Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

This Gluten Free Zucchini Bread is made with coconut flour, nut butter and shredded zucchini, and doesn’t require xanthan gum. It’s moist, made even better with chocolate chips and truly everything you want in a zucchini bread recipe! 

Zucchini season is here, and we’re kicking off with this delicious gluten free zucchini bread! 

….ok so technically zucchini season probably doesn’t start for another month or two, but I like to be ahead of schedule, ya know? I wanted to get this recipe out into the internet world so it will hopefully be on everyone’s mind when their gardens are exploding with zucchini. 

Speaking of zucchini -- if you have an abundance, make sure to try my double chocolate chip zucchini bread and/or my Mediterranean stuffed zucchini.

Recently, I’ve enjoyed experimenting and posting recipes using coconut flour. My coconut flour cake and coconut flour banana muffins are just two examples. Similar to those, this bread is also made with coconut flour, making it suitable for those with nut allergies. 

Recipe features

• A gluten free, refined sugar-free and Paleo-friendly zucchini bread recipe
• Sweetened with maple syrup, nut butter, cinnamon, and chocolate chips
• Perfectly moist -- no dry bread up in here! 

Ingredient notes:

Coconut flour: No substitution! This is the main ingredient, so definitely have not tested this bread with any other kind of flour 

Cinnamon: Optional, but since this is a low sugar bread, I think the cinnamon helps to add some sweetness to it 

Eggs: Haven’t tested it without eggs; Similar to my coconut flour cake, it calls for a lot of eggs because coconut flour absorbs liquid more easily than other flours 

Nut butter: I prefer using either almond butter or cashew butter. Allergic to nuts? Try subbing tahini or sunflower butter instead! 

Maple syrup: Can substitute honey or agave if you prefer 

Step-by-step instructions 

Step 1: Whisk wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup and nut butter together. 

Step 2: Add zucchini and chocolate chips. Next, grate the zucchini onto a paper towel or two, then squeeze it over the sink, removing any excess moisture. Place the zucchini into a 1-cup measuring cup, then transfer it, along with the chocolate chips, to the bowl with the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Fold in the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, stir the coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together, then add them to the bowl with the wet ingredients and GENTLY fold until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Step 4: Bake the bread. Pour the batter into a greased and/or lined 8x4 bread pan, then bake the bread for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Tips and tricks

-It's important to squeeze excess moisture out of the shredded zucchini so the bread bakes properly. I like to grate the zucchini directly overtop of two paper towels, then squeeze the moisture out over the sink, and then place the zucchini into a 1-cup measuring cup and add it to the batter.

...on that note, Nourished Kitchen has an entire blog post about baking with coconut flour if you're looking for more tips!

Do NOT over-mix. Coconut flour may just be the most delicate of the gluten free flours, therefore you'll want to stir gently and pour the batter into the prepared bread pan as soon as the flour is incorporated. Otherwise, the bread will end up dry.

-If you don’t want to add chocolate chips, you could try adding chopped walnuts or raisins instead. 

Should I sift the coconut flour first?

You can; I definitely recommend it for my coconut flour cake, but it’s not as necessary for this bread in my opinion.

Does this recipe require xanthan gum? 

Nope! This gluten free zucchini bread is made without xanthan gum. To be honest, I don’t think it’s easy to find (I almost always only see it at Whole Foods?!), so I try to create recipes without it whenever I can. 

Can I use a 9x5 bread pan instead of an 8x4?

Yep! I like using an 8x4 because the bread rises a bit better, so the individual slices of bread are a little larger. But, a 9x5 will work -- just keep an eye on your bread after about 50 minutes.

Storage

• Room temperature: Once it's cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you know you're not going to eat it all within that time frame, you may want to refrigerate it.
• Freezer: To freeze zucchini bread, wait for it to cool and then wrap it very tightly in foil, then store it in a freezer-safe bag for 2-3 months.

More zucchini recipes 

• Savory Zucchini Bread
• Baked Zucchini Fritters
• Garlic Zucchini Noodle Pasta 

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!