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Best Moist Banana Zucchini Bread with Toasted Walnuts Recipe

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This incredibly moist banana zucchini bread combines the sweetness of ripe bananas with tender shredded zucchini and crunchy toasted walnuts. A secret ingredient—Greek yogurt—adds extra tenderness, making this the best version of banana bread you’ll ever try.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (210 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (50 grams)
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil (80 ml)
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (60 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup walnut halves or pieces (about 100 grams)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on the long sides.
  2. Prepare the zucchini: Wash and trim the ends. Shred the zucchini using a box grater until you have about 1 ½ cups. Place the shredded zucchini in a colander set over a bowl, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, toss, and let sit for 10 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside.
  3. Toast the walnuts: Place walnut pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and slightly darker. Immediately transfer to a plate to cool. Once cool, roughly chop. Reserve about ¼ cup for sprinkling on top.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  5. Mash the bananas: In another large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth (some small lumps are fine). You should have about 1 ½ cups.
  6. Combine the wet ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
  7. Fold in the zucchini: Add the drained zucchini to the wet mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
  8. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Gently fold together using a rubber spatula until just combined—do not overmix. A few small lumps are fine.
  9. Fold in the walnuts: Add the chopped toasted walnuts (reserving ¼ cup for the top) and fold gently.
  10. Fill the loaf pan: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the reserved ¼ cup of chopped walnuts on top, pressing them gently into the batter.
  11. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes—the bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes.
  12. Cool properly: Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then, using the parchment paper overhang, lift the bread out and transfer to the wire rack to cool completely (at least 1 hour before slicing).

Notes

Do not skip salting and draining the zucchini—it prevents a gummy texture. Toast the walnuts for deeper flavor. Measure flour correctly by spooning and leveling. Let the bread cool completely before slicing to avoid crumbling. The bread tastes even better on the second day.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana bread, zucchini bread, banana zucchini bread, moist banana bread, toasted walnuts, quick bread, easy banana bread

Find it online: https://sparklespoon.com/best-moist-banana-zucchini-bread-with-toasted-walnuts-recipe/