Print

Moist Banana Zucchini Bread with Cinnamon Streusel

moist banana zucchini bread with cinnamon streusel - featured image
Print Recipe

This moist banana zucchini bread combines ripe bananas and shredded zucchini for a tender, flavorful loaf topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel. Perfect for using up garden zucchini and overripe bananas, it’s a crowd-pleasing quick bread that stays soft for days.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large or 3 medium bananas)
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, squeezed dry (about 1 medium zucchini)
  • ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (full-fat preferred)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar (for streusel)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, for streusel)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two long sides.
  2. Shred the zucchini. Wash one medium zucchini and trim off the ends. Using the large holes of a box grater or the shredding disc of a food processor, shred it until you have about 2 cups loosely packed. Place the shreds in the center of a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners, and twist firmly over the sink. Squeeze until no more liquid drips out. Set the dry zucchini aside.
  3. Mash the bananas. In a small bowl, mash your ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine. You should have about 1 cup of mashed banana. Set aside.
  4. Make the streusel topping. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. If using nuts, stir them in now. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you prepare the batter.
  5. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 and ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Set aside.
  6. Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat ½ cup softened butter with ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  7. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. The mixture should look smooth and slightly glossy.
  8. Add the bananas and sour cream. Add the mashed bananas and sour cream (or Greek yogurt) to the wet mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined. The mixture will look a little curdled at this point — that’s normal.
  9. Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula after each addition. Mix only until no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing will make the bread tough.
  10. Fold in the zucchini. Add the squeezed-dry zucchini to the batter and fold gently until evenly distributed. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
  11. Assemble the loaf. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer. Remove the streusel from the refrigerator and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the batter. Use your fingers to gently press the streusel into the batter just slightly.
  12. Bake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes. At the 30-minute mark, check the top. If the streusel is browning too quickly, tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). The internal temperature should read about 200°F (93°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
  13. Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper handles to lift the bread out and transfer it to the rack to cool completely. Wait at least 1 hour before slicing.

Notes

Squeeze the shredded zucchini thoroughly to remove excess water; this prevents a soggy loaf. Use room temperature eggs and butter for best texture. Chill the streusel before adding to prevent sinking. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, use melted coconut oil or vegan butter and dairy-free yogurt. The bread freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana zucchini bread, cinnamon streusel, moist banana bread, zucchini bread, quick bread, easy banana bread, garden zucchini recipe

Find it online: https://sunnysavory.com/moist-banana-zucchini-bread-with-cinnamon-streusel/