Gluten-Free Zucchini Banana Bread (Paleo)

A loaf of healthy zucchini banana bread and 2 slices on a platter next to bananas and zucchini.

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Gluten-Free Zucchini Banana Bread (Paleo)

This Gluten-Free Zucchini Banana Bread is a healthy, wholesome treat. A fluffy, moist loaf of banana bread is lightly spiced and not too sweet. And even though you add zucchini you can't taste it! Plus this is grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, nut-free and Paleo.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 20

cooling time1 30

Total Time3 10

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 215kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

avocado oil spray or olive oil spray
2-3 large zucchini
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup arrowroot flour/starch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
2-3 large bananas, mostly/all black see notes
6 large eggs room temperature
½ cup honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional add-ins: see notes below.

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350° F.
Line a 2-pound/9x5" loaf pan with parchment paper along the long sides, leaving some left hanging over the edge of the pan to easily remove the bread later. Spray the short sides of the pan with avocado oil spray.
Trim off the ends of the zucchini. Grate the zucchini using the small holes of a box grater. Place the grated zucchini in the middle of a couple pieces of cheesecloth, a thin kitchen towel or 3-4 layers of paper towels. Wrap up the zucchini into a bundle and squeeze it really hard over the sink. When you think you've gotten most of the water out, keep squeezing to really make sure. Measure out 1 cup of packed grated zucchini and set aside (save any unused zucchini for another use).
In a large bowl, whisk the coconut flour, arrowroot, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cardamom.
In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Measure out 1¼ cups (save any extra for another use). To the 1¼ cups of banana, add the eggs, honey, lemon juice and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly combined (it will be lumpy from the banana).
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Stir in the zucchini, breaking it up with the spatula and making sure it gets evenly distributed throughout the batter. The batter will be thick but pourable.
Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 75-80 minutes, until the top is a dark golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean or only with crumbs attached, no raw batter.
Let cool completely (preferably on a cooling rack), then slice and serve.

Notes

If your bananas aren’t very ripe, you can put them (still in the peel) on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 300° F for 10-20 minutes, then let cool completely.

Substitutions

You canNOT substitute anything for the coconut flour. It is a very unique ingredient and acts unlike anything else in a baking recipe.

You can play around with the spices: add more or less cinnamon or cardamom, add ground ginger, etc.

You can use apple cider vinegar or orange juice (you won't taste them) in place of the lemon juice.

Optional add-ins:

- ½ cup chopped nuts such as pecans, walnuts or pistachios

- ½ cup dried fruit such as raisins, golden raisins, dried cherries or dried cranberries

- ½ cup chocolate chips

- ¼ cup cacao nibs

- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger or 1 teaspoons ground ginger

- zest of a lemon
- zest of ½ an orange

Make ahead

Once it's completely cool, the bread can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezer info

Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container or baggie. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Nutrition