This zucchini bread recipe is low-sugar, low-fat, gluten-free, & dairy-free.
Looking for a nutritious way to make use of the summer bounty of fresh zucchini? Baking with zucchini gives you a moist bread.
The ingredients (14 of them; all of them, good for you) are listed in boldface in these instructions:
1. Drizzle a 4x8” loaf pan with just enough coconut oil to coat the insides.
2. Whisk two large eggs in a medium large mixing bowl, and stir in ¼ cup brown coconut sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon dried lemon peel/zest (you can use your vegetable grater to grate the skin from a small washed organic lemon) OR 3 drops of lemon essential oil, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, ¼ cup grapeseed oil (or avocado oil or olive oil—OR omit the oil and substitute ½ cup sugar-free organic applesauce), 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (we like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour, which is mostly rice flour). Optional: add ¼ cup dried apple-sweetened cranberries (they’re naturally sweet, fiber-rich and colorful; you may want to cut each cranberry in half; or use raisins) and ¼ cup of blanched walnut halves and pieces; limit your optional add-ins of the dried fruits and/or walnuts to ½ cup total.
3. Using a grater, shred one medium-size zucchini (rinsed, but not peeled; the skin gives your loaf color, nutrients and fiber) or yellow squash if that’s what’s available, to make 1 ½ cups of the squash. (Don’t use more than that, or your bread will have a pudding consistency.)
4. Drain the zucchini. After shredding, put it in a clean towel and squeeze firmly. Measure about 1¼–1½ cups after squeezing. Very watery zucchini can release a surprising amount of liquid.
5. Use two table knives to blend the shredded squash with all the other ingredients in the bowl.
6. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan.
7. Position a rack in your oven so the loaf is in the center of it and heat it oven to 350 degrees F. (if it’s hot weather and you have a toaster oven, you could set it outside so you don’t heat up your home).
8. Meanwhile, let the mixed batter sit for about 10 minutes before baking so the flour can hydrate.
9. Bake in the 4×8-inch pan at 350°F for about 60 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center pulls out clean. Watch your bread as it bakes the first time, because all ovens are different. Toaster ovens tend to bake it faster. You may want to cover the loaf pan loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes if the top is browning early. Do not rely only on the toothpick test; use a cooking thermometer to determine that the center has reached around 200–205°F.
10. Allow loaf to cool completely before slicing it with a sharp knife.
For more on nutrition, see Turbo-Charged Nutrition for Peak Performance Kids.
