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Tender, warmly spiced Gluten Free Zucchini Bread makes the most of zucchini season, and you can make it all year round! Moist and just sweet enough, you’ll want to spread slices with butter or cream cheese, or just nibble on them plain with a cup of coffee or tea.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Recipe
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
If you’re growing a garden, I’ll bet you’re always looking for ways to use up all that summer squash! This gluten free recipe for zucchini bread is the perfect option for quickly turning too much zucchini into a lightly sweet, beautifully moist loaf. It’s just like a classic zucchini bread but it’s entirely gluten free.
A combination of applesauce and oil keeps this gluten free loaf from being dry, and a duo of granulated and brown sugars keeps it sweet without being over the top. I love to throw in a handful of chopped walnuts or semisweet chocolate chips (or both!), but it’s just as good plain. The kitchen smelled amazing when I was testing this recipe, and the taste and texture of the loaf were even better. My kiddo who isn’t a zucchini fan was devouring it, so I know you’ll love this recipe!
- It’s easy to make. You can use a mixer as noted in the instructions or you can use a whisk to blend the batter for this bread. Plus, the ingredients are familiar and uncomplicated.
- Not overly sweet. I love quick breads because they are often a bit less sweet than cake, and there’s more focus on the other ingredients – in this case, zucchini! Applesauce lends some natural sweetness, too, so you don’t need quite as much sugar.
- It keeps well. I’ve detailed the storage options lower down, but this zucchini bread is a keeper both for its taste and for how well it tastes fresh. You’ll be able to enjoy it all week – if you can make it last that long!
What You’ll Need
Familiar ingredients form the base of this gluten free recipe for zucchini bread, and you can make a few substitutions if needed. I’ve included the list plus some notes below, and you’ll find the full ingredients in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Zucchini: Choose firm, green zucchini in season for the best flavor.
- Gluten Free Flour: I use a 1:1 gluten free flour substitute, such as Bob’s Red Mill brand.
- Ground Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth
- Leavening Agents: A combination of baking powder and baking soda work together to give the bread lift.
- Salt
- Oil: You can use avocado or vegetable oil.
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce is best so that it doesn’t overwhelm the bread with too much sugar. Applesauce helps to keep the zucchini bread moist and tender.
- Eggs: Most baking recipes are developed using large eggs, and this recipe also calls for large eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract always adds a little extra depth of flavor to baked goods.
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar but you can substitute dark brown sugar if needed, or use all granulated sugar.
- Lemon Zest: Freshly grated lemon zest is optional, but I love how the bit of citrus enhances all the other flavors.
- Add-ins: Optional add-ins include chocolate chips, toasted walnuts, or a mix of both for crunch.
How To Make Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this zucchini bread. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Squeeze the zucchini to remove any excess liquid.
- Make the dry mix. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg into a bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Beat together the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest.
- Add zucchini. Blend in the zucchini.
- Combine. Now add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Rest the batter. Let the batter sit for 20 minutes so that the flour can hydrate.
- Assemble. Gently fold in the chocolate chips or walnuts, if using, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake. Place the loaf in the oven and bake for about 45-55 minutes.
- Cool. Let the loaf cool for 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
Gluten free zucchini bread is so easy to make!
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- Don’t peel the zucchini. I love a recipe that lets me skip an extra step! In the case of zucchini bread, you can leave the zucchini skins. But do make sure to wash the zucchini thoroughly and dry it before grating it into shreds.
- Gently squeeze. Too much moisture from the zucchini will lead to dense or soggy bread. So squeeze out the zucchini shreds well, but carefully so that they don’t get mushy.
- Don’t use all applesauce or all oil. While it’s tempting to swap out the oil for applesauce to cut down on some fat, the fat is necessary for structure and texture! Using both applesauce and oil provides the perfect balance of fat and moisture for the bread (especially important when you’re baking gluten free).
- Rest the batter. As always, resting the gluten free batter is very important in order to allow the gluten free flour to properly absorb moisture. This also will give your bread a better rise and avoid any graininess or grittiness in the final product.
- Measure carefully. Use the spoon and level method for measuring out the gluten free flour as well as for the brown sugar, applesauce, and oil.
- Add the extras. I love the contrast of nutty, crunchy walnuts in this bread, so if you can eat nuts, definitely add them! And you can never go wrong with chocolate. Or add both!
How To Store Homemade Zucchini Bread
Zucchini bread is one of those breads that keeps exceptionally well, because of the combination of applesauce and oil that helps it stay nice and moist. You can store it on the counter or in the fridge. Here’s how to do it:
- Counter – Store gluten free zucchini bread wrapped in foil or plastic on the counter for up to 5 days at room temperature.
- Fridge – Wrap the bread tightly in plastic or foil and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer – You can freeze a whole loaf or individual slices for later. Wrap the loaf (or part of the loaf) or individual slices in a layer of plastic wrap, then in a layer of foil. Place the slices, if freezing slices, in a freezer-safe sealable bag. Store the slices or wrapped loaf in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread completely in the refrigerator before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Add a hot cup of coffee or tea plus a slice of gluten free zucchini bread and your morning is made! Or, serve it on the brunch table with an assortment of classic brunch dishes. It’s also great as an afternoon snack. Here are a few other suggestions:
- With brunch. Cut thick slices of gluten free zucchini bread and place them on the brunch table along with other dishes such as Hawaiian Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole, or Gluten Free Breakfast Sandwiches!
- Add a spread. A little bit of softened salted or unsalted butter is amazing spread over a slice of warm zucchini bread. Or, try cream cheese or a swipe of Orange Cranberry Cream Cheese for more flavor.
- Coffee. On a hot summer morning, gluten free zucchini bread and a glass of Blended Iced Coffee will distract you from the heat.
- Icing. I think this bread is rustic and perfect just as it is, but if you want to dress it up a little, add a cap of icing. Spread a thick layer of my Lemon Buttercream Frosting or Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the loaf before slicing it.
More Gluten Free Quick Bread Recipes To Try
Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini , squeeze to remove excess moisture
- 1 ¾ cups 1:1 gluten free flour (260 grams), recommended: Bob’s Red Mill
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup avocado or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest , optional
- 1 cup chocolate chips or toasted walnuts , or 1½ cup of each, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Using cheesecloth or several layers of paper towels, squeeze the shredded zucchini well to remove excess liquid. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer at medium speed to blend the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest, if using, until combined. Reduce the speed to low and blend in the shredded and squeezed zucchini. Turn off the mixer, then add the flour mixture to the bowl. Turn on the mixer to low speed and blend until just combined.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and allow the batter to sit for 20 minutes. This allows the gluten-free flour time to absorb more liquid. Gently fold in the chocolate chips or walnuts, if using.
- Once the batter is ready, transfer to the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes (if you add the chocolate chips or walnuts, it may need an additional 5 minutes to cook through), or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If you have an instant-read thermometer, cook to an internal temperature of 200°F.
- Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Did you make this?
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