Description
Fresh garden zucchini is perfect for baking the Nutritious Gluten-Free Vegan Zucchini Quick Bread. The bread ingredients don’t contain gluten/wheat, eggs, dairy, almond flour, oats, or oat flour; the recipe is also oil-free. If you are not allergic to nuts, adding chopped walnuts is optional. The trick to creating such a wonderfully soft texture is baking with steam! It helps the gluten-free loaf be light and moist without being sticky.
TOOLS: box grater, large mixing bowl, whisk, measuring cups/spoons or kitchen scale, sifter, 8.5 x 4.5-inch standard loaf pan (must fit into the Dutch oven), unbleached parchment paper, and a large Dutch oven or deep roasting pan. A wire cooling rack is also great.
IMPORTANT: Ensure the bread pan has sealed corners, or water might seep in when baking with steam.
Ingredients
- 7 g (1 rounded tablespoon) psyllium husk (whole)
- 100 g (100 ml) warm 110°F water
- 70 g (1/2 cup) organic coconut sugar (or organic brown sugar)
- 250 g (1 cup) plain vegan yogurt*
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 90 g (3/4 cup) brown rice flour
- 90 g (3/4 cup) sorghum flour
- 60 g (1/2 cup) tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon GF baking powder**
- 1 tsp organic ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 275 g (2 generous cups) fresh zucchini, grated***
Add-ins (Optional):
40 g (1/4 cup) chopped organic raw walnuts or seeds.
Dark chocolate bits or chocolate chips.
Topping (Optional):
Sprinkle extra sugar (coconut or brown sugar) overtop the batter.
Instructions
To learn more about baking with steam, watch the Rhubarb Quick Bread Recipe Video, as the baking method is the same for this healthy zucchini bread recipe. The recipe ingredients are similar.
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Ensure that the bread pan fits into the large Dutch oven and preheat the Dutch oven at the same time as the oven. Line the bread pan, bottom and sides (like a sling) with unbleached parchment paper. Using a Dutch oven is optional, but the steam it creates when baking will help the eggless and gluten-free bread be lighter. If you don’t have a large Dutch oven, place your bread baking vessel into a larger deep roasting pan (see example in this video).
Step 2 – Grate the zucchini before mixing the bread ingredients.
Step 3 – Combine and whisk the psyllium husk in a large bowl with warm water. To the same bowl, add the sugar (sift the sugar first if clumpy), yogurt and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
Step 4 – Place a sifter overtop the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients (flour combo, starch, GF baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt), sift and mix by hand with a spoon until well incorporated. Fold in the grated zucchini and chopped walnuts (optional if not allergic), and don’t over-mix. TIP: For chocolate zucchini bread, add a bit of raw cacao powder or roasted cocoa powder to the batter and dark chocolate bits or chocolate chips as an add-in.
Step 5 – Transfer the thick batter to the prepared pan with a soft spatula. Sprinkling extra sugar over the top of the batter is optional but does help the bread get nice and golden.
Step 6 – If baking in a Dutch oven, place the bread pan into the preheated Dutch oven (be very careful as it will be hot), add a few ice cubes on each side of the pan or pour a little bit of water (1/2 cup) to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Bake for 45 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered or until the top of the loaf feels set, and the edges start to darken. The internal temperature of the loaf should be 210°F when done. If baking with a deep roasting pan, place the bread pan into the roasting pan, add a few ice cubes or water, and bake for 55 minutes uncovered. Do not open the oven during the first 45 minutes of baking time.
Step 7 – Let the bread cool for up to 20 minutes in the pan before removing it from the bread pan. Peel off the parchment paper and finish cooling on a wire rack. Leaving the bread in the pan too long could make it soggy.
Enjoy some of the best zucchini bread freshly baked, but know that day-old leftovers are great too!
Notes
Storage tips: Once cooled, a fresh loaf keeps for one day at room temperature. I sometimes leave it on the wire rack and loosely cover it with a clean tea towel. You can also wrap the bread with a reusable wrap, plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. After one day, store the bread in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To store for longer, slice day-old leftovers and freeze them in a sealed bag or container for up to two months.
SUB whole psyllium husk with 2 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal or ground flax.
SUB coconut palm sugar or brown sugar with pure maple syrup. This will work if sugar is kept to 1/2 cup. Using one full cup might be too much liquid for this recipe.
SUB brown rice flour with light buckwheat flour. Not tested.
SUB sorghum flour with organic millet flour, GF oat flour or almond meal. Not tested.
SUB organic coconut palm sugar with pure maple sugar, organic light or dark brown sugar or organic cane sugar. Not tested.
SUB tapioca starch with arrowroot or potato starch, cornstarch, or a combo of 2.
SUB pure vanilla extract with 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla bean powder.
SUB plain vegan yogurt with homemade plant-based hemp milk (or not allergen-friendly: oat milk, soy milk, almond milk) soured with apple cider vinegar. Not tested.
This recipe was not tested with coconut oil or olive oil instead of plain vegan yogurt.
*I used Silk Unsweetened Plain Coconut Yogurt. It doesn’t include gums and only 1g of sugar per 3/4 cup.
**My homemade GF baking powder contains tapioca starch, cream of tartar and baking soda. I also tested Bob’s Red Mill GF Baking Powder containing different ingredients, including cornstarch. Sometimes, depending on the brand of baking powder added, 1 tablespoon could be too much. If unsure, 2 teaspoons is a great start. Adding too much can make the bread taste strange (if it contains aluminum) and creates a crumbly texture because of the baking soda in the baking powder.
***Do not squeeze the freshly grated zucchini. We need the extra moisture for this great recipe. Use two small zucchinis or one medium zucchini. Keep the skin on if organic.