Healthy Lemon Zucchini Bread

Lemon Zucchini Bread Recipe

With the end of summer also comes an abundance of fresh yellow and zucchini squash.

When I’m not making more savory recipes like these Zucchini Fritters or Taco Stuffed Zucchinis, this mildly-flavored vegetable gets thrown into some Lemon Zucchini Muffins or Chocolate Zucchini Bread for a sweet breakfast treat.

But not too sweet.

No, in fact.  We’re using coconut sugar and honey in place of regular white or brown sugar to make this bread recipe a little bit healthier.

Healthy, Gluten-Free, and Vegan

Gluten-free flour can also be used instead of regular white flour if you’re Celiac or gluten-intolerant.

And flax eggs and coconut oil can be swapped in if you’re vegan and dairy-free.

Can you see how easy and flexible this zucchini bread recipe is!?

Seriously, you can adapt it to whatever dietary preferences you’re working with so EVERYONE can enjoy a slice of this addictingly good, lemony, and ultra moist zucchini cake.

Ingredients

The ingredients you will need are relatively easy to find at your grocery store.  The main items you will need include:

• Zucchini – You will need 2 cups of grated zucchini, or about 2 medium-sized squash, for this recipe.  (Read more below about how to squeeze out the water and prepare it to be mixed in.)
• Flour – A gluten-free 1-to-1 blend was used to make this bread.
  • If you don’t need to avoid gluten, you can always use regular white flour or sub it for a Paleo 1-to-1 blend if you’re avoiding grains.
• Lemons – Both fresh lemon zest and juice give this breakfast cake a burst of citrus flavor.
  • If you don’t already know how, you can learn How to Zest Lemons using one of 5 different common kitchen tools.
• Sweetener – A combination of coconut sugar and honey is used to sweeten this quick bread.
  • If you’re not limiting your refined sugar you can always substitute the coconut sugar for regular sugar.
  • For a vegan version, use pure maple syrup or agave nectar in place of the honey.
• Butter – One stick of butter is used and creates a wonderful flavor and perfect crumby texture.
  • For a dairy-free and vegan version, you can substitute the butter with a vegan butter alternative or coconut oil.
• Eggs – Two large eggs help to hold this bread together.
  • If you like to avoid eggs, use flax eggs or chia seed eggs in their place.

How to Grate Zucchini

The main ingredient in this bread is, of course, zucchini squash.

So making sure you finely grate it and wring out all of the excess moisture is a critical step in the success of your bread.

There are a few different ways you can grate it, in order of preference:

1. Food Processor – Using a large food processor fitted with a grating attachment is the best, fastest, and easiest way to grate zucchini.  It will give you perfectly shredded pieces that are all the same size in a matter of minutes.
2. Cheese Grater – A great second option, but it will take a little more arm strength and time.
3. Julienne Peeler – This is a good fallback option if you don’t have one of the other two kitchen gadgets at home.  You’ll want to finely chop the shreds of zucchini after julienning them, though.
4. By Hand – Cutting zucchini into shreds with a knife is by far the hardest way to grate it. It takes quite a bit of time and will not give you grated zucchini that is uniform in size.

Straining

Once your zucchini is finely grating, it’s time to strain it to remove all of the excess water and moisture.

This step is very important, because if you leave too much of the moisture in the zucchini your bread will not cook up full in the oven.  But instead will have a mushy and undercooked center.

1. Sprinkle  ¼ tsp. salt over 2 cups of grated zucchini.  Let sit for at least 10 minutes or up to 20 minutes. (Step 1 above.)
2. Place salted zucchini in a piece of cheese cloth or in a thin dish towel. (Step 2 above.)
3. Wring out as much moisture as you can until you are left with 1 cup of packed zucchini. (Step 3 and 4 above.)

How to Make Zucchini Bread

The step-by-step instructions to make a healthy zucchini loaf are actually very similar to other quick bread recipes.

You’ll want to whisk together your wet and dry ingredients separately, mix them together, and then add in the zucchini and lemon zest.

These are the steps you will follow:

1. Mix together flour, coconut sugar, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. (Step 1 above.)
   
2. Whisk together melted butter, eggs, honey, lemon juice, and vanilla in a separate large bowl. (Step 2 above.) 
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix by hand until batter is smooth. (Step 3 above.) 
4. Stir in grated zucchini and lemon zest until just combined. (Step 4 above.)
   
5. Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and/or line it with parchment paper.
6. Pour in the zucchini bread batter and spread it out evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired.
   
7. Bake in preheated oven at 350 °F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted in comes out clean.
   
8. Let cool to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

Serving, Storing and Freezing

This lemon zucchini bread tastes best when it is served at room temperature.

You can also add a little extra butter and toast it in a toaster oven to serve.

Quick bread recipes will last for 2-3 days if covered and left at room temperature or 3-5 days if stored in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze this loaf by wrapping it in wax or parchment paper and storing in a freezer-safe ziplock bag.

FAQs

Do you have to peel the zucchini before grating?

No.  You do not need to peel the skin off of zucchini before grating.  In fact, the skin gives recipes a beautiful pop of color and adds a good bit of fiber to the finished dish.

How many zucchinis is 2 cups grated?

One medium-sized zucchini will give you about 1 cup of grated zucchini.  So you will need 2 zucchini for 2 cups grated.

How to know when zucchini bread is done cooking?

Much like other quick bread recipes, you’ll know zucchini bread is done baking when the top bubbles up, starts to crack, and a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs when inserted into the center.

Other Zucchini Recipes

If you’ve still got a ton of homegrown squash lying around after making this recipe, here are a few other easy ways to use them up:

• Sautéed Zucchini and Squash in 20 Minutes!
• Healthy Zucchini & Squash Casserole Recipe
• Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries
• Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups
• Almond Flour Zucchini Bread

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3.94 from 31 votes

Healthy Lemon Zucchini Bread Recipe

Sneak your veggies in at breakfast with this Healthy Lemon Zucchini Bread that is super moist, full of fresh lemon zest, and LOADED with grated zucchini squash.  Learn how to make the best quick bread recipe that can easily be made with gluten-free flour, vegan ingredients, and makes a great summer dessert or snack cake.

Yield 10

Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 50 minutes mins

Total 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups zucchini finely grated
• ▢ ½ tsp. salt
• ▢ ½ cup butter melted*
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ ¼ cup honey
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. lemon juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour gluten-free
• ▢ ⅔ cup coconut sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp. baking soda
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. Lemon zest
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. sugar optional

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Grating & Straining Zucchini

• Using a food processor*, finely grate zucchini and measure out 2 cups. Sprinkle zucchini with salt and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
• Squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini by dabbing with a paper towel or using a cheese cloth. (You will end up with about 1 cup of grated zucchini once water is squeezed out.)
  

Zucchini Bread

• Whisk together melted butter, eggs, honey, lemon juice, and vanilla in a large bowl.
• Mix together flour, coconut sugar, and baking soda in a separate, medium-sized bowl.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix by hand until batter is smooth.
  
• Stir in grated zucchini and lemon zest until just combined.
• Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and/or line it with parchment paper.
• Pour in the zucchini bread batter and spread it out evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired.
  
• Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted in comes out clean.
• Let cool to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Tap stars to rate!

3.94 from 31 votes

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Notes

For dairy-free use coconut oil instead of butter.
If vegan, substitute honey for pure maple syrup, butter for coconut oil, and eggs with flax or chia seed eggs.


Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Sodium: 327mg, Potassium: 86mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 381IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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