Healthy Vegan Zucchini Bread with Applesauce

Name: Healthy Zucchini Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 medium zucchini (approximately 2 cups grated); 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce; 2/3 cup honey (substitute with maple syrup); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups whole wheat flour; 1/4 cup ground flax seeds; 2 tsp cinnamon; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp sea salt

Published: Jul 10, 2020 · Modified: Sep 29, 2024 by Debra Klein · This post may contain affiliate links · 87 Comments

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This Healthy Zucchini Bread Recipe is perfect for a tasty breakfast, snack or dessert. Zucchini Bread with Applesauce is seriously delicious and moist with no sugar, no dairy and no oil. Double this easy recipe and freeze some for a cold rainy day.

Slices of healthy chocolate chip zucchini bread on a white platter.

A healthy zucchini bread recipe that tastes incredible is something everyone should have in their collection…and I promise nobody will miss the sugar!

My kids are always asking for “real” desserts…you know, the kind with sugar and butter, white flour…the “OG” as they call it.

When I had to make another batch of this delicious zucchini bread 4 days in a row (shh…..they don’t have to know that this one isn’t OG at all, but Debra approved instead) I knew I had a winner on my hands.

I created this crave-worthy, moist zucchini bread recipe for you because I know, like me, you don’t want to settle for healthy-ish on your way to tasty.

Bright yellow zucchini blossoms in the garden, waiting to mature into zucchini to be used for zucchini bread — Zucchini Blossoms in my garden , well on their way to maturing into zucchini, the star of the quick and easy zucchini bread.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Zucchini Bread Ingredients. Honey. Applesauce. Vanilla. Shredded, unpeeled zucchini. — Make it easy on yourself, no need to peel or drain the zucchini for this simple recipe.

Zucchini: Thinner zucchini will have less seeds and less water. If your zucchini is particularly large, consider cutting in half lengthwise and scooping out the seeds. You can substitute with yellow summer squash, but look for smaller, thinner squash–not the pear shaped variety.
Unsweetened Applesauce: Use my simple applesauce recipe or be sure to buy a brand that doesn’t add sugar.
Honey or Maple Syrup: You know your audience best, it’s ok to cut back on the sweetener if needed. I’ve used as little as ⅓ cup with great results. I have also used date syrup and loved the taste…but be warned, your zucchini bread will come out darker than usual…and it doesn’t mean it’s overdone.
Flour: Any whole grain flour will work in this recipe. I used sprouted spelt flour in these photos. I’ve also used all purpose gluten free flour and whole wheat flour with good results. Almond or coconut flour will have too much moisture and your zucchini bread will be too dense….I do not recommend making this recipe with almond flour.
Flax: Ground flax helps this vegan zucchini bread recipe rise and hold together. If you need a substitution, use ground chia seeds. I use my spice grinder with regular chia seeds and it works great. If you have a coffee grinder, use that!
Chocolate Chips: I use mini dark chocolate chips, but you can use any kind you love. If you don’t do chocolate, you can substitute with blueberries. Just be sure you dry them thoroughly so they don’t bleed throughout your loaf. You can also toss the blueberries in a bit of the flour before incorporating them into your batter.

Do you need to peel the zucchini for zucchini bread?

Nope. It is not necessary to peel the zucchini before grating it for zucchini bread. It may be harder to disguise the green in the batter, but I kinda like those little flecks of green. I mean, this is Zucchini Bread, not Banana Bread. I don’t peel the zucchini when I make vegan zucchini muffins either.

How many zucchini do you need for 2 cups of shredded zucchini?

One medium sized zucchini will yield approximately 1 cups of shredded zucchini. So, you can get 2 cups from 2 medium sized zucchini. You can also use 3 small or one small and one large zucchini to equal 2 cups shredded.

I find it easiest to use a box grater to shred the zucchini, but you can also use a food processor.

Do I have to squeeze the water out of the zucchini?

NO!!! First of all, that sounds like a lot of work! It’s one of the reasons I never made zucchini bread until now. Seriously, who has time? Plus, who wants to clean up the mess?

Second of all, I’ve taken the water content of the zucchini into account when I wrote the recipe. Seems like a much tastier and flavorful (not to mention healthier) way to get moisture into this loaf than adding oil or water, no?

¼ cup of flax meal will take care of absorbing all that moisture without making this moist and easy recipe too complicated or dry. Added bonus: extra nutrition in the form of omega 3s and protein. Double Bonus: this recipe is naturally vegan because the applesauce and flax activate the baking powder for a fluffy loaf without eggs.

What kind of flour should I use for Zucchini Bread?

Well, that depends. First, check your pantry and see what kind of flour you HAVE! Next check if there are any dietary restrictions for anyone who will be eating the zucchini bread. I like to use whole grain flour whenever possible. I used sprouted spelt flour. Whole Wheat flour would be another good choice.

If you need your healthy zucchini bread to be gluten-free, you can use all purpose gluten-free flour or oat flour. I wouldn’t recommend almond flour for this recipe though, the moisture content is not the same so it won’t be an even swap.

How to make it

Shredded zucchini mixed with applesauce and honey.

Shred zucchini (no need to peel) on the side of a box grater. Mix in applesauce, honey and vanilla.

Ground flax, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, chocolate chips, flour and baking soda in a glass bowl.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt plus chocolate and nuts if desired.

Combine wet ingredients with the dry and mix well. Pour zucchini bread batter into parchment lined loaf pan and bake in preheated 350 oven for 55 minutes.

Zucchini bread with chocolate chips in a loaf pan, waiting to be baked.

Ooey Gooey, rich and delicious. There’s no need to compromise on this one. Even with whole grain flour this applesauce zucchini bread recipe is light and moist.

When cool enough to handle, use the parchment paper to remove zucchini bread from the loaf pan, and transfer to a wire cooling rack.

A loaf of healthy and moist zucchini bread with chocolate chips cooling on a cotton tea towel.

If you can wait, let the zucchini bread cool completely before slicing.

Super moist and healthy chocolate chip zucchini bread slices on a wood grained cutting board. — Applesauce makes this healthy zucchini bread super moist without the need for oil.

The best zucchini bread is one that is both nutritious AND delicious. This easy recipe is so addictively good no one will believe it’s the healthier version. No refined sugar or oils is a win in my book!

This recipe for healthy zucchini bread is exactly what you want to eat and serve your family or friends. The perfect choice for a grab and go breakfast, a healthy after-school snack or a great match for an evening cup of tea.

Slices of chocolate chip zucchini bread on a white platter.

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you because I know it will quickly become a favorite in your house, like it is in ours. No judgement here if you like to bake with butter and sugar, but just know that you don’t have to give up that moist and decadent taste for a healthy zucchini bread that only uses wholesome, clean ingredients.

MEAL PREP AND STORAGE

SERVE: Serve warm or at room temperature. Perfect for a grab and go breakfast or snack or a healthier dessert.
PREP AHEAD: Zucchini bread can be made ahead, cooled completely and then wrapped well.
STORE: Store completely cooled zucchini bread in an airtight container or wrap in unbleached parchment and then aluminum foil. This will stay good at room temperature 3-4 days, in the fridge for a week or freeze for 3 months.
FREEZE: Completely cool zucchini bread. You can slice or leave whole before freezing in freezer safe containers or first with unbleached parchment and then pop into a freezer bag or seal with aluminum foil.

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