Grain Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Incredibly moist zucchini chocolate chip banana bread completely free of dairy, grains and oil. This wholesome banana bread makes for a nutritious breakfast, snack, dessert and everything in between.I think there are two things most of us millennials can agree on:

1. There is never a bad time for banana bread, and 2. There are never enough combinations for banana bread.

This recipe is really just a heavenly combination of some of my favorite things: Favorite thing number one: bananas + peanut butter. There has yet to be a better sandwich in existence. Favorite thing number two: peanut butter + chocolate. Give me a jar of creamy PB, a handful of dark chocolate chips and a spoon as my weapon and you will see mass destruction occur.

Ergo, it only made sense for all these things to exist in delicious harmony together in one bread.

One bread that I cannot stop eating.Fun fact. I'm a huge fan of powdered peanut butter (shout out to the "OG", PB2), but only if it's baked or blended into something. Oatmeal, smoothies, donuts, pancakes - all about it. Powdered PB mixed with water and used as a spread -  not so much. But it worked like an absolute CHARM in this bread. You still get the sweet, nutty flavor of peanut butter without the extra load of calories and fat.

This bread is incredibly moist and basically melts in your mouth. We all know bananas add an unbeatable element of natural sweetness and moisture to baked goods, but combined with shredded zucchini, the two create a bread that doesn't even require oil to achieve optimum moisture. There is also little need for added sweetener, as we got away with only using ¼ cup of honey for the entire recipe.Another key player in this breads unbeatable texture is almond meal (ground almonds). I absolutely love the rich flavor and texture almond meal attributes to baked goods. The extra dose of heart-healthy fats and protein don't hurt either. The buttery taste of ground almonds compliments the flavors of warm vanilla extract, aromatic cinnamon and spicy nutmeg like an absolute dream.

As if this bread weren't nutty enough, the texture-freak in me also enjoys adding a crushed nut topping. I'm partial to the full-bodied, buttery taste of pecans (especially toasted!), but walnuts or peanuts would also be delicious.Enjoy this wholesome, protein-packed bread for breakfast, a midday snack or even dessert. It's a decadently delicious, one-of-a-kind treat that you can feel GOOD about eating.

If you do make this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth so I can see your beautiful creations!

Grain Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Incredibly moist zucchini chocolate chip banana bread completely free of dairy, grains and oil. This wholesome banana bread makes for a nutritious breakfast, snack, dessert and everything in between.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 10 slices

Calories: 216kcal

Author: Jamie Vespa MS, RD

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 extra ripe bananas ~225 grams
• ▢ 1 cup shredded zucchini*
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ ¼ cup honey
• ▢ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 ½ cups almond meal
• ▢ ½ cup powdered peanut butter PB2
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ⅓ cup chocolate chips
• ▢ Optional topping: 3 tablespoon crushed pecans 2 tablespoon chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 8x4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease with non-stick cooking spray.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor, combine bananas, zucchini, egg, honey and vanilla. Beat on high until creamy.
• In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: almond meal, powdered peanut butter, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Use a wire whisk to mix well.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix to combine. Fold in chocolate chips and pour into prepared loaf pan. Top with crushed nuts and additional chocolate chips if desired.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Place pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before carefully removing bread and allowing to cool completely on wire rack. Cut into 10 slices.

Notes

When using zucchini in baked goods, It's important to reduce excess moisture by wrapping the shredded zucchini in a few paper towels and firmly squeezing out excess water.
To make completely dairy-free, use Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 212mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14.5g

Tried this Recipe? Tag me on Instagram!Mention @dishingouthealth or tag #dishingouthealth!

If you love banana bread as much as I do, be sure to check out some of my other favorite recipes:

Chickpea Flour Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate and Walnuts

Banana Bread Protein Pancakes

Double Chocolate Almond Butter Zucchini Bread