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.
I thought this recipe was very tasty. Can you send me the nutritional information because I am on Weight Watchers. Many thanks!
Hi Marie! The nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. You just need to click to expand.
It didn’t show when I was viewing your post through my Pinterest app
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 slice
Serves 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories 262
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14.5g 22%
Saturated Fat 2g
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 6.3g 0%
Cholesterol 37.2mg 12%
Sodium 262.8mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 30.8g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 14.4g
Protein 5.6g 11%
I just made the classic zucchini bread and I am so happy to say it was the easiest and the most moist bread i have ever made. It really was so good. Thank you for sharing it with me. I am throwing away my old recipe that i used to use.
Thanks.
https://www.betacalendars.com/
Dear Kate;
I love your recipes, today, however I tried to double your zucchini bread recipe and added chocolate chips, I had to cook it for an hour and 1/2 as it was so watery. I let it sit for an hour and it was a bowl of jello in texture so had to throw it away. I wonder what I could have done to improve on it being too moist.
Thank you,
I mix 1T of the sweetener with the zucchini in a colander, top it with a SEALED gallon ziplock filled with water and let it sit for 30 minutes or longer to drain the water from the zucchini. The sweetener helps draw the water out of the zucchini.
Now I never have soggy zucchini bread!
Dear Kate,
I’m not sure, but I think there is one mistake in the recipe. It says you need 1/2 cup of water or milk. However, with this amount the batter is too watery, as some readers have complained. I have made your other breads with the same base ingredients and their quantities (banana bread, pumpkin bread, carrot cake). I noticed that all these recipes call for only 1/4 of water. I just baked this bread using half the amount of water as specified, e.i. 1/4 cups, and got great results. The bread was done in no longer than 55 minutes.
Let me know if there is actually a mistake or I am inventing my own recipes here :)
I’ve made many versions of healthy quick breads, but this one was just b a d. Triple checked my recipe and checked again after i tasted it, and I followed it correctly. The texture was too gooey for me, even tho it was completely cooked through (and I had drained my zucchini ornament access moisture as well). Bummer.
This bread is sooooo good! Moist and delicious. My husband and I loved it! Thank you for this excellent recipe!!
Note: I replaced half the oil with applesauce and it turned out just PERFECT :)
Great to hear! I’m glad to hear an applesauce substitution works well. Thanks for the review!
I plan n making this recipe and the pumpkin recipe. Since we are also watching our sodium and sugar intake, I would also like to see the nutrition info on these two recipes.
Finally recipes for two veggies that I have plenty of! Thank you.
Hi Susan! The nutrition information can be found under the recipe notes. Just need to click to expand. I hope this helps!
Nice lightly sweet loaf that turned out very moist. Next time I might try adding a few dark chocolate chips/chunks.
Thank you for letting me know your experience, Marni!
I had some yellow summer squash from a co-worker and I used that to make this recipe. It turned out great. Not too sweet, but just enough.
Thanks, I now have many individually wrapped snacks for when I want baked goods. Love it and cannot wait to try your other recipes.
You’re welcome! Be sure to report back when you try other recipes, Karen. I love to hear about your experience.
Hi!
If I wanted to make this into a “cake” (as a healthy version of a cake smash for my daughter’s first birthday) can you recommend a pan size and/or time difference on cooking?
Hi Sara, so sorry that I missed your question earlier, and I’m afraid I’m too late for the party! But you can turn this into a cake if you bake it in a 9″ square pan. I’m not entirely sure on timing but I would suggest using this recipe as guidance.
Mmmmm!
Mmmmmm!
Mmmmmmm!
I followed the recipe as is except used one large egg and one flax egg and 1.75 cups of zucchini. In my oven, it needed about 12 extra minutes of cooking, but cooked thoroughly without over cooking the top. Wow, we loved this recipe. My nutrition app gave this recipe an “A”! Thank you for sharing!
An A! I will take it. Thanks, An!
This recipe was awful. No flavor, the honey doesn’t show through, and the recipe should have explicitly mentioned too design the zucchini of all juices. I’ve been baking the heck out of this bread and it’s still gummy in the middle.
I’m sorry to hear you had a poor experience with this recipe!
Can I use un-sweetened vanilla almond milk? If so, does that change the ratio of how much syrup/honey I should put in or less vanilla extract?
You can use that if you like. I’m not sure how strong the vanilla flavor is in your almond milk, but you could consider reducing the vanilla. I would keep the maple syrup as it’s unsweetened milk and it helps some with the moisture. Hope this helps!
