Grab some fresh zucchini from your garden, the farm stand or your grocery store. These Zucchini Banana Bars with a creamy cinnamon glaze are begging to be made!
Looking for more alternatives to plain zucchini bread? These Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are a must try too!
Table of Contents
Why this Recipe Works
With so many zucchini recipes on this site, you’d think I would have had enough. Not true.
I’m always looking for more ideas for ways to bake with zucchini! The shredded vegetable adds so much moisture to breads, cakes, and muffins.
- These Zucchini Banana Bars are based on my Cinnamon Frosted Zucchini Bars.
- Cinnamon glaze topping adds a layer of perfect sweetness and a pretty finish.
- This recipe is a delicious way to use up overripe bananas and extra zucchini!
Today’s recipe combines my love for Zucchini Banana Bread with my love for easy-to-share dessert bars! Still have leftover zucchini? You’ve got to try our zucchini cookies!
Ingredient Notes
- Shredded Zucchini. It’s up to you whether or not you peel the zucchini first. I’ve made this recipe both ways! Use our guide on how to shred zucchini for best tips and tricks.
- Bananas. The riper (without being rotten) the better! Bananas with brown spots are perfect. If your bananas are yellow like mine above, use our tips on how to ripen bananas in minutes!
- Vanilla. Use a pure vanilla extract for best flavor. I love the taste of my homemade vanilla extract here.
Easy Instructions
Beat butter and sugar together. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add the bananas and mix with the electric mixer until mashed and combined.
Beat in the dry ingredients, then fold in shredded zucchini.
Pour the batter into a greased baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then let cool completely.
Whisk together the ingredients for the cinnamon glaze. Pour over the cooled bars.
Slice into squares and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- How to shred zucchini. Place the bottom of a box grater into a large bowl. Press the zucchini into the grater and pull downward creating long shreds.
- Food processor option. A food processor with a grating attachment can also be used to shred zucchini. Just be careful not to over process or you’ll end up with zucchini puree!
- Storing zucchini. Use shredded zucchini right away or transfer to a freezer bag to store in the freezer for later use.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, frozen zucchini can be used. Thaw it first and squeeze out any excess water with a paper towel.
If your zucchini looks very watery after shredding, it’s a good idea to squeeze it with a paper towel over the sink to remove some of the extra liquid. Otherwise, I just add it straight to the batter.
No chilling is required in this recipe. Store a pan of bars loosely covered in plastic wrap. It’ll keep well at room temperature for about three days.
That depends on how you mix the batter. I use an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment. It’s plenty strong enough to mash the banana as it mixes it into the batter. If you’re mixing the batter by hand, I’d mash the banana in a separate bowl with a fork or potato masher first.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Zucchini Banana Bars
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large bananas
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
For the glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar, egg and vanilla. Add in bananas, and mix until mashed (I use the beater blade on my electric mixer). Add flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until combined (about 1-2 minutes). Fold in zucchini.
- Pour batter into a 13×9 baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes (until edges brown and pull from sides).
- Cool completely before adding glaze.
- For the glaze, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and milk until smooth. Pour over cooled cake. Store loosely covered for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Never waste a ripened banana again. Make a pan of Zucchini Banana Bars to share with your friends–or go ahead and keep them all for yourself!
Your recipes sounds delicious, do you have any recipes for zucchini with Reese’s peanut butter cups, cookies, bars, cakes, anything. Thank you.
I have dozens of zucchini recipes, just type zucchini into my search bar on the website 🙂
Very moist and delicious!! It is great as is, I just made a couple little tweaks for myself…
I substituted 1/2 cup of the AP flour with coconut flour. I also sprinkled the top with coconut sugar before baked. I added a little bit of vanilla to the glaze.
Yum!
I love combining zucchini with bananas! It was delicious! Thanks.
This is seriously amazing! The tastes, that glaze and everything about it is so perfect! My family loved it!
This is seriously amazing! The tastes, that glaze and everything about it is so perfect! My family loved it!
these bars are the most tasty things I have ever tried! thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I really oughta start baking with zucchini more — all of these zucchini recipes you’ve been posting look so sinful and delicious! ESPECIALLY these banana bars — obsessing over the glaze!
Love the sound of these! Do you think it would be possible to make these without adding the sugar, since the bananas would make them sweeter already? Or would that change the texture to much?
What an interesting flavor combination! I love it!
Thank you so much Danielle 🙂
We don’t have farmers’ markets here!!!!! *sobs* The only place where I have seen one is on TV when I watch TLC and it looks so vibrant and beautiful, I am a 173904% sure I’ll end up splurging on fresh produce as well! These zucchini bars look soooo DELISH!!!! And that glaze just makes my heart sing! Pinning! 😀
Thank you so much for pinning. And no farmer’s markets? I would cry 🙂
A slice of both zucchini treats sounds perfect to me!! Love that cinnamon glaze on top!!! Yum!
Ooh, freshly made empanadas! Where is this market again – I think I might be there next Saturday, too! That’s something I’d love to try making myself.
As for these bars, I love your ideas as to how to use zucchini in baked things. I tried making some healthy zucchini muffins a week or two ago and they were just about the worst thing I’d ever made. I think the banana in these would work a treat!
I’ve made zucchini bread and a zucchini cake, but I’ve never thought to combine them with bananas. Love this!