Healthyish Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Brown Sugar Sweetened Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

Healthyish Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Lightly sweetened with maple syrup or brown sugar and with a hint of lemon and cinnamon, this healthy gluten free zucchini bread is packed with oat flour and two cups of zucchini! Use the zucchini juice too, for a moist and flavorful easy zucchini bread recipe! vegetarian + dairy free | Be sure to start with room temperature ingredients. (see tips in notes) | Find more tips in the blog post above!

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Healthy Zucchini Bread, Moist Healthy Zucchini Bread

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 30

Servings Slices

Calories 304kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

3 Eggs large* see note for my egg free test
1/3 C (70g) Coconut Oil melted, warm to the touch
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Lemons Zested from large lemons
3/4 C (170g) Brown Sugar packed or use 3/4 C (220g) Pure Maple Syrup
1 1/2 C (150g) Oat Flour gluten free if needed
1/2 C (60g) Super Fine Almond Flour
1/2 C (65g) Tapioca Flour
1 3/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Fine Sea Salt
3/4 C (75g) Walnuts optional - Increase to 1 C (100g) if you love walnuts!
2 C (300g) Zucchini loosely packed, skin left on, shredded fine in a food processor with grater attachment or on a box grater. About 2 smallish zucchini.

Instructions

Start with room temperature ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest , maple syrup or brown sugar together until an emulsion is formed. About 30 seconds.
To the wet ingredients, add the oat flour, almond flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon, baking soda and powder, and salt. Whisk until there are no dry patches left. If using brown sugar (as pictured in the process photos) the batter will be very thick. If using maple syrup, the batter will be thin. Set aside while the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 350F (176C). Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Place the walnuts on a small baking pan and place in the oven while it's preheating so they can toast. Toast the walnuts for 16-18 minutes or until fragrant and toasty. Set aside to cool, then rough chop.
While the oven is preheating and the walnuts are toasting, shred or grate zucchini using the fine grater in a food processor or use a box grater, retaining the zucchini juice (it will be added to the batter - no need to squeeze the zucchini juice out of the zucchini). Set aside. Grease a 9"x5" (23cm X 13cm) loaf pan and line it one way with parchment paper keeping the parchment hanging over the edges for handles. Grease the parchment paper and clip the edges.
Once the oven is preheated, fold the walnuts and zucchini into the batter until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Scrape the batter into the pan and use a sharp knife to run a shallow cut down the center (this helps the beauty crack open up). Bake for one hour and 5-10 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking. When ready, the top will have cracked open and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
Place pan on a wire cooling rack. After 10 minutes, remove the bread using the parchment as handles. Set on a cooling rack until completely cool. You'll notice the bread shrinks slightly as it cools. Once cooled, the bread can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to three days.
Slices are best toasted and enjoyed with slathering of choice!
To freeze, slice and lay on a parchment lined sheet pan. Freeze, then stack the slices between parchment paper and store in a freezer bag or lidded container. Freeze for up to two weeks.

Notes

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. A whole new recipe is in order for a vegan + gluten free loaf.

Room Temperature Ingredients: Sometimes I forget to take the eggs out a few hours prior to baking, so to gently warm them, I put the eggs in warm water. They come to room temperature in about 20-30 minutes. The maple syrup can be gently warmed in the microwave too if needed.

Weighing Ingredients: In baking, weighing ingredients is important for optimal outcome. I find that especially true in gluten free baking. If you feel you'll be baking with gf flours regularly, I recommend investing in a good digital kitchen scale. I use one like this and have had it for about five years. Its been reliable.

I Enthusiastically Recommend An oven thermometer! I’ve baked in commercial bakery and home ovens, old, lightly used and brand new ovens – they all have their own personalities with temperature variations and fluctuations. Knowing the temperature of your oven is important for the best outcome, and evenly baked goods; super important in baking. I keep a close eye on my oven thermometers (I use two just to be sure) when testing/making recipes for the blog so that I am as accurate as possible with including the proper baking temperatures in my recipes.

Photography styling and props inspired by Alice Medrich's Flavor Flours and The Bojon Gourmet's Alternative Baker.

Nutrition