You are my go-to food blogger! This was so yummy(I’ve made pumpkin and banana bread with your recipes and they were great as well) I cut the honey down a tiny bit because I am feeding it to my toddlers but my husband and I like the amount you set.
Well thank you, Amy! :) You’re so sweet! Thank you for sharing and for your review.
I never leave comments but feel compelled to for this recipe. It’s excellent! It also holds up very well. I froze it and sliced off pieces for a whole week for my snack at work. It smells amazing and all of the nuts make it even better. When I made it I ran out of whole wheat flour and had to use mostly white, but I am excited to make it again with just whole wheat. I searched the internet and this one is by far the easiest and healthiest combination. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Carolyn! I really appreciate the review.
This recipe is terrific. So moist and tasty!!! I used about 1-1/2 cups of shredded zucchini, whole wheat flour, and coconut oil.
Thank you, Regina!
Hah, found your recipe for the zucchini bread. Thanks again!!
Let me know what you think of this one too, Debra!
This recipe worked great for us. We used olive oil, 1/4 c sugar free honey and 1/4 c sugar free maple syrup so it didn’t taste too much like either, and regular whole wheat flour. Our diabetic neighbors loved it and so did we.
Great to hear, Jessica!
Not good. The bread turned out gummy and even with extra baking time the bread was still uncooked.
Have wanted to make this for some time. Finally got to it during the holidays. Made it with coconut oil. Was in the oven for 1.5 hours and still a bit under done seeming but I took it out anyway. An hours rest and it was tasty and popular with everyone. 6 hours after coming out of the oven it is delicious, the outside a little crusty and the inside super moist. Definitely making this again!!! Thank you for the fantastic recipe.
You’re welcome!
So, the bread’s in the oven right now! I’m so excited to try it, but I did make some changes to the recipe. I used virgin, cold-pressed, organic coconut oil, raw, unfiltered honey, raw, organic pepitas (nut allergy!), 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon; added freshly grated nutmeg (about a tsp.) ground cardamom, ground ginger, cloves, and I replaced the 2 tsp. of vanilla extract with lemon extract to brighten up the whole loaf due to my own love of spices LOL! Finally, I added a total of 3/4 cups mix-ins: 1/4 + 1/8 cup each of dried, organic, unsweetened, unsulfured dried pineapple and organic, unsweetened shredded coconut. I also upped the overall baking time to 75 minutes b/c of the mix-ins, but I’ll be testing at 60 minutes to make sure everything’s okay. I can’t wait to try your wonderful recipe, Kate! Thank you so much for it!
What did you think, Alex?!
It was absolutely delicious! The whole loaf was gone within a day; in fact, I only got one slice of it! I did end up baking it for the whole 75 minutes (I forgot to check at 55 and see how it was progressing), and it was drier than I had thought it would be given the abundance of mix-ins and rather old baking soda that didn’t allow for much rise, however, that didn’t take away at all from the flavor one bit. Thank you for such an amazing recipe that was an absolute joy to make and eat, Kate!
Pretty annoyed that I followed this recipe to the dot measuring the exact ingredients this recipe asked for and the bread came out with a very strong offputting baking soda and overwhelming vanilla smell.. the recipe asked for too much baking soda .. should have put half . The bread was able to rise perfectly but it tasted so bad
Won’t want to attempt to make this version from your recipe again unless I alter some of the ingredients
The same thing happened to me! I cut into it while it was still warm and was taken aback by an ammonia smell. I had never experienced that before so I looked it up, and it seems due to baking soda. So strange. The smell did get better as it cooled and I tried a piece, but I couldn’t get over the initial noxious aroma and the cake didn’t have a good taste or texture, unfortunately.
Tried this recipe worked very well. I am not too fond of coconut oil so used olive instead . Added some ground linseed also. Turns out very well.
Thanks for sharing, Anita!
I like it! I almost didn’t make it after seeing some of the negative comments, but I’m glad I didn’t listen. I used fresh picked zucchinis and olive oil, and served with some mascarpone.
I’m glad you made it anyway and loved it!
What a lovely recipe! Omitted nuts due to allergies, used chocolate chips, coconut oil, maple syrup and whole milk. Came out divine!!
Great to hear, Julie!
I followed the recipe exact and after 1.5 hours in the oven, my knife is coming out with batter on it. I don’t know if I should just leave it for longer or if I should just get it out…
Susan, that’s very strange! I hope it turned out ok. You might want to invest in an oven thermometer to verify that your oven is working properly. Other culprits could be forgetting to use leavener or mixing them up (using baking powder instead of baking soda, in this case).
