A delicious, healthy zucchini bread recipe that is made with half the amount of sugar, half whole wheat flour, greek yogurt and coconut oil. A healthier zucchini bread you can enjoy without the guilt!
I just finished reading the best book! Have you read Ready Player One? I’m a little late to the game on this one, but it might be my favorite book I’ve read all year. And this summer, I am reading a lot of books.
I spent the entire weekend lounging around reading it. Could not put it down! It’s set in the future, and this billionaire who dies leaves his entire fortune to whoever can solve this gigantic mystery puzzle. If you solve it first, you win all of his money.
I finished the book last night, but then I couldn’t go to bed because I started fantasizing about what I would do if I won a billion dollars. Can you even imagine? I’d be as rich as Oprah!
I decided the first thing I would do would be to buy a brand new Tesla. Because I must have a Tesla. Never having to buy gas again? Yes please. And I’m sure there’s a long wait to get one, so I should get that done first. And we’ll get a Shawn a new 4Runner, because his 1997 is getting…old. And that’s putting it nicely.
Then I would pay off our house, my parent’s house and sister’s house, and take us all to Hawaii on the best vacation ever.
After that, I got stumped. I wouldn’t really want to move, because I love our little ranch house so much. Maybe fix it up some. But I can’t imagine buying a huge mansion. I like living small.
And I’d still want to do our wedding videography business. Just about 10 weddings a year. I can’t imagine spending the rest of our lives just “hanging out”. We would need a little something to make us feel like we have a purpose. And of course I would want to keep sharing recipes here.
It made me realize that I am basically living my dream life. Just without the Tesla. Haha!
While I don’t have a billion dollars, I do have a billion zucchini’s. We planted 3 zucchini plants and 2 yellow squash plants in our garden. And now I have more zucchini than I know what to do with. It’s the best problem ever!
One of my favorite ways to make zucchini is to shred it and bake zucchini bread. My previous go to zucchini bread recipe was from America’s Test Kitchen. Their recipes always turn out perfect, every time. They also taught me the great tip of squeezing all the juice out of the shredded zucchini in a dish towel so the bread doesn’t get too dense and soggy.
But that recipe used 1-1/2 cups sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, and all white flour. I would feel guilty eating it, because it was essentially just cake with zucchini in it. And sadly, I knew all that zucchini didn’t cancel out all that sugar.
I started tweaking the recipe to make it even healthier. I cut down on the sugar a ton. Now, there is only 1/2 cup white sugar, and 1/4 honey. Much better. And it still tastes sweet and delicious. Compared to 1-1/2 cups sugar, this was a much healthier amount.
When I tried using all whole wheat flour, it was too dense and thick and just didn’t taste right. Then, I experimented with half white flour, half whole wheat flour. I liked it even more than when it was made with all white flour. The whole wheat flour gives it a nuttier and fuller bodied flavor.
I’m making a loaf of this healthy zucchini bread once a week, and Shawn and have toast a slice of it for dessert. But now that I’ve made it so much healthier, I really shouldn’t even call it dessert. More like “healthy after dinner treat.”
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Healthy Zucchini Bread
Prep Time: 15 mins- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
Yield: 1 9x5 loafS
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup white, unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium zucchini, about 1 pound, will be about 2 cups once shredded
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup plain, non fat greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with the oven rack in the middle position. Line 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with 2 sheets parchment paper, 1 running the length and 1 running the width, both cut to fit. This will make it extremely easy to lift the zucchini bread out of the pan. I use binder clips to clamp down the parchment paper so it stays in place.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Shred the zucchini using the coarse holes on a box grater, both peel and flesh. Place the shredded zucchini in a clean dish towel (or strong paper towels), and squeeze out any extra moisture. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the shredded zucchini, white sugar, honey, greek yogurt, eggs, and coconut oil. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the shredded zucchini and wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Fold until combined.
- Transfer the batter to the parchment lined loaf pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a wooden inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
- Wrap bread in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 3 days.
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
More Sweet Breads and Muffins
Moist Blueberry Muffins with Greek Yogurt
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Nat!! We’re both TOTAL zucchini bread buddies! How cool is that?? Your recipe looks SO similar to my beloved zucchini bread recipe, so yep: I know without a doubt that this is the ultimate bread!
P.S. glad to know I’m not the only one with zucchinis literally EVERYWHERE!
Oooh, thanks for the book recommendation! I totally just clicked over and bought it, I need a new one to read! This zucchini bread looks marvelous! Love the heathier ingredient list.
That’s my favorite thing to do with recipes too. Cut it back and still enjoy it.
I love those boatloads of zucchini too. Looks fabulous!
Can I jump in on that vacation in Hawaii? ;-)
Ok, sad to admit this, but I’ve never made zucchini bread and only have tasted it once…. on accident. I gotta get on the zucchini bread train!
Mmm gotta love a healthier zucchini bread! This looks fantastic, Natalie! Love the use of greek yogurt and coconut oil, two of my faves to bake with!
