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Let me start by apologizing for having no recipe for you guys last week. As many of you know, my family and I recently moved back east and are not in our new house yet, so things are a little upside down right now (and probably will be for the rest of the summer).
And while we have been pretty unstructured and in major transition mode, we have been really enjoying the east coast summer. The heat, the swimming, the farmers’ markets, friends, family, BBQs… it’s feeling really good to be back.
This recipe is an easy way to use up the abundance of zucchini we are seeing this time of the year (especially if you have a garden). And truth be told, any type of Summer Squash will work, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
The funny thing about zucchini bread is that you don’t really taste the zucchini at all. It’s more like a quick bread that just so happens to have zucchini in it, which definitely has its perks.
For starters, it’s an easy way to add more veggies into your diet (especially if you have kids – they would never know it had a veggie in it) and you can pretty much highlight any flavors you want. In this recipe, the cinnamon and chocolate take center stage but you could easily go for nuts, raisins, cranberries, orange zest, etc.
Enjoy this bread at room temperature or (if you really want to swoon) hot out of the oven. It’s perfect in the morning with some coffee or late afternoon with your second cup of coffee:). Enjoy!
*UPDATE – many of you asked why I use sugar in this recipe and/or is agave a good substitution. I used to use agave a lot, but the more research I did, the less I believe that it is a ‘healthy alternative’ to cane sugar (or in this case turbinado sugar). Most agave sold today is highly processed with a lot of chemicals and is extremely high in fructose – more so than high fructose corn syrup.
This is a great, detailed article explaining why agave is not all it’s been cracked up to be: https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/why-you-should-stop-using-agave-nectar_b_7836952
Like I mention in the comments below, at the end of the day, sugar is sugar. Constantly trying to find an alternative is exhausting and delusional and I think part of the problem with modern-day ‘healthy’ eating. We are trying to find a way around what’s real and natural. Simply put, sugar is delicious and should be kept to a minimum in our diets. When we do choose to have sugar, we should make sure it’s for something absolutely delicious and that we 100% enjoy it!
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Prefer Chocolate with your zucchini? Try this Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake
Looking for a gluten-free option? Try these Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1.5 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 3/4 cup turbinado sugar sugar in the raw
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1.5 cups grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350
- Coat a glass loaf pan with coconut oil or cooking spray.
- In a large bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla. Gently stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until everything is just combined. Pour into loaf pan and pop in the oven (center rack) for 1 hour (or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean).
- Cool and enjoy!
- Makes 8 slices.
Comments
Angela says
What type of flour can I use to make these gluten free?
Dani says
I am far from an expert on how to make an easy swap to make this gluten free BUT I found this great article that recommends gluten free flour mixes you can buy and gluten free flour mixes you can make that you could sub out 1:1 for the flour. If you give it a try I would love to hear how it goes.
Dani says
OOOPS forgot the link…. https://www.thekitchn.com/glutenfree-flour-substitutes-w-137056
Lynn says
I would like to pinterest it, but it doesn’t work. I can save it in my bookmarks, but lately, I have been using pinterest more as I can see the image and gets my attention faster.
Dani says
I’m not sure what the problem is. I am going to send this to my web technical genius that helps me with all this and hope to have it resolved soon!
Rachel says
I would love to make this! Any substitutions for the sugar? Honey?
Dani says
You know… I’m not sure. You can use honey but it would change the measurements of ingredients since honey is wet and sugar is dry. I used to spend a lot of time finding ways to choose alternatives for sugar but at the end of the day concluded that sugar is sugar no matter what form it comes in. Sure you may gain some trace minerals from coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup – but at the end of the day your body still reads, “sugar”. With this realization for me came the decision to simply eat sugar less often. When I cook or bake and decide to use sugar, I simply choose which works best in the recipe. Curious – what is your reason for changing the turbinado sugar for honey?
Rachel says
Also, it says baking powder in the recipe, but doesn’t have it in the ingredient list…do you need it and how much?
In response to above: I cut sugar out and though honey is sugar, I try to only use it or maple syrup when I do give in and have something sweet. Also, it’s what I have in the house:)
vidya says
I have tried some of your recipes and they worked well.Thank you.I have a question about substituting sugar with agave nectar.Agave has low glycemic index so does that mean its a good substitute for sugar ? What are your thoughts?
vidya says
I had a question about substituting sugar with agave nectar.Agave has low glycemic index so does that mean its a good substitute for sugar? Your thoughts?
