This delicious Healthy Zucchini Bread is moist, flavorful, and packed with fresh zucchini! This bread uses better-for-you ingredients — less sugar than most zucchini breads, Greek yogurt, overripe banana, coconut oil, blended oats, and loads of zucchini, of course! We make this bread in two bowls — no stand or hand mixer required.
Try some of our other nutritious zucchini treats like this Lemon Zucchini Bread, Gluten-free Zucchini Muffins, or Chocolate Zucchini Bread.
Healthy Zucchini Bread
Zucchini bread has always been a favorite of mine. I love it so much that we even served cute miniature loaves at my wedding – ha!
At the wedding we served my mom’s famous Zucchini Bread recipe — everyone always loves it! While I’ll never go too long without making that bread, I make it as a dessert rather than breakfast or nutritious snack. And as a dessert, it’s not something I want to eat or feed my kids too often. But this bread? This healthy zucchini bread is aimed towards being a bread worthy of being called breakfast! While there is still some sugar in it, there is a fraction of what other recipes contain. We’re also using plenty of other healthier ingredient swaps — protein-packed Greek yogurt, oats in place of some of the flour, coconut oil, super-ripe bananas and — of course– let’s not forget we’re adding veggies to this bread in the form of zucchini!
Does this bread taste like bananas? As far as flavor goes, the banana is not really detectable in the finished bread (unless the banana is very overripe or has a strong flavor). We use the small amount (3 tablespoons) of banana as a natural, better-for-you sweetener and binder in this bread.
Healthy Zucchini Bread Key Ingredients
Below I’ll break down some of the ingredients in this recipe and offer some helpful tips!
- Honey Vanilla Greek Yogurt adds protein and loads of flavor to this recipe. Our favorite yogurt to use is Honey Vanilla Greek yogurt (made by Greek Gods®). I don’t recommend a low fat or non-Greek yogurt in this bread– it won’t turn out the same. While plain Greek yogurt works, the flavored yogurt adds so much additional flavor to this healthy zucchini bread without extra ingredients.
- Oat flour. What is it? Basically just powdered oats. It adds a great texture, a different flavor, and a healthier aspect to this recipe. (See “quick tip” below)
- Overripe bananas. The riper the banana, the sweeter the bread (and overall the more flavorful it will be). Using a super-ripe banana makes a real difference–make sure it is covered in flecks of brown. The flecks indicate natural sugar inside. The banana is also important for binding.
- Coconut oil. Make sure to get the measurement with the oil melted (not in the hardened state). Allow ample time for the coconut oil to cool down so you don’t add hot oil into the bread mixture; otherwise, it will seize up.
Quick Tip
Make oat flour in under 30 seconds by blending old-fashioned or quick oats until they resemble wheat flour. Both budget and high-powered blenders work well. Note: Do not use only oat flour for recipes like Healthy Zucchini Bread, as it absorbs more liquid than regular flour and may affect texture.
Tips For Success
- Thoroughly mash the banana. The riper the banana, the sweeter it is. We rely on that sweetness to naturally sweeten the bread without adding too much more brown sugar to it. The banana is also important for binding. Be sure to thoroughly mash the banana to a thick paste that looks like applesauce.
- Grate the zucchini on the LARGE holes of the grater. This bread is too wet/moist with finely shredded zucchini. (I’ve tried it and was not impressed with the results.)
- Wring out zucchini. While we don’t want to remove too much moisture from the zucchini since it’s what makes the bread moist, we do need to remove a bit. Take a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze the zucchini a couple of times to get out some of the excess moisture.
- Generously grease the bread pan. I like to grease the bread pan with nonstick spray and then lightly dust with flour. There are few things as frustrating as trying to invert a loaf and having it fall apart or stick to the bottom. Alternatively, line the pan with parchment paper.
How To Know When This Healthy Zucchini Bread is Done
It can be tricky to know when quick breads are baked fully. There is a lot of variance in baking zucchini bread such as altitude, humidity, actual oven temperature, bread pan used, etc. Here are a few cues to look for and tips to keep in mind:
- Preventing under-baked zucchini bread: Make sure your oven is correctly calibrated; wait for the oven to fully preheat before adding the bread to the oven and position the loaf in the center of the oven.
- Visual cues for doneness: Bread has pulled away from the edges of the pan slightly and the top is caramelized and a deep brown color.
- Physical cue for doneness: A toothpick (or fork) inserted into the center of the healthy zucchini bread comes out clean or with a couple of moist (not wet) crumbs.
