real deal chocolate chip zucchini banana bread

every time i’ve gone to the grocery store lately i feel like zucchinis are practically bursting from their shelves and launching themselves into my cart, body, and soul. it’s peak summer, it’s peak zucchini season, thus we are presented with infinite opportunity to grill them, slice and sizzle them in a little oil and garlic, pack them into muffins, and grate them into chocolate chip zucchini banana bread. i did exactly the latter, but i did an interesting flex in which I didn’t even let the thought of making the bread paleo/grain free/let’s use everything coconut and pretend that’s different/cross my mind.

she’s real deal, and she’s delicious. the body and the soul wanted BREAD BREAD, and the body and the soul get what they want and need sometimes.

listen, i’m the last to judge about the particular ways in which we choose to eat. i used to exclusively bake with protein powders, any number of nut flours, maple syrup, and not a dusting of white flour in sight. it worked for the way my life looked for a while, but at some point it dawned on me that my less-than-fluffy not-quite-the-real-deal muffins, breads, and ‘desserts’ were just pale imitations, posing as ‘healthy’ imposters to the things i really wanted, and why was i pretending to be exclusively paleo when grains and beans have never once upset my insides?

mild orthorexia and being inundated with a barrage of ‘healthy mindset’ information is another story for another time, so i’ll sign off with the generic nugget of: this bread is delicious, (DON’T SAY IT DON’T SAY IT) - moist -, supremely fluffy, extra chocolate chippy, excellent for breakfast snacking, perfected further with a swish of butter, and a really good way to use up some zucchini if your garden is exploding with them. my imaginary garden is, and so i’ll be baking real deal chocolate chip zucchini banana bread routinely until the fall colors begin to turn.

a few things before we get started:

- this is real deal, white flour white sugar eggs and oil bread. it’s fluffy, it’s just-sweet-enough, and we’re not making any cuts in the name of almond flour and sugar substitutes. sometimes baking is strictly bizness
- let’s caveat and say that you DO want to make substitutes to this bread: i did not test any flour swaps, maple syrup territory, or flax egg avenues, so go forth and experiment if you wish but i truly cannot guarantee maximum fluff and chewiness if you do
- zucchini is mostly water so it’s super imperative that you get all the excess liquid squeezed out! a kitchen towel or paper towel should do the trick
- patience is a virtue and you’ll have to exercise it HARD while letting the bread cool. resist the temptation to slice it early, please please please. again, maximum fluff and chewiness is what we’re going for here, and all your hard work will be for not
- i like to store the bread with foil wrapped around it on the countertop - keep in the fridge if you want it to last a bit longer

real deal chocolate chip zucchini banana bread
makes: 1 loaf
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 55-60 minutes

2 ripe bananas, mashed
1c grated zucchini, excess liquid squeezed out
2 eggs
3/4c sugar, any kind you have on hand (i did a combo of coconut sugar and white sugar)
1/4c olive or coconut oil
1/4c milk, any kind you have on hand (i used almond milk because that’s what’s usually in my fridge)
1tsp vanilla extract
2c white flour
1/2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
chocolate chips or chunks, as much as you like, plus more for topping

preheat the oven to 350.
using a hand mixer, mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. then, add the flour, baking soda and powder, and salt, and mix again until just combined. gently fold in the chocolate chips.

line a bread pan with with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. pour the bread batter into the pan, and top with more chocolate chips.

bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. let the bread cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack before removing and slicing.