Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

When I eat bananas, I prefer bananas that are super firm still with a hint of green to their skin. Mushy and speckled bananas are a definite no.  My ripe bananas always end up in recipes – Pancakes, “fried” bananas on top of ice cream, breakfast cookies and banana bread!  In fact, I think ripe bananas are always an excuse for banana bread 🙂

But this banana bread is special, because it’s filled with vitamin-rich zucchini.

You can see the healthy green shreds folded into the batter, but you won’t taste them or know they’re in there.  Zucchini is high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium, folate, protein and fiber, all of which help keep you healthy and help you maintain a healthy weight.

Plus this bread is made with almond flour, which is made from ground almonds.  It’s naturally gluten-free, low-carb and high in fiber and protein.

So, when you add up the health benefits of the banana, zucchini and almond flour, this bread is basically a health food.  Which means you can feel good about standing over the pan and eating the entire batch by yourself.

And it’s totally acceptable to eat this for breakfast, because… bananas.  Right, guys?  Right.

Look at that beautiful golden-brown crust, but the inside is still soft and studded with melted chocolate chips.  It’s divine.

I really love these still warm from the oven.  The chocolate chips are all melty and get your hands a little messy.  (I suppose that could be fixed if you used a fork, instead of diving in with your hands like an animal!)  Finger-licking tasty.

They’re also quite wonderful at room temperature, but warm with a glass of almond milk really hits the spot.

These will last for five days at room temperature, if you have self-restraint and control.  All the power to you.  Now, go put those ripe bananas to use!  Happy banana baking 🙂