Quick Tip
Always cool baked goods on a wire rack. Run a table knife along the edge of the pan and invert the loaf onto the wire rack. Healthy Zucchini Bread needs to be elevated so air can circulate around all sides as it cools. Otherwise, moisture (from the heat of the bread) will condense on the bottom of the bread, making it damp and slightly sticky.
Healthy Zucchini Bread FAQs
Do you have to peel zucchini for zucchini bread?
Not at all! The skin adds texture and specks of color to the bread. It will cook and become fully tender once baked.
How do I cut zucchini for bread?
Use the standard-sized holes on a grater to grate the zucchini. If using a large zucchini, you may want to cut it in half horizontally first.
Can I make this zucchini bread into muffins?
While this particular recipe doesn’t convert perfectly to muffins, I have created a similar recipe that makes the perfect zucchini muffins. Recipe here: Healthy Zucchini Muffins
Storage
- Storage: Keep zucchini bread at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezing Tips: Cool the bread completely, slice it, and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Store in a sealed container or freezer bag for 2-3 months. Thaw slices quickly at room temperature or a bit longer in the fridge. You can also freeze extra shredded zucchini for easy use later.
More Delicious Snacks
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins made with Greek yogurt
- Healthy Brownies with a chocolate frosting
- Chewy Granola Bars made with peanut butter and honey
- Banana Bites made 2 different ways!
- Oatmeal Bars with peanut butter topping
Healthy Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- 8.5 x 4.5-inch bread pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125g) honey vanilla Greek yogurt (we love Greek Gods brand)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup (70g) coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons (45g) honey
- 3 tablespoons (55g) very ripe mashed banana
- 1/2 cup (91g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (52g) oat flour (blended oats) -- Note 1
- 1 cup (125g) white flour or use white-whole wheat
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup (142g) lightly packed grated zucchini grated on large holes
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts, optional
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour an 8.5 x 4.5-inch bread pan or line with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the coconut oil and then set aside to cool back to room temperature. (Measure coconut oil in melted not solid state.)
- ZUCCHINI PREP: Wash and dry the zucchini. Grate on the large holes of a grater. Place on 2 sheets of paper towel or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze 1-2 times. We don't want to remove too much liquid, just a bit. Set aside.
- WET INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, combine Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, 1 large egg, coconut oil (melted, but cooled), and honey. In a separate small bowl, thoroughly mash the overripe banana to the consistency of applesauce. Add the mashed banana and brown sugar to the bowl. Briskly whisk ingredients together until smooth and combined.
- DRY INGREDIENTS: In a separate medium-sized bowl, stir together the oat flour (See Note 1), white or white-whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- ADD ZUCCHINI: Add the dry to the wet and mix a few times before adding in the grated zucchini. Add chocolate chips or nuts, if desired. Mix until ingredients are just combined. Overmixing will result in dense bread.
- BAKE: Use a spatula to scrape every bit of the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of the spatula. If desired, press a few more chocolate chips in the top here. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted into the center, comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs and the bread has begun to slightly pull away from the sides.
- COOL BREAD: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes and then remove from the bread pan onto a cooling rack. Let the bread fully cool before cutting into the bread. (It's a bit crumbly right out of the oven.) Cut with a very sharp serrated knife.
- STORAGE: This bread stores 1-2 days at normal room temperature (wrapped tightly/stored in an airtight container). After 3-4 days, this bread is more prone to molding because of the ingredients used and the overall moistness of the bread. Warm the refrigerated (unwrapped) slices in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. Freeze any leftover slices for up to 3 months (individually wrapped and then placed in a zip-top bag). To thaw, set out wrapped slices at room temperature for about an hour.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I loved this recipe! I didn’t have any bananas in my house, but I did have applesauce. To hold the bread together without the banana I put in 2 tablespoons applesauce and 1 tablespoon egg whites. The bread turned out so fluffy and light! I will definitely be making this one again!!
Yay! So glad to hear you loved this! And great idea to use some more applesauce and egg whites 🙂 Thanks for the comment!!
I tried this recipe over the weekend because it looks phenomenal! I followed the recipe exactly and my bread tasted great, but didn’t quite bind. It was very moist and wouldn’t hold together when I tried to slice it. I want to try this again and hopefully have it come out right. Any suggestions?
I recommend drying out the zucchini before adding it in as that is probably the reason it was so moist. You also could add some more flour or make sure that when you measure your flour the measuring cups are completely filled to the top and not loosely measured 🙂 It could also just be an altitude issue and perhaps a longer baking time could help. I hope these ideas help 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for your suggestions! I am excited to give it another try 🙂
Awesome!! I hope it exceeds your expectations this next time 🙂
Outstanding! My teenage boys gobbled this up. Found you on the web, you have created a devotee with just one recipe. Can’t wait to see what else you have.
