It’s that time of year when zucchinis are spilling out of my kitchen basket, and I’m finding ways to slip them into every dish I’m making. Zucchini is one of the most prolific vegetables in the garden. After making zucchini pasta, soups, fritters, and countless other dishes, there’s usually still an abundance waiting to be used – zucchini bread.
This incredibly moist, gently spiced zucchini bread is one of my favourite ways to celebrate the harvest. Even those who aren’t fond of zucchini are often surprised by how much they enjoy it.
ingredient notes
- For a healthier option, replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar, or use 6 Medjool dates, mashed with the banana, for natural sweetness. To note: I’ve tested this recipe with less sugar, and while the flavour was still delicious, the texture wasn’t quite as good.
- The banana acts as a binder in this recipe, replacing the eggs while adding moisture and sweetness. It can also be replaced with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce or your preferred egg replacer.
- All-purpose flour creates a light, tender loaf. For a more wholesome version, substitute with whole-wheat flour, buckwheat flour, or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- You’ll need 1 heaped cup of grated zucchini, approximately 1 medium zucchini. There’s no need to peel it. Squeeze out the excess moisture before adding it to the batter to help the loaf rise well and bake evenly.
Garden-Inspired Zucchini Bread & a Leaf Impression
makes one 8 x 4-inch loaf pan or 8 baker’s cupcakes
preparation time 15 mins
baking time 45 mins
cake ingredients
½ cup/100g granulated sugar
¼ cup/40g brown sugar
1 medium banana, mashed (80 – 90 g)
¼ cup/50g full-fat yoghurt
⅓ cup/75g mild-tasting olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups/215g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine rock salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cardamom (3 pods ground)
1 medium zucchini, grated and squeezed to remove excess moisture (170g after squeezing).
½ cup/50g walnuts, chopped
preparation
- Preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Grease and line a 8 x 4-inch loaf pan.
- Grate 1 medium zucchini using a box grater. Place the grated zucchini in a clean tea towel, cheesecloth, or fine-mesh sieve and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, banana, yoghurt, vinegar, oil, and vanilla until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Fold in the grated zucchini and walnuts. - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the surface.
Bake for approx. 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
note
You can also bake these as muffins, divide between 8 muffin cases and bake for 25 minutes at 180° C / 350° F.
offering
Double the recipe and spread a little homemade goodness by sharing a loaf with a friend.
