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This truly is the BEST-EVER Zucchini Bread. It is a simple and delicious vegan bread that is filled with zucchini and walnuts in every bite. Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, you’re going to love the flavors.

Friends, things are growing in my garden!

Right now it’s just snap peas and kale but pretty soon there’s going to be beets, onions, and – you guessed it – ZUCCHINI.

Zucchini is a prolific vegetable and most of my friends who have vegetable gardens, mine included, find ourselves with more zucchini than we can eat. Sure, there are many vegan zucchini recipes worth trying, but when we are done making zucchini noodle lasagna and pesto zoodles, what are we to do?

Bake zucchini bread, of course.

And this is the zucchini bread recipe you are going to want to try. It is moist, sweet, NEARLY FAIL-PROOF, and so so good!

Recipe Video

Ingredients & Substitutions

This zucchini bread is a fan favorite. It is moist, sweet, hearty, and super easy to master. Even my kids love it! And while I don’t love all the sugar they are getting with a piece, I am thrilled that they are getting veggies, fruits, and nuts with their sweet snack.

Here is everything you need.

Ingredient Notes

White and Brown Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements. For a healthier sugar alternative, I recommend coconut sugar.

Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements. For a healthier sugar alternative, I recommend coconut sugar. Applesauce – This is the binder of the recipe. You could replace it with 1 mashed banana, 1 cup of pumpkin puree, or a variety of other egg replacers.

This is the binder of the recipe. You could replace it with 1 mashed banana, 1 cup of pumpkin puree, or a variety of other Oil – This recipe calls for canola oil because it creates the best texture without added flavor. If you want to avoid hydrogenated oils, try avocado or melted coconut oil. Olive oil also works but adds a slightly savory flavor. If you want to eliminate the oil altogether, swap it out for the same amount of applesauce.

This recipe calls for canola oil because it creates the best texture without added flavor. If you want to avoid hydrogenated oils, try avocado or melted coconut oil. Olive oil also works but adds a slightly savory flavor. If you want to eliminate the oil altogether, swap it out for the same amount of applesauce. Vanilla Extract

All-Purpose Flour – For healthier flour options, you can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, buckwheat, or whole wheat.

For healthier flour options, you can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, buckwheat, or whole wheat. Baking Powder and Soda

Salt

Spices – You will need a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom

You will need a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom Zucchini – This recipe calls for 1 heaping cup which is typically 1 medium-sized zucchini.

This recipe calls for 1 heaping cup which is typically 1 medium-sized zucchini. Walnuts – Feel free to omit for a nut-free option or swap them out for chocolate chips for a chocolate zucchini bread recipe.

How to Make Vegan Zucchini Bread

Step One – Combine the Ingredients In a small bowl combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl whisk together your wet ingredients. That’s your oil, sugars, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Pro Tip: Applesauce varies a lot in texture. If your applesauce seems thin, first strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to get the excess liquid out.

Step Two – Shred the Zucchini With the shredding attachment of your food processor or handheld grater, shred the zucchini. Using a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer, squeeze any excess liquid out of the zucchini. If you’re not sure how to do it, check out this tutorial on how to wring out a zucchini. Pro Tip: Do not forget to squeeze out excess liquid! Zucchini has a ton of water in it and when not properly squeezed, it will add too much liquid to your batter causing your bread to improperly bake. Add the zucchini to your wet ingredients and combine

Step Three – Combine and Bake Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix in until the flour is evenly hydrated. Use a rubber spatula to fully incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet. Pro Tip: Take care not to over mix your batter. Over mixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense bread. Generously spray a loaf pan. Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Serving and Storing

Serving – Let the bread cool at least 10 minutes in the loaf pan before flipping it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Otherwise, the bread may break apart as they finish setting. Serve the zucchini bread warm with vegan butter or homemade pumpkin butter.

Storing – Tightly wrap uneaten bread and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. For best results, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a large ziplock bag. This bread can also be frozen for up to two months. To thaw, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Once it is thawed, it should be eaten within 3 days.

Make in Advance – If you want to make this bread batter in advance, store the batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. To bake the bread, preheat the oven and bake according to the instructions.

However, these bread may take a few minutes longer to bake since the batter will be chilled. The bread will also be slightly denser as the baking soda begins to activate once it’s mixed into the batter, causing it to be slightly less potent.

