Moist Zucchini Bread with Oat and Almond Flour

5 stars (from 18 ratings)

By Traci York — Updated April 17, 2026 — 50 Comments / Jump to Recipe

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Lightly sweetened with maple syrup or brown sugar and with a hint of lemon and cinnamon, this Zucchini Bread with Oat and Almond Flour is packed with two cups of zucchini! Use the zucchini juice too, for a moist and flavorful easy zucchini bread recipe. This recipe is vegetarian, dairy free, and easily gluten free. | Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill. [ watch recipe VIDEO below ]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review: “Delicious way to use up extra zucchini! I used the brown sugar option but it wasn’t too sweet. I’m embarrassed to admit our family of 3 demolished it within 24 hours!” ~ Carla

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Made in a loaf pan.

Discovering Oat Flour

I discovered oat flour while on a gluten-free trial a few years ago. Although I’m eating gluten again, I love oat flour’s texture and flavor, especially in muffins and quick bread. Not to mention, it’s usually breakfast when I’m enjoying these types of breads, so why not start the day with whole grains?

Bob’s Red Mill Organic Gluten-Free Rolled Oats and Almond Flour are a perfect duo in gluten-free baking. Together, they lend a tender crumb and earthy notes in quick bread recipes. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but to ensure that these oats maintain their gluten-free integrity, Bob’s Red Mill handles them with care in their dedicated gluten-free facility and batch tests to ensure gluten-free status.

1. Ingredients for healthy zucchini bread. 2. zucchini shreds in a workbowl of a food processor. 3. Zesting a lemon into a bowl. 4. Adding dry ingredients to wet ingredients for oat flour zucchini bread.

About the Key Ingredients

Coconut Oil – adds moisture and richness. Add it to the other ingredients melted, while still warm to the touch. You can use unrefined or refined coconut oil.
Lemon Zest – I tested this recipe with and without it and found lemon adds brightness and interest. Don’t skip it!
Maple Syrup or Brown Sugar – for this recipe, I tested both options. Both produce a moist crumb. The maple-sweetened loaf has an even more subtle sweetness and open crumb than the brown sugar loaf. I like both options, but they are slightly different.

Gluten-Free or Regular Oat Flour – I DIY my own using Bob’s Red Mill Organic Oats. It’s super easy and economical – see my how to make oat flour post for more information. Regular or gluten-free rolled oats work in this recipe.
Almond Flour – use super fine almond flour for best results. I use Bob’s Red Mill. Using a larger grind almond flour can make the bread crumbly.
Tapioca Flour – has a neutral flavor and adds lightness and texture to this recipe. It also give the bread added structure, a must in quick bread that doesn’t contain flour with gluten.
Zucchini – I use a food processor to finely shred the zucchini, but a box grater can be used as well. No need to squeeze out the zucchini juice. Just add it to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients.

1. Mixing batter for healthy zucchini bread. 2. Chopping walnuts on a cutting board.

At a Glance: How to Make Moist Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread recipe is simple and comes together in one bowl. It’s lightly sweetened with brown sugar or, sub in maple syrup. Both versions are delicious!

First, in a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients.
Second, add the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no dry patches left.
Third, toast the walnuts into the oven while it’s preheating.
Next, shred or grate zucchini retaining the zucchini juice. Prepare the pan for baking.
Last, fold the walnuts and zucchini into the batter. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake!

3. Mixing shredded zucchini with batter in a bowl. 4. Walnuts in the batter of gluten free zucchini bread.

Maple Sweetened Zucchini Bread sliced on a cutting board served with cream cheese.

Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup?

I first tested this Zucchini Bread with brown sugar, but then I wanted to see what it tasted like with maple syrup. Since I like both versions, I decided to include both options in this recipe and see which one you prefer.

The first two pictures below is a loaf of brown sugar-sweetened zucchini bread. The next two pictures are of a maple sweetened loaf. The brown sugar loaf rises higher and has a tighter crumb than the maple syrup loaf. Although both loaves are lightly sweetened and moist, the brown sugar loaf is noticeably sweeter than the maple syrup loaf. Also, the crumb is different. Notice a more open crumb on the maple-sweetened loaf.

Which one do I prefer? For this recipe, I prefer the brown sugar-sweetened, just because I love brown sugar in quick bread, but the maple sweetened is quite nice too.

Brown Sugar Sweetened Zucchini Bread

1. Overhead shot of brown sugar sweetened zucchini oat bread. 2. Front cross section image of Oat Flour Zucchini Bread with brown sugar..

Maple Sweetened Zucchini Bread

1. Overhead shot of maple zucchini oat bread. 2. Front cross section image of Oat Flour Zucchini Bread with maple Syrup.

Good to Know

To Peel or not to Peel the Zucchini

There are nutrients in the skin of zucchini so I never peel. Plus their vibrant green flecks of color add texture and interest to this gluten-free zucchini bread recipe.

How to Grate the Zucchini

I prefer to grate zucchini in a food processor. It’s super fast and easy to clean up. I shred the zucchini on the fine setting for a smaller shred. However, a box grater can be used as well.

No Squeezing/Straining the Zucchini!

Many zucchini bread recipes call for squeezing out the zucchini juice prior to adding the zucchini to the batter. I’ve formulated this recipe so that you can leave that step out! There’s no need to strain or squeeze out the zucchini juice. Simply grate/shred the zucchini and add it and its juices to the mixing bowl.

Zucchini Bread on a Plate with Cream Cheese

Traci’s Tips

This moist zucchini bread has TWO cups of shredded zucchini in it! I really packed it in there for texture, moisture, and flavor! Oat flour can take on a lot of moisture, so zucchini is a perfect partner in this optionally gluten-free quick bread.
Vegan Friendly? For an egg-free version, I tested this recipe using flax eggs. The result was a super moist, crumbly loaf, and the center sunk. There wasn’t enough structure to hold the loaf together or up. While the loaf was edible and tasty, it didn’t look very pretty.
In baking, weighing ingredients is essential for optimal outcomes. I find that especially true in gluten-free baking. If you’ll be baking with GF flours regularly, I recommend investing in a good digital kitchen scale.

For more recipes using Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats and other pantry staples, head to their website.

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50 comments

4.95 from 18 votes (4 ratings without comment)