Banana Zucchini Oat Bread
(Vegan + Gluten-Free)
This banana zucchini oat bread, made with whole grain rolled oats and oat flour, is vegan, gluten-free, and unbelievably moist and delicious.
I have made many banana breads in my time with varying levels of success, but none have come close to the deliciousness and nutritious-ness of this one.
As a dietitian, I’ll take any opportunity I can to pack more nutrients into a recipe, so when determining how to create the ultimate banana bread recipe, I figured, “Why not toss a veggie in there?” If banana bread is good, and zucchini bread is good, then banana zucchini bread should be nothing short of amazing. I was right.
But the star ingredient in this recipe is really the oats. You probably already know that I’m a little OAT-sessed with this rock star of a whole grain. I eat oats daily – for breakfast in my Super Seed Oatmeal, Vegan Banana Belgian Waffles, and Raspberry Oat Bake, as a snack in my Raspberry Peanut Butter Power Balls, Tahini Date Shake, or Vegan Apple Crisp, and in more savory dishes like my Pizza Oat Bake or Vegan Meatballs. Oats are my lifeblood.
But I’m picky when it comes to oats. I opt for One Degree Organics Sprouted Oats for a couple of reasons. One – they’re sprouted. Sprouting liberates minerals in grains like iron, making them more bioavailable. This is super important on a plant-based diet, as iron found in plants is harder to absorb. Sprouting helps to get around this.
Two – they’re glyphosate-free. Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world and has been deemed a “probable human carcinogen” by the World Health Organization and is listed by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as “known to cause cancer.”
In 2018, the Environmental Working Group conducted a study of conventional oat products, many of which are marketed to children, and found that every single one of them had detectable levels of glyphosate and 26 exceeded the acceptable upper level set by the agency.
Buying organic is one way to avoid glyphosate, as organic farming prohibits the use of the herbicide, but unfortunately, this isn’t a guarantee. Herbicide drift from neighboring conventional farms may cause glyphosate to end up in organic foods. This is why some companies like One Degree Organics are now opting to go a step further for their customers and have their products third-party tested.
To tell if a product has been tested, look for a glyphosate-free certification on packages from companies like BioChecked.
But enough about nasty chemicals, this banana zucchini oat bread is only full of the good stuff. In addition to the hearty oats, sweet naners, and zucchini, this bread uses ground flaxseed in place of eggs and a minimal amount of maple syrup for extra sweetness. We’ve also got some coconut oil in there for moisture and a hint of cinnamon for that extra something, something.
These things are so moist, gooey, and perfectly sweet that you won’t believe they’re packed with nutrition.
Want a bite? Click here for the recipe!
- 2 tablespoons One Degree Organics Flaxseeds + ¼ cup warm water
- 1 cup zucchini, grated
- 3 overly ripe bananas, mashed (~1 cup)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup nondairy milk
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups oat flour
- ¼ cup One Degree Organics Sprouted Rolled Oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- sliced bananas
- crushed walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray a loaf pan with oil.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine flaxseed and water and set aside.
- Grate zucchini and press between two paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Add all wet ingredients to the bowl with the flaxseed and whisk to combine.
- Combine all dry ingredients in another bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and carefully fold together until just combined.
- Pour into loaf pan and bake for about 45-55 minutes.
- Allow to cool then remove from pan, slice, and enjoy!
This banana zucchini bread will last for about a week in the fridge (although there’s no way you won’t demolish it quicker) and can be frozen for a few months. Simply tightly wrap the loaf in plastic wrap or beeswax.
PIN the post! >>
Weigh-in: Do you opt for glyphosate-free or organic oats? Will you try this banana zucchini oat bread?
*This post is sponsored by One Degree Organics but all opinions are my own. I thank you for your support of Whitney E. RD-approved partnerships that make this website possible.
Amanda Howard says:
Whitney, this looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it, all the flavours sound so good together. I love that there is zucchini in it. As for the chemical, Glyphosate it scares me so much what companies can get away with putting on or in our foods.
Mara says:
My little girl would love this bread. I’m also trying to switch to a healthier lifestyle and started to mine for healthy recipes like yours. Also, I’m training with SportMe home workout app, and I managed to get rid of some pounds. Your blog posts are super inspiring for me in this phase, thanks!
Annemarie says:
Really delicious! First vegan baking recipe I’ve tried and I’m delighted with it! I’m UK-based and found I had to leave it in the oven longer than 55 mins (could be how I’ve interpreted the measurements). My husband enjoyed it too, just have to persuade the kids to try it now! Thanks Whitney.
Tamara says:
I love the recipe, I made it and the flavor is great but I left it in the oven for 20 minutes longer and it’s still really gooey in the middle.
Karin says:
This looks delicious! If we wanted to use Jovial’s Organic Whole Wheat Einkorn Flour, what would the flour amount be? Thank you!
Char Hitchcock says:
Is there anyway yoj could provide the Nutritional Facts for the Banana Zucchini bread?