Hello loves + Happy National Zucchini Bread Day!
I’m not sure who exactly decides these food holidays but what a freakin’ calendar genius. It’s basically an excuse for me to bake my heart out, drink a margarita (on national margarita day) and celebrate my love for all things food with you.
Today is definitely one of my favorite food holidays because zucchini is involved. Each Summer when your gardens are bursting with zucchini the size of your arms, I take on the challenge of creating crazy good zucchini recipes for you to try for #AKZucchiniWeek. This year won’t be any different, so if you have suggestions, I’ll take them in the comments below!
This recipe is for a simple delicious and healthy zucchini bread. It’s bursting with notes of honey, cinnamon, a hint of citrus and coconut. While it’s a very straightforward recipe, it’s also incredibly versatile. You can add chocolate chips, coconut, dried fruit or basically whatever your heart desires. Time to get wild!
I wanted to make this bread a little bit better for you so I decided to make this sweetened with honey instead of sugar, used a small amount of coconut oil (for both flavor + healthy fats), added heart-healthy walnuts (or macadamia nuts!) to keep you full, used whole grain flour (but there are subs to make it gluten free too in the recipe below).
I’m a little obsessed with this bread. I love serving it warm or slightly toasted with peanut butter. Another great way to enjoy it is with a drizzle of honey + a sprinkle of sea salt. SO GOOD.
I hope you love this healthy zucchini bread as much as we did over here.
Be sure to let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below and rating the recipe. You can also upload a photo to Instagram and tag #ambitiouskitchen.
xoxo ENJOY!
Other healthy zucchini recipes you might love:
Chicken Zucchini Enchilada Bake
Good Morning Healthy Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
Healthy Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups packed shredded zucchini that has been squeezed of excess moisture with a paper towel (from about 1 medium zucchini)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (any milk will work)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Optional: zest from 1 orange
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled (can sub melted butter or vegan butter)
- ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts or macadamia nuts
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 8x4 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
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In a large bowl, zucchini, honey, eggs, almond milk, vanilla extract and optional orange zest until smooth.
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In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Next add in coconut oil and mix again until well combined. Fold in toasted nuts.
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Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until tester comes out clean.
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Optional add-ins: 1/2 cup chocolate chips or 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Recipe Notes
TO MAKE VEGAN: Use two flaxeggs instead of regular eggs.
TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE: I recommend using chickpea flour and adding an extra tablespoon or two of milk to increase moisture.
TO MAKE NUT FREE: Sub almond milk with a nut free milk and skip the nuts in the recipe.
20 comments
Ahh LOVE zucchini bread! This looks so delicious!
Zucchini bread is my fav!! Hope you love this one!
Will definitely be making this with my plethora of garden zucchini this summer!!! Love the citrus addition 🙂
Perfect!! The orange zest is a game-changer here 😉
I didn’t even know it was national zucchini bread day?? Gosh I love it. You are so right, whoever invented these days straight up GENIUS. Especially peanut butter cup day (is that a thing?)
Anyways, I am SO making this for my mamma on mothers day! She’s going to love it 🙂
Right?! Food holidays = the best holidays 🙂 This will be perfect for Mother’s Day!
I was going to say peanut butter on top would be extra delicious! Subbing sugar with honey was genius as well! This is definitely not your average zucchini bread 😉
Subbing honey for sugar.
PB on top is the best!! Hope you get a chance to try this one Kelli 🙂
What are the small slices of something on the bread? It looks like garlic!
It’s the zucchini!
Thank you for the vegan option! I love the way this bread looks. The hint of citrus sounds heavenly–chocolate chips are probably so so good in this loaf too!
You bet! And yes – chocolate chips are always a good idea 😉
using regular baking flour would work as sub? (only flour I have at the moment). Would 2 cups be alright, or measurement changes? Thanks xx
using regular baking flour would work as sub? (only flour I have at the moment). Would 2 cups be alright, or measurement changes? Thanks xx
Yes that should work!
I made this for my 18yr old whose body is a temple…. and he inhaled it 💞 Thankyou for giving me a recipe for my whole family.
Haha amazing! Glad the whole family liked this one 🙂
It’s really a very simple recipe and it’s very necessary to try right away. Thank you for sharing that unique and delicious recipe.
It seems very good indeed. Can not wait to try the recipe.
I subbed butter and left out the nuts because my husband’s allergic. It was moist, delicious, and flavorful–a keeper. My six year old niece was dubious (after one bite “…have you ever HAD zucchini bread before?”) but she came around to this less sweet but still very yummy version of the classic. (To be fair, she thought there was literally one recipe for zucchini bread In The World.)
Glad these converted your niece! One of my fav breads.
Would this recipe work if I subbed maple syrup for honey? Thanks!
Yes it should!
This sounds so yummy especially with the citrus! Any chance I could make with with almond meal?
It’s delicious! I wouldn’t recommend using almond meal as it will change the consistency of the bread.
Love this! Made it into muffins for a camping trip and everyone raved about how good it was!
Perfect! So happy to hear that 🙂