Dani says
There are lots of different opinions out there. Some say gave is gentler on the body in that it does not spike blood sugar the same as cane sugar. Others say agave is grown and processed with a ton of chemicals and has higher fructose content than high fructose corn syrup. Again – I think at the end of the day sugar is sugar. We should not eat it often (in any form) and when we do it should DELICIOUS and thoroughly ENJOYED!
Zebra Mama says
How much of the baking powder do I need to put? It’s mentioned in the recipe but missing in the ingredients list. Thanks!
Dani says
That was a typo – there is no baking powder in the recipe. sorry about that!
Dora says
What are your thoughts on SUCANAT and Stevia.
Dani says
sucanat is another great natural sugar (actually stands for sugar cane natural) but at end of day is still sugar. Stevia is a great option for anyone who is truly looking for a no calorie alternative to sugar. It sweetens without the affects of sugar and is all natural (much better option then say equal or sweet-n-low which is all chemicals). The only catch with stevia is that it’s slightly bitter, bothers some, not others. Hope that helps a little!
Amanda says
I am allergic to coconut. Is there something else I could use other than the coconut oil?
Dani says
Melted butter or oil would work as well.
Grace says
I’d love to make this, but I don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, and I’ve looked at both my local grocery store and a natural foods co-op, and haven’t been able to find it. Until I can maybe order it online, do you think the recipe would still taste good with regular whole wheat (or, in my case I would probably use white whole wheat) flour?
Dani says
YOu can definitely use white whole wheat flour with no problem at all. Would work just fine! Regular whole wheat would work too, but would be a bit more dense and hearty.
Jennifer says
Followed recipe minus chocolate chips and it was delicious, my kids loved it. Thank you for the recipe
Dia says
Hey Dani:
Love the recipe, and since it’s pumpkin season, can I use pumpkin instead of zucchini? If I did, would I have to change any of the ingredients or amounts??
I would appreciate your reply.
Dani says
Hi Dia -I’m not so sure that that would work since pumpkin is more of a puree and zucchini is not. I’ll have to share a recipe for pumpkin bread soon!
suhani says
could u make a clean plain banana bread?
Aparna says
What a great and fun website…I am hooked to it! As a mom of 2 young kids, I am always on the lookout for nutritious and yummy recipes…especially snacks. I tried your choco zucchini bread and it was a complete hit in our home! We finished the batch yesterday and my daughter is after me to make more! Thanks a lot…and keep up your good work.
Dani says
So glad to hear that you liked it!! Thanks so much for letting me know:)
Erica says
I have made this zucchini bread about 10 times since I first saw this recipe- It is my go to dessert any time I’m going to a party or even at home, it’s always a hit! Thanks so much for the wonderful and informative recipes and tips you put on your website 🙂
Dani says
Anytime! I’m so glad to hear it is such a success.
Grace says
Hi Dani, you really have very easy n good recipes. I’m thinking of trying this after I finish off my Paleo Apple Cake snack-recipe from your website too. It’s quite ok but I didn’t use Almond Flour. I also read all the comments here. You addressed to Zebra Mama earlier that there’s no baking powder in the recipe. I wonder if you correct the typo. Is baking soda required for this? Thanks for your reply in advance.
Sally says
hi Dani,
I would like to try making this with coconut flour as I’ve enjoyed you’re grain free recipes especially the two recent ones using coconut flour, any tips/suggestions?
Dani says
Swapping the flour for coconut flour will take a bit of adjustments to the recipe – I would really need to do some experimenting. That may be a fun recipe to play with and I can share it onceI have something that works.
Elana says
Hi Dani. Finally made this today! Fantastic. I’ve been trying your recipes for over 3 years now and am never disappointed with the results.
Laura says
What can I substitute for coconut oil in your recipes, my son is allergic to coconut as well. Thank you!
Christine Kirkopoulos says
Hi Dani, first thank you for all your recipes! I made this recipe this morning I had to improvise with 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole wheat (pastry flour is not readily available in Santiago, Chile) and the mix was quiet dry so I added a bit of almond milk (also your recipe) and I was able to bring the mixture together. I think it was apprx 1/4 almond milk. I think this added something a little special to the cake as it gave a nice flavor!! Thank you!!
debbie stavish says
Yum- I tweaked it a tad subbing in a little gluten free flour. I used green and yellow squash. I really appreciate how these muffins are like “food” – not ooey gooey junky. Oh! Yes I made the recipe into muffins 🙂
Dani Spies says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! And great to know they can be baked into muffins as well.