Name: Healthy Vegan Zucchini Bread with Applesauce
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

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This Vegan 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, no eggs and no oil. Mix in some chocolate chips to make a good thing even better!

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 vegan 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.

Ingredient Notes

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 3-ingredient 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!

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.

How to make it

Shredded zucchini mixed with applesauce and honey.

Shred zucchini (no need to peel, but wash the outside). I find it easiest to use a box grater to shred the zucchini, but you can also use afood processor. 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 loaf pan with a silicone liner 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 ends of the liner 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.

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.

📖 Recipe

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Categories

Dessert No Oil Vegan

Comments

4.99 from 51 votes (6 ratings without comment)

Healthy Vegan Zucchini Bread with Applesauce

Ingredient Notes

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

How to make it

MEAL PREP AND STORAGE

📖 Recipe