I doubled the recipe (my loaf pan is 12×4.5) and still ended up cooking for 55 minutes. The texture came out perfect (I did squeeze the zucchini out), the flavor is missing something though… it’s good and we will definitely eat it because it’s so healthy and I will make this again but might add raisins or cut apples
Thanks for sharing, Arin!
Would it be as easy as adding cocoa to make it chocolate flavoured?
I believe some have tried that and it’s worked nicely for them.
Make sure it isn’t Dutch cocoa, it might not rise properly!
Hi. I was very interested in this recipe. I did read through the comments and noticed your comment on where to find the nutritional information. Unfortunately when I click the nutrition information….theres nothing there. Is there any way I can get this information in your reply? Thank you.
Hi Deedee! It’s showing for me. Make sure you have cookies enabled in your browser as this is a plug-in. I hope this helps!
I made this recently and it is perfect ,cooked for 55minutes in a fan forced oven.I put sunflower kernels on the top and did add some turmeric to the mix.It also toasts very well .Love this recipe will definitely make again .Going to try your banana muffins now.
Thanks for sharing, Rhonda!
It turned out Soooo good!! I used spelt flour, reduced maple syrup to 1/3 cup and used dark chocolate chips instead of nuts. I really love your baking recipes. I’ll make your squash muffin next time:)
Thanks for sharing!
Stellar recipe! Turned out perfect. I added some dried currants instead of nuts, and they do a good job at fooling my brain thinking they’re chocolate chips
Thanks, Chelsea!
Loved this lighter version. I ate this all growing up but it was full of canola oil and sugar. I made this with the EVOO and maple syrup options. Since I live at a higher elevation, I added an extra egg and bumped the temp up to 350. Came out like a dream!
Thank you for sharing!
I made this marvelous recipe twice and both times it was great !
I used maple syrup and honey equal amounts , almond milk , avocado oil , 2 cups of the zucchini . ( squeezing out the water I feel is very important). Dusted the loaves with brown sugar .Wonderful!
Thank you, Leeanne!
Just waiting to taste it.
I too used equal amounts of raw honey and maple syrup. A little, (1TBS) brown sugar, almond milk and coconut oil. Also used 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup almond flour. Waiting for it to come out of the oven.
OMG!!!!
I just did made this earlier this evening and it is incredible!! I’ve struggled to nail down a good zucchini bread recipe that doesn’t turn out a watery mess and this one has finally answered my prayers. It came out perfectly moist, sweet, and delicious! If you’ve struggled with baking zucchini bread, look no further than this recipe. It will surely beat your fear and get you baking zucchini bread regularly.
Thank you so much Kate! I’ve always loved your recipes (your banana bread is my go-to), so I’m super glad to add this to the pile of my favorites!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you loved it, Abby!
I made this recipe today and I really liked it. So did hubby and son. I will definitely make this again. Son is requesting zucchini muffins for next time.
Wonderful to hear, Sandra! Thanks for your review.
I made this for my son’s 20th birthday to replace a sugar-filled cake. He and his co-workers LOVED this recipe! He said I need to make this once a week. Guess who’s getting a baking lesson for his b-day!
Happy birthday to your son! How fun, Tina. Thanks for your review!
Hi Kate, I just made this recipe and I love it. I substituted unsweetened applesauce for coconut oil or extra-virgin oil. I used the honey and it had just the right moisture. I do have a question. I lost 70lbs about 5 years ago and have only gained back a few pounds. But I am always on the alert for more low calorie ingredients. Honey and maple syrup are very high in calories. Do you suppose I could substitute Stevia for either of these ingredients?
Hi Lynda! I’m happy you love this recipe. Personally, I don’t look at the calories but the quality of whole foods I’m consuming. Naturally sweeteners, like honey and maple syrup, don’t seem to impact me like other sugars do. I personally don’t cook with Stevia and others for that reason. But I believe it can work, if you need something different. I hope that makes sense!
I have used Stevia in this recipe with no issues and good flavor.
thank you Michael I appreciate that good to know do I have to do all this I don’t know
Me again Kate, I just tried the Nutritional Ingredients info. with my pop up blocker off and this is the only thing that showed up…no other info.
“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.”
Hi Lynda, I’m sorry you are having issues. I’m not sure what is happening, but I’m looking into it. I appreciate your patience and understanding!
I REALLY wanted this recipe to work out well! The ingredients are clean and I was looking forward to feeding my kids it for breakfast/snack. However, mine came out like a sponge cake, even after baking for an extra 15 min. I squeezed out the water from zucchini too. :(
I tried this and this is the best Zucchini bread I have ever had. I love the use of Coconut oil and honey for a healthier loaf. The bread is moist and the taste and texture fantastic. Good job!!