Tips and Tricks The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife. Do not overmix your batter. Overmixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense bread. Squeeze out the excess liquid of the zucchini to prevent your batter from becoming too wet. Applesauce varies a lot. If your applesauce seems thin, first strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to get the excess liquid out. Generously spray your loaf pan to ensure the bread doesn’t stick to the pan. For extra protection, you can line the bottom of the loaf pan with parchment paper. Let the bread cool at least 10 minutes in the loaf pan before flipping it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Otherwise, the bread may break apart as they finish setting. Want variation? Add chocolate chips for chocolate chip zucchini bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe into muffins? For sure! This recipe makes about 12 muffins. Fill the muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20 minutes before checking for doneness. You can also try this Chocolate Zucchini Muffin recipe. Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Yes! I’ve had luck both with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend as well as buckwheat flour. Can I make this recipe oil-free? Indeed! Simply replace the oil with an additional 1/4 cup applesauce for an oil-free bread. Can I reduce the sugar? While I haven’t tried it personally, I’ve had readers who have reduced the sugar by omitting the brown sugar entirely with luck. You can also check out my guide on healthier sugar alternatives for some ideas on how to replace the sugar. Why is my bread not baked in the middle? Occasionally, I’ll have a reader who cannot get their zucchini bread to bake in the middle. This most commonly happens when there is excess liquid in the zucchini. Make sure to squeeze the zucchini thoroughly before adding it to the batter. Additionally, if your applesauce is very thin, consider staining it through a fine-mesh strainer to get out the excess liquid. What can I do with leftover shredded zucchini If you have extra shredded zucchini, you can freeze it by placing it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once the zucchini is frozen all the way solid, transfer it to small glass jars or Ziplock bags. Leftover zucchini is great for adding moisture to brownies, muffins, or used as an egg replacer in common baked goods.

More Vegan Quick Bread Recipes

Best-Ever Vegan Zucchini Bread A simple and delicious vegan zucchini bread that is filled with zucchini and walnuts in every bite. Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, you’re going to love the flavors in this classic bread. 4.87 from 45 votes Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and rate it below.

If you made any substitutions, let us know how it turned out! Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 55 mins Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Print Course: Snack

Cuisine: Vegan

Servings : 10 people

Calories : 233 kcal

Author : Sarah McMinn

SnackVegan: 233 kcal Ingredients 1/2 cup granulated sugar

granulated sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar

cup brown sugar 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup vegetable oil

vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla extract

tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda

tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder

tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt

tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon

tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg

tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp cardamom

tsp cardamom 1 heaping cup shredded zucchini, (1 medium zucchini)

heaping cup shredded zucchini, (1 medium zucchini) 1/2 cup walnuts US Customary – Metric Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray an 8×4" loaf pan and set aside. Using a handheld shredder or the shredding attachment of your food processor, shred 1 medium zucchini. Using a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer, squeeze any excess liquid out of the zucchini and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugars with apple sauce, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir to combine. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. Transfer batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes in the loaf pan before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Recipe Video Recipe Notes Serving and Storing – Let the bread cool at least 10 minutes in the loaf pan before flipping it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Otherwise, the bread may break apart as they finish setting. Serve the zucchini bread warm with vegan butter or homemade pumpkin butter. Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to one month. Just pull it out the night before to let it thaw completely before enjoying. Recipe Tips The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife. Squeeze out the excess liquid of the zucchini to prevent your batter from becoming too wet. Do not overmix your batter. Overmixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense bread. Applesauce varies a lot. If you applesauce is thin, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer first before adding it to the batter. Generously spray your loaf pan to ensure the bread doesn’t stick to the pan. For extra protection, you can line the bottom of the loaf pan with parchment paper. Variation – Add chocolate chips for chocolate chip zucchini bread. Frequently Asked Question Can I make this recipe into muffins? For sure! This recipe makes about 12 muffins. Fill the muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20 minutes before checking for doneness. You can also try this Chocolate Zucchini Muffin recipe.

For sure! This recipe makes about 12 muffins. Fill the muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20 minutes before checking for doneness. You can also try this Chocolate Zucchini Muffin recipe. Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Yes! I’ve had luck both with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend as well as buckwheat flour.

Yes! I’ve had luck both with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend as well as buckwheat flour. Can I make this recipe oil free? Indeed! Simply replace the oil with an additional 1/4 cup applesauce for an oil-free bread.

Indeed! Simply replace the oil with an additional 1/4 cup applesauce for an oil-free bread. Can I reduce the sugar? While I haven’t tried it personally, I’ve had readers who have reduced the sugar by omitting the brown sugar entirely with luck. You can also check out my guide on healthier sugar alternatives for some ideas on how to replace the sugar. Troubleshooting Why is my bread not baked in the middle? Occasionally, I’ll have a reader who cannot get their zucchini bread to bake in the middle. This most commonly happens when there is excess liquid in the zucchini. Make sure to squeeze the zucchini thoroughly before adding it to the batter. Nutrition Facts Calories Per Serving: 233 % Daily Value Carbohydrates 35g 12% Protein 2g 4% Fat 9g 14% Saturated Fat 4g 25% Sodium 245mg 11% Potassium 98mg 3% Fiber 1g 4% Sugar 19g 21% Vitamin A 5IU Vitamin C 0.2mg Calcium 28mg 3% Iron 1.2mg 7%