Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

This classic gluten-free zucchini bread is one of the easiest recipes you can make. It is a great way to use up those zucchinis growing in your garden or just a delicious way to sneak more vegetables into your diet. Add chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts, dried fruit, or even chocolate chips to the batter for a little something extra. This gluten-free zucchini bread recipe is the perfect recipe to try if you are new to gluten-free baking. Made with simple ingredients this is the perfect way to dabble with gluten-free recipes.

Growing up we always had an abundance of zucchinis growing in my grandmom's yard during zucchini season. Most of them were used to make ratatouille (a traditional vegetable stew made with summer vegetables: tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and eggplant). But once in a while, my Mom would turn them into Zucchini Cake served with a thick chocolate glaze. While I did skip the chocolate glaze for my gluten-free zucchini bread, you are always more than welcome to use the glaze recipe from my Chocolate Banana Bread to finish this delicious gluten-free zucchini bread.

If you love Zucchini Recipes, make sure to check out my Gluten Free Lemon Zucchini Bread Recipe and my Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I use my gluten-free flour blend in this recipe. I also tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1 – to 1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure and both blends work great. All those blends mentioned already contain xanthan gum. If you would like to make this an even healthier zucchini bread, feel free to substitute up to 75 grams of gluten-free multipurpose flour with buckwheat flour.

Grated Zucchini: Please make sure you wash your produce before using it. It is important to mention to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from your shredded vegetables. If you own a potato ricer, that's the perfect tool for this job. You can also just use a clean dish towel. Paper Towels are an option as well but they tend to break.

Unsweetened Apple Sauce: It's no secret that unsweetened apple sauce can be used to replace parts of the fat used in baked goods. Make sure to use unsweetened apple sauce without any added flavorings. I do NOT recommend replacing all the oil with apple sauce.

Spices: Zucchini bread tastes like the combination of spices you add to the batter along with brown sugar which provides a hint of molasses. Make sure not to skip the spices.

Optional Add-Ins: If you like, you can add chopped nuts (such as pecans or walnuts), dried fruit (such as dried cranberries), or chocolate chips to your gluten-free zucchini bread batter. I only recommend using a total of 100 grams or less.

Kitchen Equipment Needed to make Zucchini Bread

This gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread recipe is very simple to make and doesn't require any fancy equipment. You will need a box grater to grate the zucchini (you may also use your food processor), a large bowl to mix the zucchini bread batter, a small bowl for the dry ingredients, a whisk, a rubber spatula, and a small offset knife. You will also need an 8.4”x4.5”x4.1 Pullman Loaf Pan but a standard 8x4 loaf pan will work as well.

Pro Tips for making Zucchini Bread

When it comes to choosing the zucchini to make gluten-free zucchini bread, using smaller zucchinis is better. Smaller zucchinis have more moisture and sweetness while supersized zucchinis can be dry and bitter. Definitely not something you will want in your zucchini bread.

To shred zucchini for bread, you can use the small grates on a box grater or use the shredding attachment for your food processor. I don't recommend blending the zucchini (unless you plan to make zucchini soup)

If you use small zucchinis, there is no need to remove the seeds before grating them. The seeds should be so small, that they just dissolve. IF you use large, oversized zucchini you may need to remove the seeds before grating them.

Because smaller zucchinis are moist, I highly recommend squeezing the grated zucchini before adding it to the bread batter. The extra moisture can cause your gluten-free quick bread to not bake fully and be underbaked and dense.

To squeeze zucchini you can either use a potato ricer, clean kitchen towels, or a few sheets of paper towel. Please be aware paper towels tend to break easily.

How to make zucchini bread

This gluten-free zucchini bread recipe is the perfect recipe to make if you are new to gluten-free baking. The most labor-intense task of this recipe may be grating and squeezing the zucchini.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F and line your loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. Make sure to leave some overhang which will help to remove the fully baked zucchini bread from the pan.

Step 2: Shred and measure out zucchini and squeeze all the excess moisture. You will need 225 grams of shredded and squeezed zucchini (so make sure to measure it AFTER squeezing it)

Step 3: Sift together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.

Step 4: In a separate bowl combine both sugars, unsweetened apple sauce, eggs and oil and whisk together until the sugars are fully dissolved.

Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until fully combined. While we don’t have to worry about building gluten, try not to overmix your batter. Fold in the shredded zucchini and any add-ins you may use (such as nuts or chocolate chips)

Step 6: Transfer your gluten-free zucchini bread batter to your prepared loaf pan and use a spatula, spoon or small off set to smooth it out evenly. At this point, you can refrigerate the unbaked zucchini bread batter for up to 24hrs before baking it.

Step 7: Bake at 350F for 55-65 minutes. Remove the best zucchini bread when it is golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. (If using a digital thermometer, the internal temperature should be 200F or higher.

Remove from the oven, and allow for the zucchini bread to cool in the loaf pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove it from the loaf pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Serving Ideas

While zucchini bread is delicious on its own, my favorite way to serve it is with everything from butter to cream cheese to mascarpone. It also makes a delicious choice of bread for french toast.

How to freeze Zucchini Bread 

During peak zucchini season you may want to bake a few extra loaves of zucchini bread and freeze them. Zucchini bread - sliced or unsliced - freezes very well. If you are freezing an entire loaf, wrap the completely cooled bread in plastic wrap and place it in a large ziplock bag. You can freeze quick bread for up to 6 months.

If you plan on freezing slices of GF zucchini bread, wrap each slice in plastic wrap and place the slices into a freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months. To defrost an entire loaf of zucchini bread, the best way is to allow for it to sit at room temperature for several hours (make sure to unwrap it). You can defrost slices quickly in the microwave or in a toaster.

Why you should sift dry ingredients

Sifting dry ingredients together may seem like an extra step Chefs like to add to the recipe but there is actually a reason behind the sifting. Not only does sifting dry ingredients make sure all the ingredients are blended well but it also helps to lighten up the flour mixture. You don’t need a fancy kitchen tool for this. I use a strainer I have had for as long as I can remember. I place it over the bowl of my kitchen aid mixer and sift the ingredients right into my bowl.

FAQ for Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

Do you peel zucchini for bread?
There is no need to peel zucchini for zucchini bread. Just make sure to give it a good rinse before grating it.

How should I store zucchini bread?
Store your gluten free zucchini bread at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Can I make the zucchini batter ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the batter for quick breads the night before and bake them in the morning. Keep this in mind for the holidays – think fresh-baked quickbread on Thanksgiving or Christmas Morning but without making a huge mess in your kitchen the second you get up. Resting the batter for several hours or even overnight gives the starches in the flour more time to absorb the moisture from the liquid ingredients used in the batter. I recommend baking your muffin batter within 24hrs.

Can I turn this recipe into muffins?
Yes - this recipe works great for gluten-free zucchini muffins. This recipe makes 12 muffins. Bake your muffins at 350F for 18 minutes, rotate the muffin pan, and continue to bake for an additional 6 – 8 minutes until they are golden brown and feel firm.

Can I use “regular” flour in this recipe? 
Yes, you can use wheat-containing flour in this recipe but you need to change the amount to 280 grams in the muffin batter.