Gluten-free Zucchini Bread

Banana bread step aside! This gluten-free zucchini bread is incredibly moist with a cozy cinnamon and brown sugar flavor, and a soft, nutty texture. Enjoy a slice for breakfast or as a scrumptious snack on a cool, crisp autumn day.

If you like my zucchini bread recipe, you’ll definitely want to try my delicious blueberry muffins. They are amazing.

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Autumn has just begun, and it’s always been my favorite season. Perhaps my fondness for autumn comes from my childhood; I grew up in New England and would spend much of the season romping through the apple orchards and pumpkin patches with my family and friends. I love almost everything about autumn; the cool, crisp weather, the snuggly sweaters, the stunning colors on the trees, and most importantly, the glorious autumn fruits and vegetables.

As a child, I remember proudly telling everyone that squash was my favorite vegetable. While I still love squash, over time I’ve developed an increasingly ardent love for zucchini. Sure, it may taste boring on its own, but I just love how zucchini mops up the flavor of anything you cook it with, such as meat, fish, sauce, or other vegetables. And it’s so versatile! Normally featured in savory dishes, zucchini also works remarkably well as the main ingredient of sweet (but not too sweet) zucchini bread.

So what exactly is zucchini bread? Well, I like to think of it as the underrated cousin of the more popular banana bread. Unlike bananas, the zucchini does not add flavor to the bread, but it adds a lot of moisture and gives it a lovely, soft texture.

Recently, I bought some lovely, large zucchinis from the farmer’s market and eagerly attempted my own gluten-free zucchini bread recipe. And I’m so glad that I did because my version is terrific. Every slice is so tender, moist, and delicious that you’ll want to gobble it up in one go and then lick the crumbs off the plate. The warm, rich taste comes from the spices as well as the brown sugar, which also gives it a lovely sweetness. The toasted pecans add an earthy flavor, and also provide a nice bit of crunch.

Besides the incredible taste, my favorite thing about this recipe is that it’s insanely easy to make. Seriously, the most time-consuming part of the process was shredding the zucchini, and that took almost no time at all. So no more excuses. Go bake this fantastic gluten-free zucchini bread today!

What you will need

One medium to large zucchini is essential for this recipe, as is a grater for shredding it. The pecans add a lovely flavor and texture to the bread but feel free to omit them if you don’t like or can’t eat nuts. They can also be replaced with walnuts if you prefer. Here’s the full list of ingredients:

• gluten-free flour blend (I used Doves Farm Freee)
• salt
• baking soda
• baking powder
• ground cinnamon
• ground nutmeg
• large eggs
• caster sugar
• brown sugar
• sunflower oil
• vanilla extract 
• zucchini
• pecans

How to make gluten-free zucchini bread

Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F / 180⁰ C / 160 ⁰ C fan. Grease a large loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Whatever you do, don’t skip this step! Lining the bottom makes it so much easier to remove your beautiful baked loaf in one piece.

Using a grater, shred the zucchini (with the skin on) and gently press the shredded pieces between two paper towels to remove excess moisture. There’s no need to overdo it, as you definitely don’t want dry zucchini in your batter.

If desired, toast the pecans and give them a rough chop. This will soften the nuts and also enhance their delicious flavor. I toasted mine at 160 ⁰ C fan for 7 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sifted flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown and white sugar, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until almost combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as it will make the texture of the bread chewy (and nobody wants that). Now stir in the chopped pecans and shredded zucchini.

And that’s it! (I told you it was easy). Now pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. You will know the bread is done when a toothpick through the center comes out mostly clean. The top of the loaf will be cracked and be slightly domed.

Remove from the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

This delicious bread can be served at room temperature, or slightly warm, and can be enjoyed plain or with cream cheese, honey, or a dollop of nut butter (personally, I think it tastes amazing with almond butter). It makes a satisfying breakfast or can be enjoyed as a tasty snack with a nice warm cup of coffee or tea.

Tips for success!

• I recommend weighing your ingredients for better accuracy. Since I bought a kitchen scale, I find it so much easier and faster than measuring by cups.
• Don’t forget to line the bottom of loaf pan with parchment paper! It will save you a lot of heartache when removing the bread from the pan.
• Quick breads require minimal mixing: a whisk and a wooden spoon will do just fine to combine your ingredients. There’s no need to use a stand mixer or electic mixer, as this will only add unnecessary air to the batter.
• Toasting the pecans ahead of time really enhances their nutty flavor and also makes them easier to chop.

This nutritional information is based on the brands and ingredients I used for this recipe. They may not be 100% accurate for you. Please check your nutrition labels for more precise information.