Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

This gluten free zucchini bread is easy to make, incredibly moist, fluffy and even dairy free. It’s an easy way to sneak veggies into your diet and is totally kid approved. Keep it plain or add chocolate chips for a healthy dessert!

Between this gluten free zucchini bread and my banana bread, I am (almost) all breaded out. But I may or may not have eaten nearly half of this loaf by myself in nearly 48 hours so I think that speaks to how delicious it is.

I know everyone hates the word moist (maybe everyone except for me) but honestly what’s a better way to describe zucchini bread aside from moist?!

It’s fluffy, perfectly sweet (but definitely not too sweet, this is a healthy bread after all!) with a tender center and slightly crispy crust.

I like to add finely chopped walnuts to the bread itself, and then top it all off with extra walnuts and a sprinkle of brown sugar. Another option is to top it with streusel like in my carrot cake muffins or just leave it exactly as is! Try my gluten free pumpkin bread, gluten free zucchini muffins or marble pound cake next!

Ingredient substitutions

Eggs. have tested this recipe with flax eggs in place of the regular eggs, and while the flavor is just as delicious, the texture is a bit denser and the bread crumbles more easily.

You are welcome to try a store bought egg replacer if you like. The eggs are important for giving the bread structure and helping it rise.

Flour. This recipe calls for a mix of gluten free all purpose flour and oat flour. You can likely sub the oat flour for almond flour but I do not recommend coconut flour.

I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour, which I recommend here. Whatever blend you use, make sure it has xanthan gum!

Sugar. You can swap the light brown sugar for coconut sugar for a refined sugar free option. I don’t recommend using no sugar, but the maple syrup and a bit of coconut sugar will make it perfectly sweet.

How to make gluten free zucchini bread

First things first, grate the zucchini and set aside. You can peel the zucchini if you want, but I usually don’t! In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients but keep the zucchini aside for now. 

Whisk in all dry ingredients except for the chopped walnuts or chocolate chips if you’re using those. 

Mix until well combined. Fold in the grated zucchini and walnuts/chocolate chips if using and mix until well incorporated. 

Add to a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Mine was 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 but 9 x 5 works well too.

Top with additional chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of brown sugar if desired. 

Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Be sure you don’t underbake as this can cause your zucchini bread to be gooey in the middle. It will rise quite a bit in the oven but will calm down slightly as it cools.

Once done, let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing, ideally 2 if you have the patience!

This part is annoying but it really helps ensure the bread maintains its shape and doesn’t completely crumble when you slice!

Storage tips

Once prepared, this gluten free zucchini bread will store at room temperature for 2-3 days. If it’s around longer than that, just transfer it over to the fridge for 3-5 days.

At room temperature, it keeps best on a plate with foil loosely on top. Because of the fresh ingredients, it can get a bit mushy if left in an air tight container.

The key to a round and domed top

There are a few things that help give this bread a nice round top with a crack right down the side. One, the eggs! The protein in eggs helps create structure in the bread and gives it a really nice rise.

The second thing is the leavening agent. In this recipe, we’ll be using both baking soda and baking powder to give the bread a round top.

Be sure to check your soda/powder to ensure they aren’t expired! Expired leavening agents can cause zucchini bread to sink in the middle.

The last thing is time! This bread will be in the oven for about an hour which gives all the ingredients plenty of time to react with each other and rise well. Be sure to let it cool completely before slicing to prevent it from collapsing in the middle.

Like banana bread, zucchini bread takes quite a while to cook. Generally, it’s done around 60 minutes in my oven, but you’ll know it’s done when a toothpick comes out clean and you can’t see any raw batter from the top.

A crack should form in the top of the bread when it rises, and if you look in between, there shouldn’t be any raw batter.

Do you need to peel zucchini?

It’s totally up to you! There’s no need to peel it but if you don’t like any green bits in the bread, you are welcome to peel. I generally don’t peel it, and the green bits aren’t super obvious once it bakes, since it’s grated in small amounts.

For best results, you do not want to squeeze out any excess liquid from the zucchini. Just wash the skin, dry it off, then grate it and use it exactly as is!

The zucchini is actually a key ingredient that adds moisture into the bread, so removing it before baking can dry out the final bread.

Try these recipes next!

• Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins
• Vegan Banana Bread
• No Bake Granola Bars
• Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Healthy Pumpkin Bread

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