Healthy Zucchini Bread

Healthy Zucchini Bread made with applesauce, whole wheat flour and no oil. Enjoy this super delicious, easy and moist recipe with your surplus garden zucchini or anytime of the year for breakfast or snacks.

Other quick bread staples in our house are healthy lemon zucchini bread, healthy chocolate zucchini bread and healthy zucchini banana bread.

This recipe is a result of my local farmer’s zucchini season in full swing. Yay! Therefore, super easy recipe and truly healthy zucchini bread.

Most zucchini breads are full of oil and refined sugars, which cancel the fact that you are eating a vegetable!

This recipe has no white flour, no refined sugar and no oil without sacrificing the flavor or moistness. Freshly grated zucchini and applesauce make it moist and low fat. Honey (or maple syrup) and cinnamon add a really nice flavor and keep it low sugar at same time.

If you can find locally sourced zucchini during the summer season, that is the best! Otherwise, look for organic zucchini since you do not peel the zucchini and will be eating the skin.

There is no need to eat dessert for breakfast. This healthy zucchini bread is delicious and perfect as a healthy breakfast idea or to fuel your afternoon.

I feel good feeding my family low sugar quick breads and I am sure you can relate.

Why This Recipe Works?

• Easy to make: Healthy zucchini bread is made in one bowl, you don’t even need to squeeze excess water out of zucchini! Less work and less dishes to wash, means you can be in and out of the kitchen in less time.
• Whole grain: Made with whole wheat or spelt flour, means you are consuming less refined carbohydrates. You will stay full longer as well as consume good for you nutrients.
• No refined sugar: Honey or maple syrup are lower on the glycemic index which allows your body to burn sugar more efficiently and avoid the “crash and burn” that can come from white refined sugar.
• Moist: It’s no secret using zucchini in breads adds moisture due to its high water content. Applesauce also adds moisture and means this quick bread stays oil free!

Ingredients You Will Need

Healthy zucchini bread ingredients are simple, wholesome and most likely in your pantry now:

• Zucchini: Can also use yellow summer squash. No need to peel or squeeze zucchini.
• Honey or maple syrup: Any liquid sweetener like agave, brown rice syrup or sugar-free syrup will work.
• Applesauce: Makes bread moist without using oil. I like to use unsweetened applesauce or Instant Pot applesauce. If all you have is sweetened that is fine, your bread will just be sweeter. Yogurt works as well.
• One egg: Acts like “a glue”.
• Whole wheat or spelt flour: Are the only flours I have tested in this recipe. Baking is a science and it is super important to follow the recipe. See FAQs below for other flours info.
• Cinnamon and salt: Salt to enhance the flavor of ingredients and cinnamon to add a sweet, earthy taste.
• Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor of all the ingredients in baking.
• Baking powder and baking soda: Adds leavening and lift to the zucchini bread.

How to Make Healthy Zucchini Bread

This is one bowl recipe!

Combine all ingredients, except zucchini and flour, and whisk well. Mixture will be foamy and bubbly because applesauce reacts with baking soda right away.

Grate zucchini on large holes or medium size holes of a box grater. The only difference is that coarsely grated zucchini will have more prominent flecks of zucchini in baked bread.

If you would rather “hide the veggies”, use medium holes. I have tried and loved both methods. Also, I do not recommend to grate or “zest” zucchini.

Do not squeeze and do not pat dry. Just pack tightly 2 cups. We want all the juices for moist and healthy whole wheat zucchini bread.

Add flour and stir until well mixed. I wouldn’t be too concerned with over mixing but folding ingredients into the batter gently is always a good baking practice.

Batter won’t be as thick as traditional quick bread or muffin batter.

Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 60 mins. Photo shows a longer and skinnier loaf pan because I like to experiment. However, regular sized 9 x 5 inches loaf pan is all you need.

Bake, cool, slice and enjoy! You know the drill. 🙂

Optional Add-Ins and Variations

• Chocolate: Add up to a 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.
• Nuts: A 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans or pistachios for some crunch.
• Dried fruit: Raisins, dried chopped apricots or dates, or unsweetened cranberries add additional texture. I would start with 1/4 cup and add up to a 1/2 cup.
• Coconut: Look for unsweetened coconut in the baking aisle. Shredded works better than flakes.
• Blueberries: Before adding, toss with a small amount of flour you are using to prevent sinking to the bottom. Or use to stud the top of the bread.
• Dash of nutmeg: For additional earthy flavor.
• Egg free: I think it will work although I haven’t tested with this bread, but let me know in the comments. Try flax egg or chia seed egg.

Tips for Best Results

All zucchini bread recipes differ. Here is what I recommend to do with your zucchini for this healthy zucchini bread recipe:

• Do not peel: Squash’s skin is very soft and once cooked it becomes very tender. So, do not waste your time and discard valuable nutrients.
• Do not squeeze: You do not have to squeeze zucchini for my recipe because we want all the water to make the bread moist.
• Pack in a cup: You want 2 cups packed of shredded zucchini. As you fill up the cup with handfuls gently press on zucchini before adding more. Don’t go crazy but just pat it inside.
• Frozen zucchini: I have heard from a few readers they freeze shredded zucchini and then use in baking. I have not tried. But if you are wondering, I would thaw frozen shredded zucchini for a bit so it’s not one blob and try. Please let me know if you do.

FAQs

Serving Recommendations

While most of the time, our family enjoys this bread as is fresh from the oven, here are some other fun ways to serve this best zucchini bread recipe!

• French toast zucchini bread: This is best if your bread is nearing the end of its “lifecycle”. Make an egg dip batter by combining egg, your preferred milk and a pinch of salt and cinnamon or nutmeg. Whisk to combine. Soak a slice of bread in the mixture for only a few minutes and fry both sides of the bread in a pan over medium-high heat.
• Drizzle with a glaze: This works especially great if your bread is doubling as a dessert! Try the glaze from healthy lemon poppy seed bread. Alternately, drizzle with yogurt icing from this healthy carrot cake recipe.
• Favorite beverage: Healthy iced coffee or healthy iced tea are all some of my favorite sippers!

How to Store and Freeze Zucchini Bread

Store: Quick bread dries out fast if you leave it in the open. I like to place zucchini bread in a resealable Ziploc bag and store in a pantry away from direct sunlight for up to 3 days.

I doubt you will have any left past day 3 but if you do, then freeze it.

Freeze: Bake zucchini bread and cool completely. I recommend you do not slice bread before freezing. It retains its moisture better this way.

Place in a gallon size Ziploc bag, let out as much air as possible and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw: Defrost on a counter. Takes about 3-4 hours. Zucchini bread will taste just like freshly baked. Pop it in a toaster for a minute for that freshly baked bread warmth and aromas.

Enjoy this healthy zucchini bread!

More Healthy Zucchini Recipes

• Lemon zucchini muffins
• Healthy zucchini brownies
• Healthy banana zucchini muffins
• Almond flour zucchini muffins

Or find a recipe that appeals to you among these 45 healthy zucchini recipes!