Thank you, Michael!
Can I use almond flour instead?
Unfortunately, almond flour isn’t a good substitute. If you are looking to make these gluten free, I recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour.
I would leave a pic if I could but the bread was all gone! This recipe is great! I love the fact that I’m getting more zucchini in it and less sugar. My kids gobbled it up. Plan on making a lot more as the zucchini’s from the garden are like baseball bats. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Carie!
I love your banana bread recipe and was thrilled to find the zucchini bread recipe! I substituted coconut oil with avocado oil (too lazy to melt!) and the whole wheat flour with 1 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, and 1/4 cup coconut flour. I thought the coconut flour might “soak up” some of the moisture, but I’m not that scientific :) What I do know is that it came out AWESOME and I can’t wait to have a slice with my coffee in the morning.
Thanks for sharing your variations, Jordan!
I poured the batter into the loaf pan, and then I remembered that I never measured the vanilla. I know, I should set all my ingredients out before I mix them. Since vanilla is just a flavoring, I’m hoping I won’t miss it. Especially since I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp each allspice, cloves & nutmeg. I was more interested in spice than nice. I’m hoping this will be good–I tried one with 3/4 cup Demerara sugar earlier this week, and that one was plenty sweet for everyone. So if 1/2 cup maple syrup works, I’ll be so happy!!
What did you think? I hope it turned out!
Almost a year later–sorry! We all loved it with the maple syrup!
Hi Kate,
I made this yesterday with some modifications and it was delicious!
1. I didn’t have a loaf pan so I used a 9″ square pan and kept a close eye on it, 35 min seemed to do it at the same 325 temp.
2. Sub ground Flaxseed meal& H2O for eggs.
3. Used handful random trail mix I had instead of walnuts.
4. Increased to 2 cups zucchini. – I was using leftover zucchini I had sliced from making veggie cannelloni so it may have dried out some already.
5. Instead of the wheat flour, I used 1 cup finely ground oats (easy in the food processor) and 3/4 cup chickpea flour.
6. Added half scoop protein powder at the last minute, might have made it a little denser but hardly noticeable since it tasted so good!
Thank you for sharing, Kristin! I appreciate you sharing your variation.
Love this recipe! I have celiac disease so I used a gluten free flour blend to replace the whole wheat flour and it worked perfectly! Used it for sandwich bread because I hate gluten free bread. We took the sandwiches on our hike and they were delicious. Thanks for the recipes!
Thank you for sharing, Alana! I’m happy it worked gluten free for you.
Has anyone tried this using flax cooking oil?
replying to my own comment! I did make it with flax oil and it was wonderful. I otherwise followed the recipe. My family loved this bread. I baked it about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Even my husband who we lovingly refer to as the “Sugar King” loved this. I live in central Illinois for reference. Maybe the region where you live affects baking time/quality.
That sounds interesting!
Just made this and it was sooooo yummy! I Put the shredded zucchini in a tea towel then rolled it up and SQUEEZED! (I probably squeezed at least a 1/3cup + of water out!). It came out perfect and both my 3yo son and husband devoured it! I also felt good I gave them something healthy that they loved!
Thank you for sharing, Leea!
Made this yesterday with olive oil and maple syrup. Came out perfectly baked and just a touch sweet. Can’t wait to eat it for breakfast this week toasted with a slab of peanut butter :)
That sounds amazing, Zoe! Thank you for sharing.
YUM. I made this in my bread maker on the “quick bread” setting and it came out great. I tried something new, I threw in a handful of steel cut oats and it gave nice chewy toothsome bits to the bread.
Thank you for this recipe! The highest rated one on all recipes (7k+ reviews) has a staggering 1 cup of oil and 2.5 cups of sugar. This is such a nice departure from that.
Thank you, Erica!
I second Cookie’s opinion and so does my son! I took your advice and drain my zucchini. I was surprised at the amount of liquid that came out, so I’m glad I did.
I’m really happy to find a good recipe and only calls for 1/2 c. of honey for a sweetener. I looked up a number of recipes and most called for two cups of sugar. I also like the other healthy alternates; coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and white whole wheat flour instead of white.
I noticed someone else adding a few things to their recipe below, and I may experiment a little next time. Are there any special considerations for doubling the recipe to use in a Bundt pan?
Thank you for sharing! I suggest taking other reader suggestions. Play around as you see fit! :)