This tender, moist, zucchini-studded loaf made with whole wheat flour, maple syrup, olive oil, and applesauce is a healthier taken the classic and my absolute favorite zucchini bread! Make it with walnuts, chocolate chips, or just as is for a faintly spiced, perfectly snackable loaf anytime a craving strikes!
**AUGUST 2019 UPDATE**
This recipe was originally posted in August of 2016, and was in desperate need of new photos and less wordy recipe instructions, so I’m re-posting it today. I’ve made this recipe dozens of times, and everyone always loves it…even the people who wouldn’t normally be into a ‘healthy’ version of zucchini bread. It’s just so perfectly tender, moist, and sweet- plus, I swear it gets better after sitting on the counter for a day or two! I’ve left the original blog post in tact below, for the sake of nostalgia. Feel free to scroll straight to the bottom to get the recipe, if you’ve already read this old blog post!
I didn’t grow up eating zucchini bread; my family was more of the banana, cranberry-orange, or date-nut loaf persuasion. They were always made around the holidays, served as a breakfast/snack to munch on in the morning before the big meal was ready, and that was that. I’m sure I knew zucchini bread existed, but my grandmother always turned the excess zucchini from the garden into sweet zucchini relish, and if there was ever a loaf of zucchini bread sitting around the house in the summer, I certainly don’t remember it.
As an adult, however, I found myself in the similar drowning-in-zucchini problem every gardener faces in late July, and instead turned to baking. After few tries, I found that my preferred loaf is much like the dense, sweet, tender banana bread I grew up eating, albeit made without the bananas. Instead, I used a little bit of applesauce to keep this loaf moist, and opted not to squeeze out the extra moisture from my shredded zucchini, instead relying on it to keep the bread tender.
I added walnuts for crunch and a little extra nutrition boost, but they’re completely optional. Pecans would have been great too, if that’s more your style. I also wouldn’t have complained if a handful of chocolate chips accidentally fell into the batter, but I’m guessing you already knew that.
Whatever you do, don’t skip the sprinkle of sugar on top of this loaf because I swear it MAKES zucchini bread. That slightly crunchy, caramelized, kiss of sweetness on top is everything.
If you’re a zucchini bread lover like I am, I highly recommend stocking your freezer with ‘zucchini bread portions’ of shredded zucchini, so you can pull out a container in the dead of winter, quickly defrost it, and bake up a batch long after the garden stops churning out zucchini.
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment below, or take a picture of your zucchini bread and share it with me on Instagram so I can see!
Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread
Time: 60 minutes
Yields: 1 loaf
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, lightly packed (from 1 medium zucchini)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (can sub spelt, all-purpose, or einkorn)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips, optional
- 1-2 teaspoons organic cane sugar, turbinado sugar, or scant, for topping
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan with olive oil spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together the zucchini, maple syrup, olive oil, applesauce, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl. Add flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, salt, and nuts or chocolate, if using, and stir to combine.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle top with sugar. I sometimes like to toss a few extra chopped nuts or chocolate chips on top to make it look extra pretty, too!
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. A toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean.
- Let cool completely in pan before removing and slicing. Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for longer storage.