not around here.
First though, how do you guys feel about banana bread? I think it’s one of those foods you either love or hate. I have loved banana bread for as long as I can remember. When I first got into cooking as a teen, I’d make banana bread for mom as a healthier dessert and the two of us would eat it warm, straight outta of the pan with a side of cold milk…probably while huddling next to the oven at the same time because mom and I are almost always cold. <–clearly a mother and daughter duo, huh?
Anyway, for as many loaves of banana bread as I have baked (see this ricotta banana bread, this toasted coconut banana bread, and this almond butter banana bread), I’ve never baked up one quite like this.
I mean, hello to that olive oil and that grated zucchini. I know, kind of weird ingredients, but for as weird as those two ingredients sound, trust me when I say, you’re going to love this healthier banana zucchini bread recipe.
Honest.
The olive oil adds a fruitiness that is so subtle, but yet so delicious. It’s a little different, but it mostly just adds a slight touch of fruity sweetness that’s really nice, especially with the chocolate chips!
And the zucchini?
Well, you barely even notice it’s there. It mostly just adds moisture to the bread, and a little texture that is also surprisingly nice. Plus, it’s a great way to use up all that zucchini that seems to be just about everywhere right now, plus get a serving of vegetables in, all while eating something sweet. Um? OK. Cool.
The other ingredients are pretty basic banana bread staples: over ripe mashed bananas, eggs, flour, etc. I did use maple syrup as my sweeter and whole wheat flour to keep the bread nice and healthy for us all.
As I mentioned, mom and I like to eat banana bread warm outta of the pan, but this banana bread will stay delicious and moist for days (it’s that shredded zucchini, I swear it might be the secret to keeping all baked goods extra moist). Warm or cold, this bread is so good…I’m pretty sure the first time you make this won’t be your last .
Just one thing? An extra handful or two of chocolate chips is never a bad idea…
Just telling it like it is.
And with that, I hope everyone has a great weekend…
Watch the How To Video:
Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Zucchini Banana Bread from Half Baked Harvest on Vimeo.
Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Zucchini Banana Bread
Servings: 16 servings
Calories Per Serving: 198 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, grated (about 1 1/2-2 cups grated)
- 3 medium over ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.2. Lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter and spread the zucchini out on the towel, cover with another clean towel and let sit 10 minutes, then squeeze out any excess water. 3. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the banana, olive oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and zucchini.4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until center is set. If the top begins to brown, tent the bread with foil. Remove and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting (or just eat it warm). Bread will keep (covered) for 3-5 days.
Notes
makes 1 (9x5) loaf
And bake up some fresh zucchini banana bread.
This post was originally published on August 4, 2017
I made a second loaf using 3 cups zucchini and no bananas. Forgot the salt so pretty bland 🙁 Bu I’m happy to report the recipe still worked great for that substitution. I upped the maple syrup by a few tablespoons. Texture, density, and sweetness level are spot on. To really check for doneness, it’s important to sink that toothpick deep into the center. My loaves needed slightly over an hour in my oven.
Hi Heidi! So happy to hear you’re enjoying this banana bread! Thank you for giving it a try, and I appreciate all the input! 🙂 xT
Recipe worked great for me — whole family loves it and I’ll be making this again. I used all purpose flour exclusively, otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
Thank you SO much Heidi! So happy to hear you loved this banana bread! 🙂 xT
I love all of your recipes! This one looked so good but I find a lot of the cook times ante often off? I cooked this loaf for 15 extra minutes and still was raw in the centre. Could it be due to elevation changes?
Hi Alaina! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! The bake times listed are based on standard elevation and typical ovens, so I don’t normally make adjustments for altitude. That said, baking times can vary depending on your oven, pan type, or even the size of the loaf. It’s always a good idea to check for doneness with a toothpick or cake tester, when it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it’s ready! 🙂 xT
Do I have to use the bananas if I don’t want to? Thanks!!
Hi Liz! The banana is pretty vital to this banana bread recipe, so sorry about that! xT
Have made this so many times and it takes beautifully to adapting to what I have on hand. I almost always sub oatmeal for a quarter of the flour and use raisins instead of chocolate chips. Often I just add extra banana instead of zucchini and this time, subbed in crushed pineapple. Oh my…so good. Thank you for such a yummy and versatile recipe!
Hi Heather! Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe! I’m so glad you love this banana bread! The zucchini sounds like a yummy addition! xT
Delicious! Made muffins instead and they are divine 😍
Hey Jasmine,
Perfect! Great idea to make muffins, so glad to hear they turned out nicely for you! Happy Tuesday! xT
We make banana choc chip bread/muffins a lot and I had some homegrown zucchini I needed to use up and tried this recipe. To my surprise it was very delicious and you could barely taste the zucchini! My three young boys loved it too which is a huge plus 🥰 thank you!!
Hey Rebecca,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it turned out well! xx
Delicious! Made some for us and our friends and everyone loved it!
Thank you so so much for giving the recipe a try! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Wondering what I can use instead of ripe bananas?
Hey, I haven’t ever tried that before but I’m not sure! So sorry! xT
Wondering what I can replace the white whole wheat flour with? I only have all purpose – can I just adjust the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Jessica,
It should be fine if you make this using all purpose flour:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
I used 2.5 cups of “all-purpose” flour because I don’t have whole wheat flour. The dough before pouring it into the pan was very thick, similar to a kneaded bread dough. Is this the typical consistency, I have a hunch it may have been too much flour and not enough liquid.
I had the same experience. The bread took 45 extra minutes to cook (although I did use a glass loaf pan) and burnt all over the outside and never fully cooked.
The most delicious bread I’ve ever made! Perfectly sweet and moist. All of my sons gobbled this bread up, even those not very keen on zucchini! Devious!!
Hi Celeste,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a hit! Have a great weekend😎