Healthy Zucchini Bread
This amazing zucchini bread recipe is made healthy with whole grains, honey (or maple syrup) and coconut oil instead of butter. Easily vegan/gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
My dog, Cookie, is wild for zucchini. Also cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and cabbage. You could say that my pup has a healthy appetite. This morning, I left a slice of zucchini bread on my desk where I thought she couldn’t reach. Then I heard some scuffling, followed by some gobbling. She swiped that slice of bread and ate half before I could grab it.
This dog is my soulmate, I tell you. That was all to say that this zucchini bread recipe is Cookie and Kate approved. It’s fluffy and moist, lightly spiced, and full of confetti-like green flecks of zucchini.
If you’ve enjoyed zucchini bread before, let me point out a few differences between my recipe and standard recipes. Here are five reasons to love this healthier zucchini bread:
- I used one-half cup honey (or maple syrup) instead a full cup of white sugar. It’s not overtly sweet, but you could add another drizzle of honey or maple sweetener to individual slices, if desired.
- I also used white whole wheat flour instead of refined flour, so this bread is made with 100 percent whole grains.
- I used coconut oil instead of butter, which means this bread is easily made without any dairy at all.
- Most zucchini bread recipes call for one cup of grated zucchini, but I liked mine better with one-and-a-half cups. Even then, I can’t say there’s a pronounced zucchini flavor to it, because zucchini doesn’t have a ton of flavor in itself.
- It’s easily made vegan and/or gluten-free, too—just check my recipe notes.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! Your feedback is so important to me.
If you love this zucchini bread, you’ll also enjoy my banana bread, apple muffins, carrot muffins or banana muffins, you’re going to love this one. Don’t miss the maple-sweetened blueberry muffins in my cookbook!
Watch How to Make Zucchini Bread
Healthy Zucchini Bread
This fluffy zucchini bread recipe is made healthier with whole grains, honey (or maple syrup) and coconut oil instead of butter. It is easily made vegan and/or gluten free (see notes). Recipe yields 1 loaf.
Ingredients
- Optional: ¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts or pecans
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk of choice or water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + more to swirl on top
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (you’ll need 1 small-to-medium zucchini, about 7 ounces—gently squeeze out excess moisture over the sink before stirring it into the batter)
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9” x 5” loaf pan to prevent the bread from sticking. If you’ll be toasting the nuts, line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Toast the nuts: Once the oven has finished preheating, pour the chopped nuts onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey. Beat them with a whisk until they are combined. Add the eggs and beat well. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 20 seconds in the microwave.)
- Add the milk, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and nutmeg, and whisk to blend. Switch to a big spoon and stir in the zucchini (be sure to squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini first). Add the flour and stir just until combined. Some lumps are ok! Gently fold in the toasted nuts now, if using.
- Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with additional cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center of the loaf springs back to the touch. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack. Use a serrated knife to cut individual slices.
- This bread is moist, so it will keep for just 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months or so. I like to slice the bread before freezing and defrost individual slices, either by lightly toasting them or defrosting them in the microwave.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my banana bread and carrot muffins, with references to Once Upon a Chef and All Recipes.
*A note on oils: I love coconut oil here. I used unrefined coconut oil and can hardly taste it in the final product. Olive oil will lend an herbal note to the bread, if you’re into that. Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor, but the average vegetable/canola oil is highly processed, so I recommend using cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
Change it up: Use chocolate chips or small/chopped dried fruit instead of the nuts.
Make muffins: Follow this recipe!
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey, replace the eggs with flax eggs and choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
Make it dairy free: Choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
Make it egg free: Replace the eggs with flax eggs.
Make it gluten free: I haven’t tried myself, but I have heard from a reader that Bob’s Red Mill’s all-purpose gluten-free mix worked well here.
Make it nut free: Just omit the nuts, and don’t use nut milk.
Make it lower in fat: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if you’re following a low-fat diet.
Recommended equipment: I am totally in love with my Fiesta Loaf Pan in turquoise (affiliate link).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This was delicious!!! Served mine with some grass fed butter. Amazing. Will definitely be making again!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Samantha!
Made this today. Used whole wheat flour and maple syrup. Added dried cherries (we’re from Michigan) with the walnuts. Yum!!
Thank you for sharing, Connie!
It seems extra effort to remove the zucchini liquid just to replace it with water. Is there a reason to do this?
Hi Lisa, zucchini varies a lot in the amount of water it can have. It’s to ensure a good result every time. I hope this helps!
