Healthy zucchini bread is perfectly moist, slightly sweet, with bites of chocolate chips and walnuts. With no refined sugar, just a touch of coconut oil, and whole wheat flour, it's a healthier treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee.
When it comes to baking, I like to keep things simple. Quick breads like lemon blueberry bread or pumpkin bread are great because you need just one bowl and ten minutes to mix up the batter and get them into the oven!
This healthy zucchini bread is another great quick bread option, especially when you have a garden that over-produces zucchini.
Slightly sweet, perfectly moist, with a crunch from the walnuts and a little hit of chocolate from the mini chocolate chips, this zucchini bread is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without overdoing it.
Some zucchini bread recipes have a TON of oil and sugar in them, and I love that this recipe only uses a touch of coconut oil and no refined sugar.
Reasons you'll ♡ this healthy zucchini bread
- it's tender and moist, and studded with mini chocolate chips and walnuts
- contains whole wheat flour, a touch of coconut oil, and has no refined sugar
- it mixes up in one bowl, and is freezer (and kid) friendly
Start by squeezing the zucchini
Zucchini is a very watery vegetable, and we need to press out the extra liquid to allow our zucchini bread to bake through properly.
After shredding the zucchini, scatter it on a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to sit for ten minutes. Use a second paper towel to gently press the liquid out of the zuccchini.
One bowl for easy prep
One bowl recipes are perfect for lazy baking days, and I'm happy to report that this healthy zucchini bread can be mixed up in one bowl. I do recommend using a microwave safe bowl such as a large glass measuring cup, so you can start by melting the coconut oil.
Next, add in the rest of your wet ingredients (apple sauce, maple syrup, vanilla and 2 eggs). If your coconut oil re-solidifies at this time, just pop the wet ingredients back into the microwave and heat on 20-30 second increments, stirring each time, until it melts again. Do not heat vigorously as we don't want to cook our eggs.
Next, add in the dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda and powder and cinnamon. Mix until *just* combined and no flour lumps remain.
The final step? Fold in our add-ins: the shredded and pressed zucchini, mini chocolate chips, and walnut pieces.
Grease and flour the pan
This recipe requires a standard 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. To ensure that your healthy zucchini bread comes out of the pan easily, we have a two-step method to prepare the pan:
1. grease
To grease the pan, spray with spray oil, or rub softened butter all over. Make sure you get the bottom and the sides, and that you get the corners as well.
2. flour
Next, take ¼ cup of flour and add into the pan. Tap the pan while changing its position to get the flour to stick to the greased surface. If you have extra flour leftover, simply tap it back into your flour container.
How to tell when it's done
There are a few different ways to tell when your zucchini bread is baked through. The standard way is to insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, your bread is ready. If sticky crumbs are stuck to the toothpick, it needs to go back into the oven.
Another way to check is to use a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the bread. Once it reaches 200°F, it's ready to come out.
Serving zucchini bread
Allow the bread to cool completely, then work a knife around the loaf pan, turn it over on a cutting board, and give it a firm smack. This should release the zucchini bread from the pan.
Serve zucchini bread with a smear of butter. As this loaf is only mildly sweet, you may also want to serve with a little drizzle of honey.
Storage + freezer directions
We love to double this recipe and freeze one loaf. Cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap (or beeswax wrap) and store in an air tight container or freezer bag (use a straw to suck out any air).
- Fridge- store for up to 1 week wrapped in plastic or beeswax wrap in the fridge.
- Freeze- for up to 3 months.
- Thaw- overnight in the fridge.
Swaps + variations
- zucchini- swap for yellow squash, shredded carrots or shredded apples
- walnuts- swap for pecans, almonds, or any other nut you'd like (or leave them out!)
- flour- swap the whole wheat flour for white whole wheat or all purpose; it has not been tested with gluten-free or any alternative flours
- coconut oil- swap for vegetable oil or butter
- maple syrup- swap for honey
More summery snacks
- Creamy Chocolate Dessert Hummus
- Smoky Sweet Potato Hummus
- Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas
- Carrot Lentil Protein Muffins
- Perfect No Bake Energy Bites (+ 7 Flavors)
- Healthy Blueberry Muffins
Healthy Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups zucchini shredded; firmly packed; 160 g
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 180 g
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted 52 g
- ½ cup apple sauce 130 g
- ½ cup maple syrup 130 g; or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup walnuts chopped; 58 g
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips 48 g
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325°F. Spray and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, set aside.
- Shred zucchini on a box grater. Place on a paper towel and cover with a second paper towel. Allow to sit for ten minutes, and gently press to transfer extra liquid to the paper towels.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the coconut oil. Stir in the applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla and eggs. If coconut oil starts to solidify, microwave the liquids for 20 seconds at a time until coconut oil is melted again.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until no flour clumps remain.
- Fold in the zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Transfer to the loaf pan and bake for 55- 1h5m, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely. Run a knife around the outside of the pan to loosen, then invert the pan and give it a couple of firm smacks to release the loaf from the pan.
Storage
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Wrap in plastic and store in a sealed container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
. If you have an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan, keep an eye on the zucchini bread, it may be baked through sooner (start checking at 40 min)
Storage
- Fridge- store for up to 1 week wrapped in plastic or beeswax wrap in the fridge.
- Freeze- for up to 3 months.
- Thaw- overnight in the fridge.
- zucchini- swap for yellow squash, shredded carrots or shredded apples
- walnuts- swap for pecans, almonds, or any other nut you’d like (or leave them out!)
- flour- swap the whole wheat flour for white whole wheat or all purpose; it has not been tested with gluten-free or any alternative flours
- coconut oil- swap for vegetable oil or butter
- maple syrup- swap for honey
