Moist, dense, and hearty Banana Zucchini Bread, loaded with spice and brown sugar streusel! This Zucchini Banana Bread with Streusel Topping will actually make you happy that your garden is overgrown with zucchini! It’s easy to whip up, and the streusel makes it extraordinarily special!
Not your ordinary Banana Bread recipe. Not even your ordinary Zucchini Banana Bread recipe! I didn’t think Zucchini Banana Bread was ordinary in the first place, but a quick Google search proved me quite wrong.
In case you’ve seen other Zucchini Banana Bread recipes though, they weren’t like this one…
Couple reasons. First and foremost: the streusel. This is a Zucchini Banana Bread With Streusel Topping, to go by its official name. Sometimes I wonder why I bother to make any sort of bread or muffins without streusel. Like, why? Shouldn’t everything have streusel? I guess it’s good to keep things lighter sometimes, but in this case, I’m beyond delighted that I included streusel on top of this bread.
Does it need it? No. But I like to be extra. Streusel is extra, but it’s always worth it. This one is equal parts flour and brown sugar, loaded with cinnamon, and quite saturated with butter. Would you want it any other way?
This same streusel has made a few other appearances, and it never disappoints. It’s primarily butter and brown sugar, after all, so it’s sure to please. I topped these Spice Cake Donuts with Pecan Streusel and Brown Butter Icing, and these Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Brown Sugar Streusel, and these Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins. Same streusel. Sometimes I add pecans to it though. 🙂
Even this Chocolate Zucchini Coffee Cake uses that streusel, but I added cocoa powder to it so that it’s a chocolate streusel. Fun, huh?
Okay, speaking of zucchini, that’s the other part of this Banana Bread recipe that is inordinate: the addition of zucchini. It just does something special to this Zucchini Banana Bread With Streusel Topping, and to whatever else it touches when you use it in baked goods. Zucchini is pretty magical for a veggie. It adds moisture, and interestingly, a touch of sweetness too.
Lastly, this Zucchini Banana Bread With Streusel Topping is perfect because I started with a base that is tried-and-true. I’ve used the same banana bread recipe for almost a decade now. In the world of baking, that’s a pretty big deal. Things change fast, and there’s always something better that comes along.
Not with this banana bread recipe. It’s a keeper, and I’m not switching anytime soon. To stay faithful to a recipe for so long, especially a recipe that is often recreated and reinvented, is a big deal.
I’ve adapted my banana bread recipe a number of different ways and it never fails. This Zucchini Banana Bread With Streusel Topping is the latest. I’ve also made a Blueberry Banana Bread Recipe, and this fall-themed Pumpkin Banana Bread, as well as a few other variations!
This Zucchini Banana Bread With Streusel Topping features a lot of banana flavor, and it’s moist, dense, hearty, and simple! Throw in two full cups of shredded zucchini, and you get the bonus features of what zucchini does for baked goods. Top it generously with sweet, crunchy, brown sugar streusel, and this is a recipe that will actually make you grateful that you’ve got zucchini coming out of your ears.
Zucchini Banana Bread With Streusel Topping
Ingredients
For bread:
- 3 eggs
- 2 c. sugar
- 3/4 c. canola or vegetable oil
- 2 c. grated zucchini
- 2 large bananas mashed
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 3 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
For streusel:
- 1/2 c. flour
- 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 4-5 tbsp. butter melted
Instructions
For bread:
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, bananas, and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Do not overmix - a few lumps are okay.
- Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray, and 3-4 muffin cups. Or alternatively, two 8x4-inch loaf pans. Makes one large loaf and a few muffins, or two smaller loaves.
- Fill 9x5-inch loaf pan about 2/3-full. (I had enough batter to bake 4 muffins too, and I baked them for 25 minutes.)
- Prepare crumb topping.
For streusel:
- In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Add 4 tbsp. melted butter, cutting it in with a fork or knife until crumbly. If needed, add an additional tablespoon of butter, stirring until mixture resembles mostly pea-sized crumbs. It was easiest to use my fingers to stir and crumble the mixture!
- Scatter crumbs evenly over top of the bread.
- Bake 9x5 loaf at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes, or until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Bake 8x4 loaves for 45-50 minutes.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before carefully (so you don't lose crumbs from the topping) removing from the pan to cool completely. I used two big spatulas to lift the bread out. 🙂
Jennifer B says
Could you do this recipe as muffins? Thanks!
Sarah says
Yes, absolutely! It will probably make about 18 muffins. Fill the muffin cups just over halfway full, and I would bake for about 20 minutes @ 350. Check them, and they’ll probably need a good 5-10 additional.