Description
This healthy zucchini bread is super moist! It’s easy to make with 100% whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, and it’s naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup. It has the perfect balance of warm spices, toasted walnuts, and a hint of fresh orange zest.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 3/4 cups (230g) whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (or ginger or nutmeg)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (156g) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 (60g) plain Greek yogurt (I use 0%)
- 1/3 cup (76g) unsalted butter or virgin coconut oil, melted
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest (optional, but yummy)
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) lightly packed grated zucchini, unpeeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater (no need to wring out)
- 1/2 cup (57g) toasted walnuts, pecans, or mini chocolate chips (optional)
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a standard loaf pan (8.5 × 4.5 inches) with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ground cardamon (or ginger or nutmeg if using). Whisk to combine.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the eggs, maple syrup, and Greek yogurt. Whisk to combine. Add the melted butter or coconut oil, vanilla extract, and fresh orange zest, and whisk again to combine. Add the grated zucchini and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk or stir just until combined. AVOID OVERMIXING. You just want to make sure there are no dry clumps of flour left in the batter.
- Fold in the toasted nuts or chocolate chips if using. The batter will be very thick.
- Spread the batter evenly in the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the sugar on top if using. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out mostly clean with no raw batter.
- Remove the bread from the oven and set on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully remove the bread from the pan to let cool completely on the wire rack. (I like to let the bread cool on it’s side. This helps circulate the air flow better and prevents the bottom from getting soggy). Use a serrated knife to slice and enjoy when the bread is cool. I like it slathered with salted butter or nut butter and a drizzle of honey.
Notes
- Measure the ingredients correctly. I use a $15 kitchen scale that I bought from Amazon to weigh the ingredients. I’ve included the weighted measurements in the recipe to help you achieve perfect results every time. If you don’t have a scale, make sure to lightly spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Using too much flour that’s tightly packed will result in a dry or crumbly loaf.
- Choose the right zucchini. Use small to medium size zucchini. These are younger squashes, which are more tender and less watery than larger zucchini. They also lack the tough, bitter seeds and fibrous skin found in overgrown zucchini. It’s easy to find small to medium size zucchini at the grocery store. If using zucchini from the garden, pick it when the squash is young, before it becomes overgrown.
- Don’t peel the zucchini. Leave the skin on. It adds beautiful flecks of green color throughout the bread. You don’t taste or notice it once it’s baked.
- Be mindful of the moisture. I use small to medium size zucchini to make this recipe and grate it on the large holes or a box grater. I never have to blot the zucchini dry or squeeze out the excess water. The extra moisture helps to keep the bread soft and moist, which I like. If you notice after grating the zucchini that it’s visibly dripping a lot of water (or sitting in a pool of water), then I recommend using a paper towel to gently blot the zucchini. But there’s no need to squeeze out the excess water.
- Keep an eye on your loaf while baking. If the top of your loaf is getting too brown before the center is fully baked, you can loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the loaf. It will continue to bake without overcooking the top. Zucchini bread is finished when a toothpick (or wooden skewer) inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs and no raw batter.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American