Nat, do you believe I’ve never made a zucchini bread before??? And it is sad to say that I’ve never eaten a zucchini bread before. You’ve inspired to try this recipe soon ;-) Your recipe looks AMAZING, friend!! It is great that you used half the amount of sugar, half whole wheat flour and greek yogurt. It should be very delicious!!
★★★★
Healthy zucchini bread?! I’ll take it! I’ve been reading a lot too this summer… it’s kind of strange actually lol. It’s a great way to spend those summer days!
Good-looking zucchini is everywhere this summer and we’re always looking for new ways to use it. Love this recipe, especially the use of coconut oil.
Okay, how genius is the way you clamp your parchment paper to the pan??? I have like 20 billion of those clips lying around the house from my hubby and have never thought to do that. But besides that, I love the healthy version of zucchini bread. LOVE zucchini bread. I’m pretty sure that’s the whole entire reason these veggies exist.
I love making healthy quick breads and this zucchini bread is next on my must-make list! I think I’d snack on it at night and for breakfast!!
This zucchini bread looks so moist and fluffy! I’ve been making a lot of chocolate zucchini bread lately and I really need to get back to the classic — this looks perfect!
This zucchini bread looks perfect, Natalie! So moist and delicious! I love that it’s healthy with less sugar, coconut oil and greek yogurt! We have a ton of zucchini to use up and I am trying to find an excuse to sneak them into everything and this quick bread is next on the list :)
I love that you made one of my favorite breakfasts/snacks healthier! I can tell that this is still just as moist and delicious too!
Hooray for healthier zucchini bread, Nat! :D I’m so glad you did this… I too have an abundace of zucchini comin in from my CSA! I’m amazed at how much zucchini plant can produce. One of my refrigerator drawers is full right now! I am a big fan of baking with zucchini… and reducing sugar – okay – sometimes reducing sugar my baked treats. The crumb in your bread is gorgeous with all those flecks of zucchini – perfection. Thank you for this!
I have never baked with zucchini! but this looks so good!
Umm can I have a billion dollars and this bread stat?! Looks amazinggggggg! I love using coconut oil in baked goods…and my sister has been begging me to make zucchini bread so it looks like I know what I will be up to this weekend! Hope you are feeling well and everything is going smoothly with the baby!!
It’s been a long time since I’ve had zucchini bread and although I love it I’ve yet to make it myself. Love this recipe Nat. :)
This didn’t work for me! I did everything according to the directions and at 50 min it was totally raw in the centre!! Is 325 the correct temperature?? I am so disappointed as I am sure it would be delicious:(
Oh no! So sorry Leigh! I hate when that happens. The temperature in your oven may be off, and not getting warm enough. I like to check my oven temperature with a thermometer every few months to make sure it is heating to the correct temp. The best way to know if something is baked thru is to check with with a wooden skewer. If it comes out with raw dough on it, it’s not ready yet. Bake another 10 minutes and check again. You want the wooden skewer to come out dry, with a few dry/baked crumbs attached.
Hi!
Can you substitute the Greek yogurt with almond milk? Need to be dairy free!
Thanks!
The almond milk might make it a little too soggy. I haven’t tried that. But I think they make dairy free/vegan yogurt! I tried it before when I was vegan. That may work. Let me know how it turns out!
Using the yummly app on my iPad I stumbled across this recipe. I live in Ontario Canada and zucchini is abundant right now. I love to bake and have made a variety of zucchini breads. Last night I made yours and it turned out amazing. It looked exactly like the picture and it tasted exactly as it looks….delicious! My husband loved it and took some to work. He didn’t get to eat any though cause his boss ate both of the pieces he brought….now she’s in love with it too and wants the recipe! Keep up the good work you’re definitely getting the combination of ingredients right. Thank you so much for sharing!
You are so nice Donna! I’m so happy to hear you loved my zucchini bread recipe. It is my FAVORITE! I am seriously making it once a week for the past 2 months and we’re not even close to sick of it. And that’s so funny that your husbands boss swiped his slices. Sounds like you’re going to have to make this again!
Really appreciate you taking the time to tell me you liked me recipe Donna. You made my DAY!
I made this recipe today with a leftover zucchini the size of a baseball bat lol and there’s still a lot left of it. I made everything the same but I was out of yogurt so used a homemade applesauce instead and added a handful of mini choc chips. Mmm just swallowed my first bite. Delicious!
Kelley! You’re so nice! I can’t thank you enough for take the time to tell me you liked my recipe. You just made my day! And those huge zucchini’s are perfect for this bread. Gotta use it up somehow! And great idea using applesauce instead of yogurt. I’m going to try that next time! Hugs to you friend!
Hi! I’ve never made zucchini bread before but I want to for a family friend – she’s watching what she’s eating though, so I plugged in your ingredients to a foodtracker to see what the output is for the total loaf.I’m not sure how many slices you get out of a loaf, but here’s the output overall:
Calories: 2532
Carbohydrates: 381g
Total Sugars: 187g
Added Sugars:160g
Fiber: 26g
Protein: 59g (9% of kcals)
Fat: 98g (35% of kcals)
Cholesterol: 424mg
Sodium: 3262mg
Just so now you have a nutritional breakdown! Thanks for sharing your recipe :)
This is so great! Thanks for sharing Sarah!
