Easy Vegan Zucchini Bread (Gluten Free + Healthy!)

This one bowl moist and fluffy vegan zucchini bread is the best way to use up that extra zucchini! Easy, secretly healthier, no eggs nor dairy, and easily made gluten free, this vegan zucchini bread is the perfect vegan breakfast bread or snack for the late summer.

Why you’ll love this easy vegan zucchini bread:

Of course, when zucchini season rolls around, we set aside our favorite vegan banana bread recipe and instead turn to a summer staple: vegan zucchini bread. Of course, you can use up your zucchini in tons of delicious vegan dinner recipes, but if it were me, I’d rather bake zucchini into vegan desserts (p.s. if you have a ton of zucchini, then I highly recommend checking out this chocolate zucchini cake!);)

This vegan zucchini bread is one to save. You’re just going to love it. It’s super simple in ingredients, just one bowl, easy to make, and the perfect way to use up that extra zucchini (and get some veggies into a sweeter treat! 😉 ).

Not to mention, it tastes just like classic zucchini bread: super moist, tender, soft, sweet with nutmeg and cinnamon, and fully loaded with vegan chocolate chips.

Absolutely no one will be able to detect that this healthier zucchini bread is in fact eggless, dairy free, refined sugar free, easily lower in sugar if needed, dairy free, easily gluten free, and naturally nut free and soy free. We’re checking many marks for allergies and dietary concerns without sacrificing taste!

Ingredients overview

For this gluten free vegan chocolate chip zucchini bread, you’ll need:

• Flour: If you’re making this vegan zucchini bread gluten free, I highly recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. This is very different from Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour (notice how it doesn’t say 1:1! Tricky, I know!). The former yields a consistency that is undetectably gluten free. The latter DOES NOT WORK without additional xanthan gum.
• Shredded or grated zucchini: you don’t need to peel your zucchini before you begin; just use a grater to grate the zucchini!
• Dairy-free milk with apple cider vinegar. This created a vegan buttermilk that helps the bread rise.
• Unsweetened applesauce: if you can’t find unsweetened, you can use regular or make your own. I recommend Kroll’s Korner’s unsweetened homemade applesauce. Just be sure to really mash the apple! You can also swap in dairy free yogurt, but I sometimes will use.
• Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Don’t skip these!
• Coconut sugar: this makes the bread refined sugar free, but feel free to use cane sugar if you don’t have coconut on hand. You can also simply swap in granulated sugar (I use Florida Crystals to be vegan!)
• Leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda
• Vanilla extract: You can also use vanilla powder.
• Vegan butter: I love Miyoko’s vegan butter, but Flora Plant Butter or Earth Balance sticks also work (and they’re naturally nut free!). I also recommend coconut oil!

You can add in vegan chocolate chips as well, like I did, but it’s up to you. I personally love chocolate chip zucchini bread, but then again, I love all things chocolate so that’s no surprise as to why I’m sneaking chocolate into everything!

In terms of equipment, you’ll just need a grater and a loaf pan. Plus only one bowl (because this zucchini bread is seriously that easy!).

Once you’ve gathered these ingredients and equipment, it’s time to make the bread (and use up all of that zucchini!)!

How to make healthy vegan zucchini bread (overview)

For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe. 

Before you make this recipe: I really recommend weighing out the zucchini. It will give you a much more accurate bake and will make it less likely for you to end up with gummy or soggy zucchini bread! 

I use a digital scale for this. You can order one off of Amazon for $10 or pick one up at your local grocery store. This is crucial to weigh the zucchini, as after you pat the zucchini dry, you need to make sure that it weighs in at around 190 grams.

Once you’ve prepped your ingredients, it’s time to make this zucchini bread!

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan butter and sugar. Then add in the vanilla extract,  applesauce, and grated zucchini (that’s been patted dry), and mix until combined.
2. Sift in the dry ingredients, and fold in the flour mixture and vegan buttermilk.
3. Then partway through your mixing, you’ll fold in the optional (but recommended 😉 ) chocolate chips.
4. Pour the batter into your loaf pan and bake!

How to fix soggy zucchini bread

Sometimes, you soak the zucchini for a long time and yet your bread still comes out soggy. Don’t fret, and don’t toss the loaf just yet!

To fix this, even after the bread is cooled, turn the oven back on to 350F and pop the loaf into the oven to bake for an additional 10-20 minutes. This should help any moisture left in there evaporate so that it’s more bread-like than dense and gooey mess 😉

Can this zucchini bread be baked into muffins?

I do have a super easy vegan zucchini muffin recipe that’s based off of this one. However, you can also use this zucchini bread recipe and bake it as muffins in lieu of bread. Simply prepare a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners and use a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the muffin liners, filling them about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean. And enjoy!

Can I use yellow squash instead of zucchini?

You can definitely use yellow squash in place of zucchini here. In fact, you can also use mini zucchinis as well!

How to store zucchini bread:

There are a few methods for storing this healthy zucchini bread. You can either store it at room temperature, in the fridge, or by freezer.

• Room Temperature: Simply wrap the zucchini bread in plastic wrap or store the slices in an airtight container. Leave at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Refrigerator: Store this chocolate chip zucchini bread in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic. It will last up to 5-7 days in the fridge, depending on how cool your fridge is.
• Freezer: Of course you can also freeze zucchini bread! Simply store the bread in slices (much easier to reheat) in an airtight container or baggy, and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, simply place 1 slice on a piece of tin foil and bake for 5-7 minutes at 350F.

Additional tips and tricks for the best vegan zucchini bread

• Use a digital scale: this will yield the most accurate results when baking, especially with vegan zucchini bread. Too much flour or zucchini, and you’ll end up with a gummy consistency!
• Properly measure your flour: if you don’t have access to a digital scale, make sure that you spoon & level your flour!
• Spice up your zucchini bread even more with a teaspoon of ginger. It adds a nice extra spice, but if you don’t have ground ginger on hand not to fret- just stick with nutmeg and cinnamon!
• Additional zucchini bread add-ins: feel free to stir in walnuts or pecans if you can have them!

You’re just going to absolutely love this healthier vegan zucchini bread. It’s so easy to make, and tastes just out of this world. Subtle notes of cinnamon and nutmeg together with gooey melty chocolate and sweet zucchini bread!? The best!

If you try this bread out, let me know in the comments below! And as always, I’d love to see your beautiful recreations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!

Happy zucchini bread baking!

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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