This moist and delicious Zucchini Bread with walnuts, cinnamon, and vanilla, is made lighter with applesauce and is a great way to use up that summer zucchini.
Zucchini Bread
I modified my Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread to make this non-chocolate quick bread with lots of cinnamon, walnuts, and vanilla. I love how this came out!! It’s not overly sweet – just enough to be perfect for enjoying with your morning coffee for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Some more of my favorite healthy zucchini recipes are this Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Banana Zucchini Cake, and Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes.
Most Asked Questions:
Do you peel zucchini for zucchini bread?
There’s no need to peel zucchini for this recipe, but if you want to hide any green stuff from your kids, you certainly can.
Do you squeeze water out of zucchini for bread?
Don’t squeeze the water out – it’s what makes the bread so moist.
How to Shred Zucchini for Bread
You can grate the zucchini with a grater or in a food processor using the shredding attachment. Grating zucchini by hand gives you a finer texture, whereas shredding results in long strands.
How to Store
Store bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for five days.
How to Freeze
Leftover bread is perfect for freezing. You can even double the recipe and freeze half for later. I like to slice it and store the pieces in a bag with parchment paper in between so they don’t freeze together. Individually wrapping the slices in foil is another option. Thaw the bread overnight in the fridge or microwave it straight from the freezer.
Variations
- Sweetener: If you want to use monk fruit sweetener instead of brown sugar, I am sure it would be fine.
- No applesauce? Swap it for banana but know it will change the flavor.
- Nuts: Sub pecans for walnuts or omit them.
- Muffins: Make zucchini muffins instead of a loaf – bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
More Healthy Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love:
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 cup all purpose flour, I used unbleached
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour, regular whole wheat flour would work
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, not packed
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, or dairy-free butter
- 1 cup apple sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini, not packed, not squeezed (from about 1 1/4 large)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Add 1/2 cup walnuts and gently mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl, mix egg, vanilla, melted butter, apple sauce and zucchini.
- Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.
- Pour batter into the prepared 9x5-inch loaf pan and top with remaining nuts.
- Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for about 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and let it cool before slicing.
I wanted to plug in the ingredients to see what the WW PP value was,, but it wouldn’t let me. It says oops, the Carbohydrates value can’t be lower than the sugar, which it isn’t. So I don’t know what the PP value should be. I like to write it on the recipe.
I measured carefully but my bread was not moist. I was disappointed.
Very nice bread, not too sweet. I used skinny taste homemade applesauce that was a bit on the chunky side. I subbed Fage nonfat greek two tabs for the melted butter, I cut the walnuts back to one ounce which was a bit stingy of me, and next time would add more. Used swerve brown sugar, I guess I cut out calories where I can) I did measure zucchini and then did squeeze it out a bit in a paper towel as it was more wet then the usual zucchini. Sometimes zucchini are not too moist, but sometime they are very moist and that was the case this time. I did bake in a loaf pan maybe 10 more minutes till the tooth pick came out “cleaner.” Next time I might play wth the spices–maybe some nutmeg, cloves or a spice blend–one tab was fine of cinnamon though.
Didn’t you use to do WW points for all your recipes? Did you stop doing that?
I no longer provide points since they vary on the new Weight Watchers plans but I do provide links to WW Personal points recipe builder for all recipes. Look for the orange button in the recipe card says my WW personal points. Click on that and it takes you to the Weight Watchers website where you can see the WW points and add it to your day (US only, you must be logged into your account)
Well, it tasted okay, but the texture was gummy. We toasted the slices because there too many good things in the bread to toss it out. So, I’ve been trying to decide what might have contributed to the excess moisture — I am assuming that was the issue. I had only a 1/2c whole wheat flour so I had to fill the rest of the cup with all purpose flour, so that’s one issue. I was using an extra large egg, so that’s another possibility, although that wouldn’t add a great deal of extra liquid. My zucchini pulp seemed particularly moist. I considered squeezing it some but instructions said not so, so I didn’t. Everything else I did exactly as directed. It certainly looked pretty, even after an additional 30 minutes of baking in an effort to get that toothpick to come out not gooey. Just looked like a big wet sponge when I cut into it. Any suggestions??
Since this worked great for me and others, my guess is you had too much zucchini? It sounds like it was too wet.
Best zucchini bread ever!! At least according to my three friends who tried it and myself!Â
I used a combination of bananas and applesauce, added a shake of cloves and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and a 1/2 cup of raisins and by gosh, this bread is so good! Second loaf in the oven now.Â
I deleted the nuts, and added raisins. Yum!
Is one Tablespoon of cinnamon correct ? That seems like a lot of cinnamon
Ellen, it is not too much, it tastes great! I even added a shake of cloves and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.Â
yes
I’ve been weighing my ingredients for baked goods for quite a long time now so was surprised that gram weights for the flours & sugar, (and yes, walnuts) weren’t included. I normally convert volume measurement to weight using King Arthur’s Weight Ingredient Chart, which is lower than most food bloggers. Would you share what your grams-per-cup standard is?
Could I make muffins instead? Â Should I decrease the baking time?
Bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
i followed the recipe except i added a few chocolate chips, cause chocolate makes everything better. they didn’t rise much, but still turned out good – even the hubs liked. and used up a garden zucchini and homemade applesauce i had stashed in the freezer
I definitely want to make this bread but my son is allergic to eggs. Is there any way to substitute this?
hard to say without testing it, but maybe add a little more apple sauce in its place
I. Have recipes for a chocolate cake and a spice cake. No eggs needed.
Wow! This looks wonderful! Making tomorrow. Thank you Gina
Could I use regular flour ,I can’t  have whole wheat or whole grain flour.
Tks peggy
I have no whole wheat flour hoedown I adjust?
My niece is allergic to apples and bananas, is there anything else I can use to substitute for the applesauce? Thank you Gina. Your recipes are GREAT!
Maybe pumpkin, but I haven’t tested it. Let me know if you do!
This turned out amazing! My son and I love it!
I’m making it this week, would Almond flour work as a gluten free option?
I am so glad!
Yummy !! I have a ton of zucchini’s from my garden… this recipe is just as moist and good as the recipe I’ve used over the years and I can enjoy it on my WW plan:) thanks again Gina all your skinny recipes are delish and does not feel like a diet but a healthy choice to eat normal food.
Glad you enjoyed it Bev!
What does the 2 TBS of butter do? I’d leave it out. I also never use the entire amount of sugar. I use half of what a recipe calls for and use agave for the remaining:recipe- 2/3 cups…I use 1/3 cup brown sugar + 1/3 cups agave.Â
Swoon!!! Zucchini not packed or squeezed!!!  Making this this week!  I hate squeezing the grated zucchini.  One of the main reasons I always avoid making zucchini bread.  All your recipes are great and I’m sure this will be the same!
My lady is trying to avoid gluten, and I don’t know if they make a gluten free wheat flour. I’m new to this whole gluten-light thing, but we have a bunch of zucchini and I know she would love this. Any advise?
this works great with cup4cup in place of the both flours
Wow! The universe somehow knew that I’ve been having a craving for zucchini bread, and delivered this recipe to my inbox! Thank you, and I will be making some this week.