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Vegan Zucchini Bread

Name: Vegan Zucchini Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour ((or use half whole wheat flour and half all purpose or all purpose only)); 1 tsp baking soda; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 3 tsp cinnamon ((use cloves or ginger, or a mix, for a nice variation)); 3 tbsp flaxmeal; 4 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 cups coconut sugar ((or any sugar of your choice, or maple syrup)); 3/4 cup applesauce; 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract; 2 1/4 cups zucchini ((grated. About two medium zucchini)); 1 cup walnuts ((lightly toasted, then chopped. Pecans would work too))

Updated on December 16, 2020 | Posted on June 27, 2019 | By Vaishali | 46 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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Baking up a loaf of delicious vegan zucchini bread is a must for the summer. This loaf is tender and delicious, infused with the healthy crunch of walnuts and whole wheat flour, and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar. You'll never complain about too much zucchini ever again.

Zucchini is one of summer's delicious gifts and while it can sometimes overwhelm you with its generosity (if you're growing some in your backyard you know what I'm talking about), it is so versatile, you don't have to look far to find great uses for it.

One of my favorite ways to use up zucchini -- one of the ways I look forward to this season -- is to make this extra-tasty and nutritious whole wheat vegan Zucchini Bread.

If you've been following this blog, you've probably already come across this recipe which I've updated for you with new photos and text. But the recipe is almost exactly the same I posted all the way back in 2009, with one small modification: this time I used coconut sugar. I love its rich, deep flavor and I thought it would be great in this zucchini bread, which it was.

If you have kids, this is a great recipe to keep them happy and fed over the summer break. I use these months to wean Jay off all the junk he inevitably consumes during the school year, whether it's from well-meaning teachers handing out bags of chips or candies as gifts, friends who share their snacks, or whatever other way he has of acquiring them, and he has plenty. When I make him delicious and healthy snacks at home, like this vegan zucchini bread, or vegan banana bread, or the vegan mango kulfi popsicles I shared with you recently, he doesn't miss the crappy snacks at all.

Squash is also very much in season in the summer and it's usually easy to find locally grown varieties or grow it yourself -- all great reasons to consume it. Besides, it is an easy veggie to love, with its dark green skin and tender white flesh and pleasantly bland taste that can adapt to almost any dish, sweet or savory. Like other summer squash, zucchini is rich in vitamin C and beta carotene and, of course, fiber, which makes it super-healthy eats too.

Everything about this vegan Zucchini Bread is healthy and good for you. It's whole wheat, it's full of veggies and heart-friendly walnuts, and it has very little added fat. The coconut sugar, a lower glycemic sweetener than sugar, takes any residual guilt right away.

11 ingredients for vegan Zucchini Bread:

Whole wheat pastry flour. I have always made this recipe with whole wheat pastry flour, which makes healthy baking super easy and super fun. But if you wish, you can certainly use part regular whole wheat flour and part unbleached all purpose flour, or just all purpose flour is good too.
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Salt
Cinnamon. I add cinnamon to my zucchini bread, and sometimes a mix of cinnamon and cloves. You can also add nutmeg or even ginger.
Zucchini. You need 2 ½ cups of grated zucchini for this recipe (about 2 medium zucchini)
Sugar. I use coconut sugar because I love its deep, rich flavor, especially in recipes like zucchini bread and banana bread. But you can use any sugar for great results, including white sugar, turbinado sugar, cane sugar or even maple syrup.
Flaxmeal
Applesauce. You can substitute with an equal quantity of pureed banana.
Vegetable oil
Pure vanilla extract
Walnuts

How to make a healthy, tasty and vegan Zucchini Bread:

This is an extremely easy recipe to make and you don't really need any special equipment like a hand mixer or stand mixer. You do need two loaf pans, but if you don't have them, you can also bake these in cake tins. Or bake them up into muffins. If you are making zucchini muffins with this recipe, cut down baking time to between 25 and 30 minutes and check with a toothpick to make sure they're done.
Chocolate chips are a fun addition, especially if you have a young 'un who likes chocolate. You can substitute the walnuts with 1 cup chocolate chips.
You can make this recipe in one bowl by mixing up your wet ingredients first, then throwing in your dry ingredients one by one and then the zucchini and nuts.
Use the large holes in your grater to grate the zucchini. When you mix up the batter it will seem a bit thick, but don't worry. The zucchini is full of water that will express itself during baking and your loaves will be moist and tender and not dry at all.
Make sure to grease and flour your loaf pans for easy unmolding.
Cool your loaves thoroughly on a rack before slicing and eating.

If you have always loved a classic zucchini bread and missed making one, try this recipe. It will definitely make you a fan. And then come back and tell me about it, or take a photo and tag me @holycowvegan on Instagram. I'd love to see!

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