Gluten Free Dairy Free Zucchini Bread

What to do with all the zucchini taking over your garden? Make this moist and flavorful Gluten Free Dairy Free Zucchini Bread!

loaf of zucchini bread on white rectangular platter with a few slices cut

I’ve never been much of a quick bread kinda person. I’d much rather have bacon and eggs for breakfast than a muffin or slice of quick bread. But THIS! This quick bread recipe really hit me hard when I made it for the first time. I thought it would be just “meh,” but nope. FAR from meh. It was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! I cut a slice and slathered it with butter, and then found myself going back for just one more!

This recipe is so easy, it can be made in one bowl and mixed together in minutes. It begins by using the base recipe from my Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread. With a few tweaks and substitutions (obviously eliminating the pumpkin and adding zucchini), it’s now become one of my favorite quick breads!

here’s what you’ll need to make zucchini bread

ingredients for zucchini bread measured out and labeled on granite countertop.
  • Kim’s gluten free flour blend–you can try a store bought blend and it should work just fine, but this recipe hasn’t been tested with anything buy my own flour blend.
  • Grated zucchini–grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater or with the shredded disc of your food processor. DON’T squeeze out the water (I know many recipes call for you to squeeze out all the water, but with this recipe it’s not necessary. It’s part of what makes this bread so moist.
  • Oil–you can use vegetable oil, canola, or melted coconut oil (refined or unrefined).

mixing the batter

This is a one bowl wonder, so get out a large mixing bowl, whisk, and spoon or spatula for mixing it all together. Start with the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon). Whisk them together until combined. Make a well and add the grated zucchini, oil, eggs, water, and vanilla.

I like to start with the whisk in the middle to get the eggs broken up well and incorporated into all the other wet ingredients. Then I’ll switch to a spoon or spatula to really get down to the bottom and fold all the dry ingredients into the wet.

Prepare an 8 by 4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and parchment paper with a slight overhang to easily lift the bread out when it’s fully baked. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

zucchini bread faqs

Do I Need to Squeeze Water out of the Zucchini?

No! Part of what makes this bread so moist and soft is the extra water that’s in the zucchini. If you squeeze it all out, the bread will be dry.

What Pan Size is Best?

For the pictures in this post, I used a pan that I got from my local Lidl. If you know Lidl, you know that one day you’ll see something and the next day it’ll be gone. So I’d love to say go to your local Lidl and get one, but sadly I doubt you’ll find it. However, this pan size here (affiliate link) is about the same as mine. I like the length of the finished loaf. You can also use an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. I wouldn’t go much bigger than that as your finished loaf will be very squat otherwise.

Can I Add Nuts to the Batter?

Yes!! I love to add walnuts to zucchini bread, but any nut will work well. Add them in when you add the wet ingredients.

Can Muffins be Made Instead of a Loaf?

Absolutely! Just divide the batter into muffin tins lined with paper liners and bake at the same temperature for 20-25 minutes, or until they spring back when touched lightly (or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean).

more gluten free quick bread and muffin Recipes

two slices of zucchini bread on white plate, one spread with butter and bit into

Use up those summer zucchini that are taking over your garden in this Gluten Free Zucchini Bread. It’s moist and delicious and the perfect quick breakfast or even dessert.

loaf of zucchini bread on white rectangular platter with a few slices cut

Gluten Free Dairy Free Zucchini Bread

Kim
What to do with all the zucchini taking over your garden? Make this moist and flavorful Gluten Free Dairy Free Zucchini Bread!
4 from 14 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
 

  • 1½ cups plus 2 tbsp (227g) Kim's gluten free all purpose flour blend* (a store bought blend may be substituted, but hasn't been tested)
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup (about one medium) shredded zucchini, packed tightly into cup (do NOT squeeze the water out)
  • ½ cup (120ml) canola oil, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • â…“ cup plus 1 tbsp (92ml) water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (115g) walnuts or pecans, chopped or chocolate chips (optional)
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar (optional)
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8½ by 4½-inch or 12 by 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with a piece of parchment with a slight overhang. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Make a well in the center and add the zucchini, oil, eggs, water, vanilla, and nuts or chocolate chips (if using). Whisk to combine and then switch to a spoon or spatula and stir to finish mixing completely.
  • Pour into prepared pan. Optionally sprinkle with a mixture of 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
  • For muffins, line muffin pan with paper liners and fill all the way to the top with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until springs back when lightly touched (or a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean).
  • Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove bread from the pan and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.
  • Leftovers can be tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature for 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

*To make my AP gf flour blend dairy free, substitute the nonfat dry milk powder with coconut milk powder or soy milk powder (see flour blend page for details).
To freeze individual slices, wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store in a large ziptop bag.  
Keyword Gluten Free, zucchini bread
Tried this recipe?Tag @letthemeatglutenfreecake on Instagram so we can see!


11 thoughts on “Gluten Free Dairy Free Zucchini Bread”

  • I’m on maternity leave, so I’m baking a lot of these recipes. This one caught my eye on the YouTube channel and I had to try it. I just happened to get a zucchini from a neighbor, so I made it today for my husband and his gluten-eating friend. His friend LOVED it. The whole loaf was demolished quickly. I’ll need to make another soon. Yum!!

  • Hi, Kim. Getting ready to make this for first time tomorrow morning. I really like making mini loafs vs one large loaf. Do you have any idea how many mini loafs one recipe would make? Plus baking time? I’m thinking three mini loaves and bake for 40 minutes?? Sound about right?

    • I wish I knew, but I haven’t tested it so I don’t know with any conviction. But your suggestion of 40 minutes for 3 loaves sounds like a starting point.

  • It shows in the ingredients list to use granulated sugar but it is not called out in the recipe. Is this still added?

    • Thank you for catching that! Yes, it is added in with the dry ingredients. I’ve corrected it and I appreciate you alerting me to my mistake 🙂

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