My dog, Cookie, is wild for zucchini. Also cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and cabbage. You could say that my pup has a healthy appetite. This morning, I left a slice of zucchini bread on my desk where I thought she couldn’t reach. Then I heard some scuffling, followed by some gobbling. She swiped that slice of bread and ate half before I could grab it.
This dog is my soulmate, I tell you. I captured it on video, if you’d like to see it. That was all to say that this zucchini bread recipe is Cookie and Kate approved. It’s fluffy and moist, lightly spiced, and full of confetti-like green flecks of zucchini.
If you’ve enjoyed zucchini bread before, let me point out a few differences between my recipe and the standard recipes. Here are five reasons to love this healthier zucchini bread:
- I used one-half cup honey (or maple syrup) instead a full cup of white sugar. It’s not overtly sweet, but you could add another drizzle of honey or maple sweetener to individual slices, if desired.
- I also used white whole wheat flour instead of refined flour, so this bread is made with 100 percent whole grains.
- I used coconut oil instead of butter, which means this bread is easily made without any dairy at all.
- Most zucchini bread recipes call for one cup of grated zucchini, but I liked mine better with one-and-a-half cups. Even then, I can’t say there’s a pronounced zucchini flavor to it, because zucchini doesn’t have a ton of flavor in itself.
- It’s easily made vegan and/or gluten-free, too—just check my recipe notes.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! Your feedback is so important to me.
If you love this zucchini bread, you’ll also enjoy my banana bread, apple muffins, carrot muffins or banana muffins, you’re going to love this one. Don’t miss the maple-sweetened blueberry muffins in my cookbook!
Watch How to Make Zucchini Bread
Healthy Zucchini Bread
- Author:
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Baked good
- Method: By hand
- Cuisine: American
This fluffy zucchini bread recipe is made healthier with whole grains, honey (or maple syrup) and coconut oil instead of butter. It is easily made vegan and/or gluten free (see notes). Recipe yields 1 loaf.
Ingredients
- Optional: ¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts or pecans
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk of choice or water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + more to swirl on top
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (you’ll need 1 small-to-medium zucchini, about 7 ounces—gently squeeze out excess moisture over the sink before stirring it into the batter)
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9” x 5” loaf pan to prevent the bread from sticking. If you’ll be toasting the nuts, line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Toast the nuts: Once the oven has finished preheating, pour the chopped nuts onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey. Beat them with a whisk until they are combined. Add the eggs and beat well. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 20 seconds in the microwave.)
- Add the milk, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and nutmeg, and whisk to blend. Switch to a big spoon and stir in the zucchini (be sure to squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini first). Add the flour and stir just until combined. Some lumps are ok! Gently fold in the toasted nuts now, if using.
- Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with additional cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center of the loaf springs back to the touch. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack. Use a serrated knife to cut individual slices.
- This bread is moist, so it will keep for just 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months or so. I like to slice the bread before freezing and defrost individual slices, either by lightly toasting them or defrosting them in the microwave.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my banana bread and carrot muffins, with reference to Once Upon a Chef and All Recipes.
*A note on oils: I love coconut oil here. I used unrefined coconut oil and can hardly taste it in the final product. Olive oil will lend an herbal note to the bread, if you’re into that. Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor, but the average vegetable/canola oil is highly processed, so I recommend using cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
Change it up: Use chocolate chips or small/chopped dried fruit instead of the nuts.
Make muffins: Follow this recipe!
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey, replace the eggs with flax eggs and choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
Make it dairy free: Choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) or water.
Make it egg free: Replace the eggs with flax eggs.
Make it gluten free: I haven’t tried myself, but I have heard from a reader that Bob’s Red Mill’s all-purpose gluten-free mix worked well here.
Make it nut free: Just omit the nuts, and don’t use nut milk.
Make it lower in fat: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if you’re following a low-fat diet.
If you love this recipe: You will also love my pumpkin bread, banana muffins and pumpkin muffins and banana nut scones!
Recommended equipment: I am totally in love with my Fiesta Loaf Pan in turquoise (affiliate link).
▸ Nutrition Information
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Marissa
This is the best zuchinni recipe I have found yet. Its a new favorite of my family and I keep making it again and again. Using maple syrup as the sugar is genious and gives the bread such amazing flavor!
You need to try this recipe!!! 100/10
★★★★★
Karlyn
My husband and I found this bread to be very bland and I’m not sure why after reading the great reviews. I followed the directions explicitly using the correct amounts of vanilla, honey and even extra cinnamon on the top. Drained the zucchini well. I just subbed Oat milk for regular milk as that is all I had.
★
Kate
Hi Karlyn, I’m sorry you didn’t love this one.
Adrianna Piccone
Basically all of cookie and kates recipes are super healthy- we are used to having zucchini breads super super sweet- you’re not going to find that with this one. You could use real sugar as a sub for the honey- I’ve done this before and it has more “flavor”, you can also add in 1/4 tsp allspice and use fresh ground nutmeg instead of just the nutmeg in a ocntainer from the store. I always add in walnuts and chocolate chips- it helps a lot!
Diana
Hello, Kate! There are numerous scientific facts about honey cooked at high temperature and the risks behind it. Even when it’s put in hot tea. Can I use Stevia instead of honey? What quantity?
Kate
Hi Diana, I haven’t read concerning studies, but feel free to do what you find is best. Maple syrup would be a better alternative to use instead of honey.
Karlyn
Very bland
★
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love it. What did you fee like it was missing, Karlyn?
Baljit hayer
Hi can I make it with regular whole wheat flour.thanks
Kate
Hi, Yes that should be ok.
Jane
Delicious! I used spelt whole meal flour and it came out moist and fluffy, great with the walnuts and hint of nutmeg.
Marissa R
This recipe is delicious! I was impressed at how yummy it was even without butter or sugar!
★★★★★
Eileen Alholinna
I found your recipe and am getting ready to make it! I will use butter instead of oil. I love zucchini bread and a healthy recipe is spot on!
★★★★★
Paul
Another winner! Our whole family loves your recipes because they taste amazing and are not too sweet! (Why is everything else so sweet??) we used a darker chocolate chip in this and it made for a real treasure that blended perfectly with the zucchini.
I’m going to try this recipe in muffin tins next since we love the carrot muffins so much (we make them once a week).
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Paul! Thank you for sharing.
Jill Meli
Can you use almond flour?
Kate
Unfortunately, almond flour isn’t a great 1:1 substitute. You could try oat flour. How to Make Oat Flour
Mary Lewis
I have been making zucchini bread for almost 50 years, and I think this was the best recipe I have ever made–light (for zucchini bread), flavorful, not too sweet, and crunchy with walnuts. I love the idea of changing out the sugar. My husband suggested we use buckwheat honey when I asked “maple syrup or honey”, giving it a deeper flavor. This bread did not last more than a couple of days, with the two of us taking bite here and there and big pieces for breakfast two days running. This goes to the very top of “repeat me very soon and over and over” recipes.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s quite the compliment, Mary! Thank you for your review!