I made these using the gluten free flour and chose olive oil. I love the flavor but found them a little dry. Of course a dollop of whip cream was perfect. They taste a bit more moist after storing in the fridge in an airtight container. Delicious with tea and perfect for fall! <3
Sharing with my yoga students.
I made this recipe two days ago, and my husband and I can’t stop eating it. It’s so good. I think the reason some think it’s bland is because it’s not super-sweet and cake-like, like some other recipes. I happen to prefer it that way. However, if you have a sweet tooth, taste a little bit of the batter and adjust the flavor before putting it in the pan. I thought it was great as is. I did add chopped raw pecans and some raisins, used flax eggs instead of regular eggs, and used olive oil instead of coconut oil. Although I imagine most people would prefer coconut oil. I don’t understand why some people’s batter was too wet. Perhaps they didn’t squeeze the zucchini well. Mine was moist and perfect. Thank you, Kate, for another wonderful recipe.
That’s great! I’m glad it was a hit. Thank you for sharing your experience, Luisa.
Excellent! Didn’t have any zucchini on hand subbed diced apple yum! It’s a keeper
Loved the way this turned out! I used olive oil, oat milk, and part honey and maple syrup (didn’t have enough maple syrup on hand for the full amount). I also substituted about half a cup of the flour quantity with almond flour The level of sweetness was to my liking (i.e. not overly sweet like most). Perfectly moist in the middle, only thing I would have wanted is for it to hold together a little better when cutting into slices but not sure if that was related to the almond flour. So good warmed up the next day with a little butter :) Thank you!
I’ve made this Zucchini bread twice now and my husband and I love it. I use Arrowhead Mills plant based protein flour. Delicious!
Thank you for sharing, Mary!
I can see this isn’t a new comment, but this is the best recipe!!! Everyone that has eaten this has absolutely loved it. I substituted regular gluten free flour and I use olive oil instead of coconut oil, oat milk instead of reg milk, and I used maple syrup rather than honey. It comes out perfect every time. It’s my new go-to, as our zucchinis are growing like crazy right now! Thank you!
No need to feel guilty snacking on this zucchini bread. I absolutely love this recipe.
I subbed half almond flour and half gluten-free flour instead of whole wheat flour. It was a little watery so I added a bit more almond flour until the consistency was right. It turned out so delicious!!
Thanks Kate!
This is an amazing recipe. Have made it atleast 10 times already. Is there a way to make it diabetic friendly ?
Hi Twinkle! I’m sorry I don’t have insight for you as I’m not a registered dietitian.
Was so easy to make this one and love that it has a sugar substitute. I made mine with a little short of 1/2 cup honey as we don’t like things too sweet and used full fat milk. I’m not a fan of nuts so not a staple in my cupboard, so I substituted the nuts with green pumpkin seeds (didn’t toast them) which adds a soft crunch.
Makes a wonderful tea time snack and fantastic way to use up my zuchinis that are becoming marrows quickly here in South Africa.
I think I’m going to try adding a banana and less honey in my next bake, just to see how it works.
As a sweets lover who had to go on an anti-inflammatory diet for health reasons I found this recipe and I LOVE it! It’s pretty easy to make, has the perfect texture and is just comforting. My mom always made zucchini bread growing up but her recipe has too much sugar, so this is a great alternative.
I’m happy you could enjoy it! I appreciate your review, Michelle.
hi kate the flavours were great but mine didn’t rise can I check that you use plain flour or self-raising flour? i added baking powder so assumed it was plain.? i did squeeze out juice from zucchini so not sure what else i could have done ? thanks
HI Liz, I’m sorry to hear that. It may have been over stirred if it didn’t rise and you needed baking soda for this recipe. I hope you try it again!
this recipe is EXCELLENT. i love C&K’s recipes because she takes the guesswork out of it. when making other recipes, i’m always wondering where i can leave out some sugar or make something a little healthier, but here, i don’t have to do that. i made this bread with olive oil and maple syrup this morning, and i’ve already eaten half the loaf. i only had 3/4 cup whole wheat flour left so i used all purpose for the rest. the batter was really wet so i added about a half cup of almond flour and it came out perfect tasting— it could have used a little
height. i’ll try again and see if all whole wheat flour helps with the height. or maybe i need to adjust the recipe so it fills up my tin more? anyway it’s the best tasting zucchini bread i’ve ever had. 5 stars.
Thank you for your confidence, Katie! Hi Katie, the combination of flours likely impacted the results.