Oh YAY!! So great to hear!! 🙂 Thank you Elyse!
I made your recipe with no substitutions. It’s amazing. Everyone loves it! Can you please tell me how to make it with the cream cheese swirl???? I love cream cheese : ) Thank you.
So great to hear! Thanks Eli!! I actually have another zucchini bread recipe with a cream cheese swirl on my site. Here’s the link: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/cream-cheese-swirled-zucchini-bread/
Just use the ingredients and directions for the cream cheese swirl and add it to this bread 🙂
Awesome recipe, thanks for sharing! Love, love that there’s no vegetable oil in it. I’m making it now and wondering if almond flour could be substituted for the oat flour? Thank you! ?
Thanks Stacey! I’ve never tried almond flour in place of the oat flour so I can’t say for sure, but I don’t see why that substitution wouldn’t work! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Can I substitute coconut sugar for brown sugar?
What if I use plain Greek yogurt? Will it lack a lot of taste?
I haven’t tried substituting coconut sugar for brown sugar so I can’t say. And I prefer the vanilla Greek yogurt, but I don’t think you’ll be missing out on tons of flavor by using plain. Hope that helps 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! I made it with plain greek yogurt and I added half a vanilla bean. I used dark chocolate chunks and it came out great! My banana had been previously frozen, so was maybe a little more watery that fresh banana would be.
I made a second loaf without chocolate, also adding half a vanilla bean. Instead of using 1/2 cup brown sugar, I did a 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. I also added about a tsp of freshly grated nutmeg. Baked 47 mins. This was SUPER moist and fell apart a tiny bit coming out of the pan, but I think that was because I didn’t grease it well enough. If you’re looking to make the bread less sweet, but still full of flavor, these substitutions worked out well.
Thanks so much for leaving a comment Christina! And especially thank you for sharing your substitutions that worked well 🙂 I appreciate it as I’m sure many other readers will too! Glad you enjoyed this bread!
I made these a couple of weeks ago and have been wanting to make more ever since. They were delicious and I am not always one to try something new but trying to be a little more adventurous. I used oat bran and half whole wheat and half white flour and again they were delicious, moist and love the fact that they have just some chocolate to help my sweet tooth. I also made them into mini loaves instead of one large loaf. thanks for the recipe and look forward to finding more treats on your site.
SO glad to hear you enjoyed this bread! And mini loaves are the BEST! Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
What would be the bake time if I made this into muffins? Would it make 12 muffins? Also, would it be ok to add some frozen blueberries instead of chocolate chips? If I only used 1/4c coconut oil, would I need to make any adjustments? I have tried other recipes using 1/3c and I find them to be too oily feeling. Also, do you need the sweetness of the vanilla yogurt, or just the vanilla flavor (if I were to sub plain greek and a little extra vanilla extract)?
I haven’t tried making this recipe into muffins so I can’t say for sure. I do, however, have two other zucchini muffin recipes on my blog if you search in the search bar for them they will come up 🙂 I’m also haven’t tried any of your other adjustments so I really can’t say for sure how they will work out. The frozen blueberries should be okay but you will likely have a much moister bread (I would think fresh berries would do better). I can’t say what would happen if you reduce the coconut oil as I haven’t tried it with only 1/4 cup. And the plain Greek yogurt should be okay but I do think the vanilla Greek yogurt adds a lot of sweetness and flavor (more than vanilla extract adds). Sorry to not be of more help!
Hi Chelsea,
Just wanted to report back after trying this recipe in case anyone else would like to make them into muffins. The adjustments I made to the recipe were: I only used 1/4 c. coconut oil, I added several handfuls of frozen blueberries instead of chocolate chips and made them into 12 muffins baked for 5 min. @425 and 13 min. @350 and they were awesome! Very moist and flavorful. Also, I used thawed frozen shredded zucchini from the garden. I will definitely be making these again and am going to try out some of your other muffin recipes, it is hard to find good ones! Thanks for all of your feedback to my many questions. 🙂
Hey Robin! Thanks SO much for coming back and sharing with others what you tried — I’m sure there are many that will be grateful! So glad they worked and were delicious — I love the idea of doing blueberries with the zucchini!
Looks delicious! What do you think about subbing regular plain yogurt for the Greek yogurt? Don’t have any on hand right now and would really like to make this tonight! Thanks 🙂
Hey Stephanie! I haven’t tried this bread with regular yogurt I can’t say for sure. Greek yogurt tends to be thicker and creamier than regular so it may affect the taste and even the texture slightly if you switch. That said, I think it should work okay. Sorry to not be of more help!