Bake your Veggies - Banana Coconut Zucchini Bread

How can I add more veggies to my diet, you ask? Bake them! I find that many recipes adapt well to having grated or mashed veggies added to them while still remaining true baked goods. I've mentioned before that I like to have my cake and eat it too, so I am always trying to "healthify" traditional recipes to make them a lot closer to guilt-free. Well, here's one for you - a gluten, grain and dairy-free banana bread with zucchini hiding inside, and of course, covered in chocolate. This recipe has protein, good fats and a bunch of fibre, along with the protective phytonutrients from zucchini. The chocolate is a must as it adds a bit of sweetness and will help lift your mood. 

​Banana Coconut Zucchini Bread
by Tracey Ratelle-Westdorp, CNP
gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free
makes 1 standard sized loaf

Ingredients

• 3 bananas
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup tahini, or other nut/seed butter
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Method

1. Set the oven to 350 F. Line a standard-sized loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease liberally, set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Add the eggs, tahini, coconut oil, and honey and whisk all together. 
3. Next, add coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine. Fold in the zucchini and half the chocolate chips. 
4. Use a spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top to be mostly level. Sprinkle with remaining chips. 
5. Bake in pre-heated oven for about 50-60 minutes, turning halfway through baking time. 
6. It's done when the edges and top are golden brown and the middle is firm to the touch. 
7. Allow the loaf to cool on a wire rack in the pan. Once cooled, remove from pan, slice and enjoy!

​Tips

• If you don't have coconut flour, use your favourite banana bread recipe and add zucchini. Cut back the liquid or number of bananas slightly to compensate. 
• If you are using coconut flour for the first time, please note that it requires very specific amounts of liquid ingredients to balance it out, so you'll need to follow the recipe pretty closely to have success with it. 

​
*This post contains affiliate links for which I make a very small commission if you purchase an item through the link.  I only link to products that I use myself, or would recommend to clients. Thank you!