I’m so happy I ignored the negative reviews! Because this turned out amazing! So moist and delicious! I did not use walnuts since I didn’t have any. Used maple syrup, milk, used eggs at room temperature and baked it at 350 for close to 70 minutes. Honestly so good!
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Katie! Thank you for sharing.
This is my GO TO bread recipe! It’s delicious and a winner.
I’m happy you love it, Lois!
I made this today and it’s sooo good! I made mine gluten free with Bob red mills chickpea flour I used 1:1 ratio. I used unsweetened almond milk and maple syrup! Used 3/4 cup pecans and 1/4 cup walnuts. I mean amazing amazing! Thanks for the great recipe ❤️
I’m happy to hear that worked for you, Monica! I appreciate your review.
Very good!! I made this lemon flavored instead. Used half honey and half maple syrup so the flavor wasn’t overbearing. Omitted spices, used oat milk, added 1 T lemon zest, 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon extract (reduced vanilla to 1 tsp). We LOVE it! Picky toddler, 8 year old, mama approved. Your banana bread is also very good. I often bake refined sugar free, refined flour free, paleo, but rotate for variety – no diet restrictions. So for those whose palates are accustomed to AP flour and white sugar and butter recipes, this may taste “bland” but is actually very wholesome and real food = real nutrition.
That’s great to hear, Rebecca! Thanks for sharing.
i loved this recipe! i used maple syrup & flax egg since i follow a vegan diet. thought it was a perfect amount of sweet and not overbearing at all, i’ll be making it again in the future for sure!
Thank you for sharing, Alexx! I appreciate your review.
This recipe is so great! Very pleased. I turned them into muffins and they are so moist and tasty. I used almond milk, honey and olive oil.
I have not made this Healthy Zucchini Bread yet, but would like to if I can use all-purpose flour instead of the 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour listed in the recipe. Do to health issues I do not want to use whole wheat flour in something my son will eat. Thank in advance.
Can I use all-purpose unbleached flour instead of the whole wheat options listed in the recipe?
That may work too, Cate. Let me know if you try it!
So good! I just made it with spelt flour and it’s perfectly moist and delicious.
I’m glad you loved it, Kimberlyn!
Wow—thanks for the great recipe! I made my bread gluten free with Bob’s 1-1 GF flour, I used melted butter for the fat, coconut sugar for the sweetener, almond milk for the milk, and omitted the nuts since my kids aren’t crazy about walnuts and pecans. Gluten free baking usually benefits from additional baking time, so for others making this substitution, I would recommend baking for about 65-70 minutes.
My kids gave this a “20-thumbs-up!”
You’re welcome, Maureen! Thank you for your review. I’m glad it worked out well gluten free.
I have frozen zucchini spirals. Have you ever used them in this recipe? I’m excited to give it a try!
I’m not sure how it would turn out. Make sure you use the same amount and get out the extra moisture. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Hello! I’ve been making your healthy quick bread recipes for several years now. I am on a restricted diet due to GI issues and these recipes have been a way I can have a sweet treat, and they are delicious! However, I have getting a little tired of the options I have and today I decided to try and make a coconut bread by using your Healthy Zucchini Bread as a guide. It turned out great and is a refreshing change for me. I’m not sure if that is allowed, or violates your copy write. And this is where my question gets more complicated. I’m in a Facebook group for people who have my problem. It is a private group, but is quite large. But we are all desperate for new recipes. I was wondering if I could share your Healthy Zucchini bread recipe giving you full credit, and then also share the changes I made to make it into Coconut bread. I will not share if you say this is a violation of your policies, nor will I share it if I don’t hear back from you. I make a number of your recipes on a regular basis and am so thankful these were available when I was feeling so deprived! Thank you and thanks for your consideration!
Hi Mary! Photo and Recipe Sharing Policy. You can share the link to the recipe, but not the recipe itself. I hope that makes sense!
My family loves this! We did the vegan subs and added some raisins too (my son’s request). Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
You’re welcome, Rebecca! I’m glad you loved it.
I really like this bread. Moist, but not too sweet and not too much oil. I have made it 3 times.
That’s great to hear, Judy!
The best zucchini bread- moist, not too sweet or oily. Easy to make. This will now be my go-to recipe. Thanks!!
You’re welcome, Jennifer! I appreciate your review.
Too dry. Not very sweet which is ok with me but husband said needs more sugar. He has a sweet tooth. I would try adding maybe a half cup applesauce if make it again to get it moister.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, Deb. Thank you for your feedback.