Hi, can I use another Tye of oil instead of coconut and maple syrup instead of the honey? Also add Walnuts?
Sure! Zucchini breads are often made with vegetable oil, so you could use that if for some reason coconut oil doesn’t work for you. And yes, maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar are great substitutes for the sugar. And for adding nuts, I like using 1 cup of chopped walnuts. Hope you like it when you make it!
Just wondering if anyone have ever tried to make these as muffins or mini muffins? If so would you recommend or not? How long would you bake? Thanks.
Hi Lauren! I have used this exact recipe to make muffins, and I baked them for 30 minutes and they were perfect. It makes exactly 12 regular size muffins. I fill my muffin trays almost to the top, because I like big, dramatic muffin tops that spill over. Like you can get at a bakery. So be sure to spray the top of the muffin tray with non-stick spray so they don’t stick. I haven’t made these for mini muffins yet. But the recipe would work for that too! I would think bake them for 15 minutes? Check then, and see if a wooden skewer inserted has dry crumbs attached. If wet batter comes out, bake another 3ish minutes and check again. Hope you love them when you make them! They’re a favorite in my house. Can’t wait for summer when my garden is full of zucchini’s!
I made the zucchini muffin batter and found it dry too. I added some coconut milk, (unsweetened).until the wet and dry ingredients mixed and the batter was a nice consistency.
★★★★★
Hi Emily! Yes, the batter does look dry. That’s what gives it such a light and fluffy crumb. Other batters are really wet, and when they get baked are dense and heavy and thick. But if you like denser muffin, adding coconut milk is a great idea! Hope you enjoyed them : )
I”m a big ZB fan and have even entered mine in the State Fair. I”m going to try using coconut oil but love my own recipe using golden raisins, mincemeat and 3 tsp. of cinnamon. I had already reduced sugar, but will try even more and sub honey. Can’t wait for our Z crop to burst forth!
Oooh, entered in the State Fair? So fun! You’re going to love coconut oil. Gives it a little sweetness. Your version sounds good too. I’ve never had it with mincedmeat. Yum!
If I store this in the fridge will it be safe to eat longer than 3 days ?
Yes! Or you can freeze it too for 6 months.
I tried your zucchini bread recipe this morning, and it was really delicious! I used 3/4 cup cane sugar and no honey and added 1 tsp vanilla to the wet ingredients. I found the batter to be a bit dry, so I ended up adding about 6 Tbsp milk to get it to a batter consistency. I put some foil over the top of the bread after baking for one hour to keep it from browning anymore and I cooked an additional 20 minutes. My husband and I enjoyed this very much! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
★★★★★
So glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for letting me know Kara. Hugs!
Hello Natalie,
Your zucchini bread recipe is so delicious. I love the texture of the bread. I couldn’t stop eating it. The zucchini bread is very moist and looked exactly like the picture. I have been looking for this type of zucchini bread for years. I followed your recipe to the letter but substituted the greek yogurt with almond milk yogurt, added 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and substituted the granulated sugar and honey with 3/4 cup of packed dark brown sugar. Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe!
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know Callie! And happy to hear this worked with almond milk yogurt. Big hugs!
This recipe is amazing the taste was spot on I did use all whole wheat flour for the entire recipe and it was perfect.
I’m so glad to hear that! I should try using all whole wheat flour next time, will make it even healthier. Thanks for letting me know! Hugs!
Question…I already shredded my zucchini into 2 cup increments. Is that how much your recipe calls for roughly with 2 med zucchini? :)
I made your Zucchini Bread recipe to take to a game night. Your recipe is fantastic and fairly foolproof. I had not read the recipe carefully. I used the fine side of the grater so I had grated zucchini instead of shredded. I put it in a colander layered with paper towels and let it drain a bit before squeezing. Since the finer grated zucchini automatically releases more moisture than shredded, I didn’t squeeze entirely dry. That was lucky because I accidentally baked at 350″ instead of the correct 325 which I didn’t realize until the next day. Did I mention I was rushing? I baked for 40 minutes in a 8-9 inch, 8 cup Bundt pan that was coated with baking spray containing flour. It turned out perfect! The ladies commented that it was moist. It wasn’t oily or sickly sweet – perfect amount of sweetener. I added 3/4 cup chopped walnuts and 1/4 tsp nutmeg and1/4 tsp cloves just because my family likes them. The bread cut well and wasn’t crumbly. it was even better the next day. Thank you for the lovely recipe.I will make this one again.
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Would anyone happen to know the calories per slice on this zucchini bread?
You can calculate the calories at myfitnesspal.com!
Excellent didn’t change a thing, did bake in an 8×8 dark coated pan, however, took 45 minutes, thanks for sharing this keeper recipe!!
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Yea! So glad you liked it Barbara! Thanks for letting me know you liked my recipe, this made my day!