Is your summer garden bursting with zucchini? It’s almost shocking how fast zucchini grows. Turn your back for a second and a little finger-sized zucchini grows into a green submarine. How does that happen? It’s a good thing that zucchini is so delicious, and nutritious, too. I love cooking with zucchini and you’ll find a bunch of zucchini recipes on my site. Zucchini rice casserole has the magic trifecta of cheese, rice, and zucchini — irresistible! And classic minestrone soup wouldn’t be the same without zucchini. You’ll love this grilled vegetable salad with lots of zucchini, summer squash, and mushrooms. Cooking with zucchini is great but don’t forget about baking with zucchini. Who doesn’t like freshly baked cinnamon-scented zucchini bread? My daughter, eying the green shreds in a sample slice of zucchini bread, asked, “But why do you have to put zucchini in it?” Well, why not? Shredded zucchini adds so much moisture to the bread, and it’s nutritious. Try a loaf today. It’s easy to make and so tasty! Serve it for breakfast, brunch, or as a snack. Zucchini bread is great for lunchboxes, too.
About this healthy zucchini bread
If you follow my site, you’ll know that I always look for ways to make recipes more healthy. Why not cook food that tastes great and is good for you? So how is this zucchini bread recipe different from grandma’s? I substitute Greek yogurt for most of the oil or butter traditionally found in quick bread recipes, for less fat. I use about half the amount of sugar because we all eat way too much of that already. I replace half of the all-purpose flour with better-for-you whole wheat flour (more fiber, more nutrition). Does this altered zucchini bread taste good? Well, yes! I bet you won’t be able to tell the difference between this recipe and grandma’s. You’ll love my one bowl method. You can stir up the batter in about fifteen minutes, with easy clean-up, and just wait until the aroma comes wafting from the oven. Fresh zucchini bread coming up!
Make-Ahead Ideas
If you have excess zucchini this summer, freeze it. Shred a bunch of it, and put it into freezer bags or containers in one and a half cup portions. You’ll be all set to make this zucchini bread recipe. Just thaw it out, drain off any excess juice, and it’s ready to add. Make a double batch of zucchini bread and freeze one loaf to eat later. It’s just as easy to make two loaves and you’ll be glad you did.
Make It Your Own
Fold in extra goodies like chopped nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, or shredded coconut. Give it a glaze: Brush the outside of the baked loaves with cinnamon flavored simple syrup to add extra flavor and sweetness. Chocolate zucchini bread. Substitute ¼ cup cocoa powder for ¼ cup of the flour. Don’t have Greek yogurt? Make this recipe with applesauce instead. You could also use regular yogurt, sour cream, or milk. Not crazy about whole wheat flour? You can make the bread using 100 percent all-purpose flour, or white whole wheat flour. I almost always make my bread with all whole wheat flour because we love the nutty flavor. It’s up to you. Make muffins. Use the same batter and portion it evenly into greased muffin tins instead of a loaf pan. Keep reading for specific baking directions.
Storage Tips
This bread keeps well for a week. It’s quite moist so if the weather is warm, you may want to refrigerate the bread to prevent it from getting moldy. Freeze: You can also freeze zucchini bread in freezer bags. I like to slice it before freezing so I can take out one slice at a time. Perfect when you need something to enjoy with your cup of coffee. Zucchini bread makes a great lunchbox treat, too. Put individual slices in sandwich bags and freeze, ready to drop into lunchboxes.
