Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you squeeze out the liquid from zucchini for bread? ›

But unless your zucchini is excessively juicy, squeezing the squash could be removing some of the moisture you really do want in the bread. It's up to you, though. Squeeze for lighter, drier bread. Leave it as is for denser, moister bread.

Don't peel the zucchini – Yes, it's tempting to remove the zucchini's skin, but there is no need to do that. Zucchini melts into the bread, so peeling is just an unnecessary step. Do grate the zucchini – I don't know about you, but when it comes to zucchini in bread, I want it there – but I don't want to see it.

You Over-Mix the Batter

For soft and tender banana bread, gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry — don't overmix! The more you stir, the more gluten will develop. The result will be a tough, rubbery banana bread. Simply stir until moist, and then do no more.

If you don't have baking soda, you can use baking powder, at three times what the recipe calls for. So if a recipe calls for one teaspoon of baking soda, you can use three teaspoons of baking powder.

The most common reason for zucchini breadand other quick breads (and cakes) to collapse as they cool is the ingredients are too vigorously or quickly mixed, which incorporates lots of less stable air bubbles into the batter.

Check your leavening agent

What is this? Expired leaveners: Always check the freshness of your leaveners. Expired or ineffective baking powder and baking soda will not leaven your quick bread. Adding too much or insufficient leavening agents: Adding too much leaveners will cause your quick bread to sink in the middle.

When sliced, 1 medium zucchiniyielded about 1 to 1.25 cups and if grated, you end up with about 2/3 cup of tamped down zucchini. If you need 1 cup of cooked sliced zucchini, due to shrinkage while heated it will take about 3 medium zucchini, sliced, to hit the mark.

Try mixing more gently, using rubber spatula to fold wet/dry ingredients without over-mixing. Why does my zucchini bread come out dry? This is usually due to either not measuring ingredients carefully or over-baking the bread.

The experts at Allrecipes list excessive bananas as a common banana bread-making blunder, claiming it could make the bread feel a bit more hefty and moist in the middle. So instead of nice, airy, light bread, you might end up with mushy, dense bread that seems undercooked.

If you're planning to eat your banana bread within three to four days, it can be left out at room temperature. To keep it fresh, place a paper towel in the bottom of an airtight container. Place the loaf of banana bread on top, add another paper towel, and put the lid on the container.

What happens if you put too much baking soda in banana bread? ›

Using too much baking soda or baking powder can really mess up a recipe, causing it to rise uncontrollably and taste terrible.

Fixing Undercooked Bread

It is pretty simple to salvage an undercooked bread and create a decent loaf. Heat the oven to 350 F, return the bread to the oven, and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes. This will work even if the loaf has cooled, which is similar to par-baking bread.

Believe it or not, you can make a delicious loaf of banana bread without baking soda that is moist, soft, and fluffy with the help of baking powder! It won't rise quite as much, but it will still be absolutely delicious and tender packed with flavor from brown bananas and ground cinnamon.

Salt and drain zucchini

Salting and draining ensures the zucchini doesn't turn into a soggy mess while frying. This method also works for roasted zucchini, grilled zucchini, or baked zucchini if you're looking to remove as much water as possible.

When cooking with grated zucchini, it's important to squeeze out the moisture to stop your dish from going soggy.

Squeeze excess moisture out of the shredded zucchini using a cheesecloth. Store the shredded zucchini in an airtight container. We suggest a freezer bag, which can be placed flat in the freezer and labeled with the date of freezing.

"Have you ever cut the end of a zucchini and noticed beads of clear liquid building up on the cut end?" the blogger asks. "That's the sap trying to dry out and protect the cut end. It has the same drying and sealing effect on your skin."