Name: Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars (Vegan Grain-Free)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 37 min
Yield: 9
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp ground chia/flaxseeds with 3 tbsp water; ½ large zucchini/courgette, grated (grated weight before squeezing is 100g); 1 ripe banana (100g); 60g runny, smooth cashew butter; 30g thick coconut yoghurt; 1 tbsp maple syrup; ½ tsp vanilla essence; 25g coconut flour; 20g vegan vanilla protein powder; 1/3 tsp bicarbonate of soda; Pinch of salt; 30g chocolate, chopped or in chips; 60g dark chocolate, chopped small; 30g coconut cream (the solid part of a chilled tin of coconut milk); Dried banana coins

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These Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars are rich, fudgy, packed with banana, chocolate chips and lots of summery zucchini. Topped with a dark chocolate ganache and made with vegan, healthier and grain-free ingredients, they are easy and quick to make and taste like blondies and banana bread.

I just love sneaking vegetables and healthier ingredients into my bakes and recipes this takes my love to the next level. Not only are they made with good-for-you ingredients, they are also loaded with shredded zucchini (or courgette for those of us in the U.K.) and banana, too. A cross between a banana bread loaf, a cake slice and a blondie, these are packed with delicious flavours, naturally sweetened and are so easy to make for desserts and afternoon snacks.

Three pieces of Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars stacked up — Chocolate Topped Courgette Cake Squares

Why will I love these bars?

These slices are so delicious:

Fudgy, moreish and fudgy
Cake-y, moist and tender
Topped with an easy dark chocolate coconut cream ganache
Packed with melting chocolate chunks and a chocolate top
Loaded with banana and hidden zucchini (courgette)
Naturally vegan and grain-free
Gluten-free, egg-free and easily nut-free
Easy and quick to make
Healthier, good-for-you and delicious
Great for all the family
Fantastic to use up summer zucchini
Makes a great dessert or snack with a coffee or tea

If you already love the sound of these bars then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.

Nine squares of Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars with a knife — Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars

Close up of a few Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars — Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars

What ingredients do I need?

You can see my favourites in the “shop the recipe” section and here is what we need:

For the bars:

Ground chia seeds: or you can use flaxseed as our egg replacer. Mix this with water to make a binding gel.
Zucchini or courgette: grate the vegetable and then squeeze out the excess moisture so the bars are not soggy.
Ripe banana: this adds moisture, binding ability and sweetness. These aren’t overly banana-like but they have a great texture. If you don’t like banana, you can use applesauce, too.
Runny smooth cashew butter: this just tastes like cookie dough to me, so I love it for this recipe. But you can use another nut butter like almond or peanut or keep these nut-free with tahini or sunflower seed butter.
Thick coconut yoghurt: this adds richness, moisture and healthy fats and makes these bars so moreish. Make sure the yoghurt is really thick and creamy (and not runny) for the best texture – I use the Cocos Organic natural, vanilla or berry yoghurt.
Maple syrup: for sweetness and texture. You can also use agave syrup or vegan honey.
Vanilla and salt: for flavour.
Coconut flour: this is so good for making your bakes naturally nut-free, gluten-free and grain-free so do not swap this.
Vegan vanilla protein powder: for sweetness, texture and taste. I love the vanilla buttercream or cookie dough from Macromike (my code AMB-AMY saves you 10%) and it keeps these blondies grain-free.
Bicarbonate of soda: for a slight rise.
Dark chocolate: chop some chocolate for inside the bars (or use chips or buttons) and the rest is for the ganache on top. I like 70% dark chocolate or richer, but you can use any dairy-free chocolate.
Coconut cream: this is for the dark chocolate ganache and allows the chocolate to set silky smooth but slightly softer and melt-in-you-mouth. This is the solid part from a tin of chilled full-fat coconut milk.
Banana coins: for adding on top, if you like. You can leave these out, or use nuts or seeds, too, or flaked coconut.

One bitten Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bar on a plate of banana chips — Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars

A stack of five Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars with one bitten — Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars

Are these gluten-free and nut-free?

As these contain no flour (only coconut flour and protein powder) they are gluten-free and grain-free. To keep these nut-free, swap the cashew butter for tahini or sunflower seed butter and check your other ingredients (like yoghurt, chocolate and protein powder).

How do I make them?

These are easy to make in a few steps:

Whisk together the chia seeds and water: to form a gel.
Grate the zucchini (courgette): and allow to rest and squeeze out the excess water.
Whisk all the wet ingredients together: until combined.
Add in the dry ingredients: and whisk until smooth.
Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks: and spread into a lined dish.
Bake until golden and springy: about 27-29 minutes.
Make the ganache by melting together the chocolate and coconut cream: until silky smooth.
Pour the ganache over the bars: and decorate with banana coins.
Set in the fridge: and slice into bars.

One square of Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bar on a plate with a small fork — Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bars

How long will they last?

These are great to make ahead as they’ll keep for 3-5 days in a sealed container in the fridge, or in the freezer, wrapped well, for 1 month. Allow to reach room temperature before eating.

What else can I make?

If you are looking for other summer bars and slices recipes to try, how about my: