This Healthy Zucchini Bread Recipe is an easy, delicious treat. Low calorie, low sugar, gluten free & so delicious – everyone will love it! This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill but all opinions are my own.
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Healthy Zucchini Bread is one of my favorite veggie loaded treats to make! It’s light, fresh, and the perfect way for using up loads of summer zucchini.
(Don’t worry though, you can totally make this year round – you don’t have to make it in the summer!)
Zucchini bread has always been one of my favorite spring treats, and I know you’re going to love this healthier version!
Zucchini bread seems like such a mundane thing… a bread, made from a flavorless vegetable. So blah, right??
But not if you make it the right way! Most zucchini bread’s are loaded with sugar to compensate for the fact that there isn’t much flavor to to the zucchini, but I decided that chocolate chips + honey would be a better choice.
(I mean when are mini chocolate chips NOT a good choice?!)
If you’re looking for other healthy zucchini recipes – check out these Healthy Zucchini Recipes!
What makes this zucchini bread healthy?
There is a lot to love about this boneless chicken breast recipe. It’s one of our favorite proteins for a healthy dinner because it’s:
- Low in sugar – This recipe is sweetened only by honey. (and some chocolate chips for good measure) Many zucchini bread recipes are loaded with sugar, but this minimal amounts of sugar per slice!
- Heart healthy fats – Instead of using butter or canola oil, this recipe uses just a little bit of olive oil and almond milk to keep it moist. You could also add some walnuts in it for healthy fats!
- Whole Grain Oat Flour – We love Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Oat Flour because it’s loaded with whole grains and fiber!
- Veggies! This recipe has a whole cup of zucchini in it. Sneaky veggies for the win!
I love experimenting with different flours, and this whole grain oat flour gives the bread a light, fluffy texture while adding almost a nutty flavor to it.
Oat flour is also super high in fiber, and higher in protein than most other whole grains.
Ingredients for Healthy Zucchini Bread:
To make this zucchini bread we used:
- Oat Flour
- Spices: cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg
- baking powder, baking soda
- salt
- olive oil
- egg
- vanilla extract
- honey
- Almond Milk
- shredded zucchini
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded substitutions box.
How do you grate zucchini for zucchini bread?
We just use a standard box grater. Place your box grater over a bowl. Once you’ve grated zucchini take a paper towel or clean dish towel and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible.
You do not need to peel the zucchini for zucchini bread!
1 medium fresh zucchini will roughly give you 1 cup of shredded/grated zucchini.
How to make Healthy Zucchini Bread:
Making healthy zucchini bread is very simple!
- Before doing anything, grate your zucchini. Squeeze out as much water as you can from the zucchini. I typically use a paper towel and wring it out over the sink.
- Gather all ingredients
- Mix together your wet ingredients.
- Stir in your dry ingredients.
- Add in chocolate chips (optional but highly recommended!)
- Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake. After 40-45 minutes you’ll have perfectly cooked zucchini bread.
I love to make this on Sunday to enjoy for breakfast/snacks during the week. It’s great with a big cup of coffee in the morning, or as a snack with PB on top in the afternoon.
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR HEALTHY ZUCCHINI BREAD
This bread is pretty versatile. Here are a few ways you can customize it!
To make gluten free: replace regular oat flour with Bob’s Red Mill Certified Gluten Free Oat Flour
To make vegan: replace 1 egg white with 1 flax egg. Sub honey with maple syrup
To make nut free: Sub almond milk for oat milk or dairy milk
To make lower in sugar: omit the chocolate
Flour: You can replace oat flour with whole wheat flour or white flour but your bread might be a little more dense. I would not recommend almond flour or coconut flour. If you don’t have oat flour on hand, blend or process old fashioned oats or quick cook oats until they are a flour like consistency.
Milk: Any milk will work – almond, oat, regular dairy milk, soy, coconut, etc.
Spices: You can omit the ground ginger and nutmeg if you don’t have any. Add a little bit more cinnamon to compensate!
Nuts: You can add in chopped pecans or walnuts. Raisins would also be a nice add in!
Healthy Zucchini Bread Muffins: Pour the batter into greased or lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the muffin. You can also check out our Healthy Zucchini Bread Muffins
Mini Loaves – I haven’t tried making this recipe into mini loaves, but I think it would work! Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the loaf pan.
Vanilla Extract – You can omit vanilla extract from the recipe and it will still turn out fine.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread: This Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread is a delicious variation!
How to store healthy zucchini bread:
Storing Zucchini Bread: You can store this bread covered on your counter for a few days, but I recommend keeping it in the refrigerator for maximum freshness!
It will last up to a week in the refrigerator – but will lose it’s freshness after about 3 days on the counter.
How to freeze Zucchini Bread: You can slice this bread and individually wrap it or freeze it whole. To defrost a whole loaf – take it out the night before you’d like to enjoy it and set it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve – pop in the microwave.
If you’re defrosting a single slice, you can put it directly in the microwave or toaster oven until it is warm.
Gluten Free Zucchini Bread FAQ
Yes! You need to squeeze water out of zucchini for bread. Otherwise you’ll wind up with soggy zucchini bread.
Zucchini bread does have some nutritional value, but it’s still a treat. This zucchini bread has just under 250 calories, with 42g of carbs in one slice. This zucchini bread has less sugar/fat than other zucchini bread recipes so if you’re looking for a better for you version – this is it!
Your zucchini bread shouldn’t fall apart. Make sure you let it cool completely before removing it from the prepared loaf pan. Also make sure you squeeze any liquid out of your zucchini before baking!