DEEEELICIOUS!!! Moist, subtly sweet, full of flavor, dangerously good! Tomorrow I may be questioning if I even made zucchini bread. Following the recipe suggestions, I used extra virgin olive oil, pure maple syrup & walnuts. For the flour, I mixed it up, whole wheat, spelt and oat bran. In place of milk or water, I used the fresh squeezed zucchini juice. Added 1/2 teaspoon more cinnamon to the mix instead of swirling on top. Fantastic recipe, thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Lynn!
If you are looking for healthy alternative to over sweetened zucchini bread, this is a great recipe. Very moist and flavorful. I followed the recipe using honey and whole wheat flour, I am very pleased with the results. I will make this recipe again and maybe try the maple syrup as the sweetener just to compare flavor profiles.
I’m happy you loved it, J! I appreciate your review.
I love this recipe and your banana bread recipe. I’ve made both multiple times. My friends and family love them too.
I’m happy to hear that, Sheree! Thank you for your review.
Hi can I use apple sauce for egg replacement
Hi, I haven’t tried it. I’m not sure it will work. If you try it, let me know!
My family loves this zucchini bread recipe (and the banana bread recipe!)! Can you swap shredded carrots for zucchini?
Hi Natalie, I wouldn’t recommend it. Have you tried my Healthy Carrot Muffins?
My boyfriend said I can make it for him for his birthday and not to change anything. I added chocolate chips and walnuts!
Made two loaves that turned out great! I don’t like all the white sugar and oil many recipes use so I tried this one. We loved it! This one is a keeper.
I’m glad you think so, Maritza! I appreciate your review.
Wow! Absolutely amazing and not bland at all! Had some giant squash in my garden that I didn’t know what to do with and this was perfect! I used a food processor to grate it since it was too soft for a box grater. Used olive oil, maple syrup, and added some chocolate chips and a tiny sprinkle of raw sugar on top for some crunch. Perfect!
Great to hear, Ada! I appreciate your review.
This bread is terrific! Totally saving it to make again. Used sprouted whole wheat flour, and maple syrup instead of honey since it’s more stable with heat but kept the measure the same. So good, and the perfect vehicle for butter. I second the opinion that if people think this is bland, it’s because their palates are used to something far sweeter in general. I’m making your banana bread today :) Thank you!
That’s great, Erin! I appreciate your review.
Just made this recipe for my family and we LOVED it. For those that wanted it a little sweeter, we just drizzled a little honey on it. Thanks!
This is an amazing recipe! Thanks for sharing it! I made it exactly as written and my husband loved it! ❤️
Hooray, Kathy! I appreciate your review. I’m glad you both loved it.
Sooo good. I used what I had available which was olive oil, oats (ground to flour), and maple syrup (a little less than called for), plus added walnuts (necessary) and pieces of an 85% dark chocolate bar. Threw it together quickly, and it still turned out perfect.
My grandson just went off to college to play football. I neee to make some healthy snacks to send him. This zuchinni bread is perfect! Sent him 2 loaves and he is delighted! Kept one for my husband and I and we love it too!
XXXXX This recipe is the most delicious zucchini bread my husband and I ever tasted. Thank you so much. People like you are so kind-hearted to share. Please keep up the good work you do in giving us healthy recipes. May the Lord bless you abundantly. Maria from Colorado
I never follow a recipe exactly. I made this recipe 3 times. so so good. I doubled the spices and added moistened chia seeds. The crust was fabulous. the inside was perfectly moist. This is a forever recipe for me.thanks for your help. Timothy
Made this despite some of the comments below and really glad I did! This is a healthy recipe – not loaded with sugar or chocolate. I thought it was absolutely perfect. I used buttermilk and chopped up some mixed nuts. It was perfect. Exactly what I was looking for. Lightly sweetened, delicately spiced and super moist. Thank you for an excellent recipe!!
I’m glad you did too! Thank you for your review, Caitlin.
I left the damn nuts in the toaster oven and forgot to put them in. Still, the bread came out great – we just slapped a little peanut butter on our slices. I did add a little extra cinnamon and a couple pinches of coriander to the batter just for fun.
I left the damn nuts in the toaster oven and forgot to put them in. Still, the bread came out great – we just slapped a little peanut butter on our slices. I used gluten-free spelt flour, and did add a little extra cinnamon and a couple pinches of coriander to the batter just for fun.
I left the damn nuts in the toaster oven and forgot to put them in. Still, the bread came out great – we just slapped a little peanut butter on our slices. I used gluten-free sorghum flour, and did add a little extra cinnamon and a couple pinches of coriander to the batter just for fun.
Oh no! I’m glad you enjoyed it.