I love to bake this gluten-free zucchini bread whenever I have a surplus of zucchini – whether it’s a plethora from my garden, extra from a farmer’s market trip, or frozen zucchini that’s been stashed in my freezer. It’s an easy recipe that delivers on flavor and nutrition, thanks to the shredded zucchini and walnuts. The loaf always turns out soft, fluffy, moist, and just sweet enough. My secret? A tablespoon of blackstrap molasses. It gives the bread a rich, cozy flavor and that beautiful golden color. The hardest thing about making it is waiting for it to cool before cutting a slice!
Recipe Highlights
- This easy gluten-free zucchini bread uses much less sugar than other classic recipes. Most loaves call for a mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar, using 1.5 to 2 times as much sugar as my recipe calls for.
- The quick bread recipe can easily be altered to meet a variety of dietary needs. I have options to make this zucchini recipe oil-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.
- The loaf freezes and stores well, making it a fantastic breakfast and/or weekly meal prep option.
Ingredients Worth Spotlighting
- Zucchini: Technically a fruit, zucchini is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants. It’s also a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which supports digestion. For this recipe, I use fresh zucchini with the skin on and don’t squeeze out any of the water. While most recipes will call for all the moisture to be squeezed out of the zucchini, I leave it in; this is what helps keep each slice of my loaf perfectly soft and moist.
- Molasses: This is my secret ingredient for zucchini bread. It adds a warm, rich flavor to the loaf and is surprisingly nutritious. Molasses is packed with calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin B6, and even a hefty dose of potassium. A tablespoon here and there can really add up. For this recipe, I always opt for blackstrap molasses specifically.
- Gluten-free flour blend: I like to use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour or King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Gluten-Free Flour. I can also use regular, non-gluten-free all-purpose flour, though, if gluten isn’t a concern.
- Coconut oil: I used melted coconut oil instead of the butter or milk other zucchini bread recipes call for. This allows the loaf to be dairy-free and have some additional healthy fats. If I don’t have coconut oil on hand for any reason, I can opt for avocado oil.
- Walnuts: They may be small, but walnuts pack a powerful nutritional punch! They’re rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats. Their high level of polyphenol content can also help combat chronic inflammation. I know walnuts are not everyone’s favorite, so I can always choose to use pecans, raw pumpkin seeds, or raisins instead.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
What Size Loaf Pan To Use
I’ve baked this zucchini bread in all kinds of pans, and while it turns out great every time, I have found that a standard 9×5 loaf pan is the best choice. I can use a glass, metal, or silicone pan – the type matters less than the size does. An 8×4 or 11×5-inch pan will still work well, but the size does affect the loaf’s height and baking time a bit.
I usually start checking for doneness around the 50-minute mark by inserting a knife or toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean (aka there’s no wet batter on it), the bread is done. Depending on the pan, I sometimes need to bake it for an extra 5-10 minutes.
Use A Kitchen Scale To Bake The Perfect Loaf
Measuring flour might seem simple – quickly scoop and dump it into the mixing bowl, right? When it comes to baked goods, though, it’s actually more technical than that.
Scooping flour into a measuring cup straight from the bag can easily “pack down” the flour too much, resulting in a final measurement that’s sometimes ¼ to ⅓ cup extra than what the recipe intended. That additional flour can make a huge difference and can cause baked goods to be dry.
That’s why I always use my kitchen scale for weighing and measuring flour, especially for this recipe. Here’s how I use my kitchen scale to measure the flour for my gluten-free zucchini loaf:
- Place the bowl on the scale and press tare on the scale (bringing the measure weight to zero).
- Spoon the flour into the bowl until it reaches the correct grams. For this zucchini bread recipe, I’ll need 220-230 grams of flour.
If a friend or family member doesn’t have a kitchen scale, I recommend they gently fluff the flour with a spoon, then scoop it (lightly, not packed) into a dry measuring cup and level it off with a knife. I tell them to repeat this step twice to get the proper full 2-cup measurement.
Make It Nut-Free
For a nut-free version, I simply omit the walnuts. If I want to maintain that extra textural element of the recipe, I’ll opt for using raisins instead of walnuts.
Make It Oil-Free
To make this recipe oil-free, I substitute the coconut oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce.
One Of Our 5-Star Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This recipe is delicious! I will never make another. Everyone absolutely loves it. Dense, moist, flavorful and I cut back the sugar by half and it’s still delicious!”
– Susanne
Enjoy For Breakfast Or As An Afternoon Snack
I love enjoying a warm slice of this bread with a steaming cup of coffee. For a balanced breakfast, I’ll often pair it with scrambled eggs or a green smoothie.
It also makes for a snack that my kids adore. (Plus, it’s a tasty way to add more nutritious veggies and nuts to their day.) They’ll eat it as an afternoon snack, part of breakfast, or packed as a “bonus treat” in their school lunch. From my experience, this healthy zucchini bread is so good that the kids always ask for seconds.
Freeze Leftovers For Longer Storage
My favorite way to store leftover zucchini bread is by freezing it. Once the loaf has thoroughly cooled, I either freeze it whole in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months or slice it and store the pieces individually in small containers or bags. The single slices are perfect for quick grab-and-go portions.
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Gluten-free Zucchini Bread Recipe
A slice of this freshly baked gluten-free zucchini bread makes the perfect afternoon snack or breakfast addition. A tablespoon of molasses is my secret ingredient, helping give the loaf its moist texture and warm, sweet flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup sugar (140 g)*
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted**
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend*** (220 – 230 g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 small zucchini, or 240 g when grated; leave the skin on, and do not squeeze water from the grated zucchini)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (plus more for the top)****
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Add the melted coconut oil, vanilla, and molasses. Whisk for 2 minutes until creamy.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixture until well incorporated.
- Add the grated zucchini (do not squeeze water from the zucchini) and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Fold into the batter.
- Pour the zucchini bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with additional walnuts, and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Let loaf cool in loaf pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature before cutting into 12 slices.
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Notes
*Can use coconut sugar or cane sugar.
**Can swap for avocado oil or, for an oil-free version, use the same amount of unsweetened applesauce.
***I like to use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 or King Arthur Measure for Measure. If gluten-free flour is not needed, there is the option to use unbleached all-purpose flour (250-260g).
****Can sub pecans, raw pumpkin seeds, or raisins. Or omit the nuts for a nut-free loaf.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 262
- Fat: 13 g
- (Sat Fat: 8 g)
- Sodium: 272 mg
- Carbohydrate: 34 g
- (Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 13 g)
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
Dietary
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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and each time it comes out perfect! My family didn’t even know it was gluten-free which is a huge win.
Sounds like a victory! Thanks for the 5-star review!
This recipe is the bomb! I have a surplus of yellow crookneck squash that I substituted for the zucchini. I used all purpose flour instead of gluten-free (weighed out ~250g). I omitted the walnuts. Otherwise, everything was as written. That molasses is a GREAT addition! I will use this recipe many times this summer!
We are so happy this will be a repeat recipe for you, Taylor!