Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread

Welcome to my cinnamon crunch banana bread with zucchini!

It's a nutritious quick bread made with whole grain flour, flax, cinnamon and zucchini with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping.

It'll become your new favorite banana bread recipe!

How to make cinnamon crunch banana bread

Featured Ingredients

For the banana bread:

• Flour: Any all-purpose style flour will work here.
  • As a healthier, higher fiber option, I use whole wheat pastry flour.
• Almond flour: Using ¼ cup of almond flour or almond meal adds a nutty flavor to the bread.
• Flax: It provides a wholesome and hearty texture to the bread, plus a boost of fiber and omega 3s!
• Cinnamon: Always necessary for the most delicious banana bread.
• Bananas: Super ripe, brown bananas are perfect for making banana bread (duh!).
• Sugar: I prefer dark brown sugar, but any will work.
• Oil: A neutral oil like canola or avocado is perfect for baking.
• Eggs and baking powder: To hold everything together and make it rise.
• Vanilla: Flavor, flavor, flavor!
• Zucchini: Yes, we're adding a bunch of shredded zucchini to this bread!

For the cinnamon crunch topping:

• Cinnamon and sugar: More cinnamon + sugar adds a fabulous crunchy, delicious topping.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, flax seed, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In another medium bowl, use a hand mixer to whisk together bananas, brown sugar and oil until fluffy.
4. Whisk in eggs, then vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
5. Slowly add dry ingredients to the banana mixture while whisking on medium speed, just until combined.
6. Fold in shredded zucchini. Pour mixture into the loaf pan.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together cinnamon and sugar. Evenly coat top of bread batter with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
8. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool, then slice and serve.

Recipe Substitutions and Alterations

• For the flour: Use all-purpose, whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, whole wheat white, oat or gluten free all-purpose flour.
• For the almond flour: You could use an additional ¼ cup of whatever flour you're using to make the bread if you don't have almond flour/meal.
• For the flax: Buy ground flax or if you have whole, grind it up in a coffee grinder or food processor.
• For the bananas: If you're craving banana bread and your bananas aren't quite ripe enough, stick them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
• For the sugar: You can use dark or light brown sugar, granulated sugar or try it with honey.
  • You could also sub in a sugar substitute like stevia or Swerve.
• For the zucchini: You can skip the zucchini if you want, but it does add a bunch of extra veggies and nutrition, and also adds moisture to the bread.

Nutrition Considerations

• To make it gluten free: Use gluten free all-purpose flour or gluten free oat flour. Be sure all other packaged ingredients are gluten free.
• To make it dairy free: This recipe does not contain dairy.
• To make it vegan: Try making this bread with an egg substitute, like Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer or make flax 'eggs' (although I haven't tested this).
• To make it nut free: Use flour instead of the ¼ cup almond flour. Be sure all packaged ingredients are nut free.
• To make it even lower in sugar: I use much less sugar in my baked goods than traditional recipes, but if you want an even lower sugar bread, use a sugar substitute such as stevia or Swerve.

Quick bread recipes you'll enjoy:

• Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Bread
• Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Carrot Apple Bread with Walnut Streusel
• Cheesy (Savory) Zucchini Bread

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