This zucchini bread recipe has no white or brown sugar in it, but you can substitute brown and white sugar in zucchini bread!
More Healthy Bread Recipes:
We love healthy bread recipes. Here are some of our favorites:
Healthy Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 cup shredded zucchini squeezed to remove water (about 1 medium zucchini)
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Oat Flour use gluten free if necessary
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 + prepare a greased 8×4 loaf pan.
- In a large bowl mix together olive oil, egg, vanilla extract, honey, almond milk and zucchini.
- Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients (oat flour, spices, baking powder/baking soda, salt)
- Fold in mini chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into greased loaf pan + top with additional chocolate chips if desired
- Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, or until top of bread is golden and cake tester comes out clean. Allow bread to cool completely for at least 20 minutes, remove from pan + enjoy!
Video
Notes
- To make gluten free: replace regular oat flour with Bob’s Red Mill Certified Gluten Free Oat Flour
- To make vegan: replace 1 egg white with 1 flax egg. Sub honey with maple syrup
- To make nut free: Sub almond milk for oat milk or dairy milk
Katie @ 24 Carrot Life says
Yum, this looks so good and I love that it is a healthier verison!! I love mini chocolate chips and put them on everything 🙂
The Clean Eating Couple says
Me too!! Sometimes I just eat them when I’m craving something sweet!
Rachel (Little Chef Big Appetite) says
This looks amaaaaazing! I want a slice now!
The Clean Eating Couple says
You have to try it!! So yummy!
Kristin says
Wonder if it will turn out ok using bob’s Paleo flour?
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’m sorry but I’m not sure! Paleo baking is so tricky and I’ve only tried it with the ingredients in the post… if you give it a try let me know!
Molly says
This zucchini bread is awesome and pretty easy to make! I made them into mini muffins for the perfect on the go snack.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Love that you made them into mini muffins!! That’s such a fun breakfast or snack!
pat marino says
CAN YOU REPLACE THE LIQUID SWEETNER WITH
GRANULATED SWEETNER THANK YOU. PAT.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Pat – I’m sorry but I haven’t tried this. I would stick with the honey!
Maria says
I just made this using spelt flower because I didn’t have oat flower and really did t feel like making it from my oats and it came out amazing!!!! Just perfect and delicious!!! Thank you for this!!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’m so glad you liked it, Maria!! i’ve never tried baking with spelt flour – now I want to!!
Kassi says
This is the best healthy zucchini bread recipe ever! The oat flour worked great! Will definitely be making this more in the future!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Kassi!! I’m so glad you liked it!
Joni says
I made this last night and we loved it! Easy to make, great texture and not too sweet. I left out the chocolate chips (personal preference).
The Clean Eating Couple says
Glad you liked it, Joni! You totally don’t need the chocolate chips – it’s yummy with out as well!
Kim says
I made the vegan version tonight. I made my own oat flour too. I didn’t have chocolate chips so I added dried apricots for some extra sweetness. It was very good but think it would be better with the chocolate chips next time.
The Clean Eating Couple says
That sounds super yummy, Kim! I’m glad you liked it! Definitely try it with the chocolate chips though – it’s SO delicious!
Kim says
Do you think it would work to replace the almond milk with water?
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Kim – I’ve never tried that but it might work! You could also replace it with other non-dairy milk or regular milk if you need to!
Vicky O says
So good! I made with maple syrup instead of honey and it came out perfectly. I also liked the suggestion of adding a few more chocolate chips on the top, that made it look so pretty when it was done. Would highly recommend!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it Vicky! The chocolate chips make it so much prettier on top 🙂
Cynthia says
This is one of my favorite zucchini bread recipes. I really like how you use honey instead of regular sugar. When I bake, my goal is make whatever I’m baking as healthy as possible. I also really enjoy baking with oat flour. The bread was so soft and had the right amount of sweetness! 5/5
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you like it, Cynthia! I love to make things healthier when I bake too and honey is such an easy swap!
Audrey M. says
So delicious! I used a flax egg, subbed in 1/2 cup brown rice flour for some of the oat flour, and used 1/3 of maple syrup. I left out the chocolate chips. Next time, I’m going to add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the wet ingredients (I understand it helps vegan bread rise) I’m trying to find the perfect healthy vegan zucchini bread for a baby shower brunch and this one is a winner!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Audrey! And that all those substitutes worked for you 🙂
Margo says
My zucchini bread turned out AMAZING. I subbed the oat flour for whole wheat flour (was all I had) and it was perfect. Still super fluffy and moist. 🙂 Also used regular sized chocolate chips because that was also the only kind I had at the moment. The honey and chocolate chips add just the right amount of sweetness.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Margo! Enjoy!!
Christina McKenzie says
I tried this recipe yesterday and it is soooo good! I didn’t have Bob’s Red Mill oat flour so i just threw some oats in the food processor and it was so much easier than I thought. The bread is made with all good and healthy ingredients but feels like such an indulgence – would be good for breakfast or dessert! I heated a slice up and topped it with peanut butter – can’t wait to have it again tonight.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Christina! Thank you so much!
Megan Gefert says
My kids wanted banana bread but had no bananas. I looked up this recipe and made it. My kids love it!! I did have to grind my oats from bob mills because I didn’t flour. Only thing I need to to is grind the oats a little more. But we’ll be making this again!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks so much!! This is a great substitute for banana bread. This Healthy Lemon Blueberry Bread is also delish!
Jessica says
I made this recipe today and it came out incredible!! This bread has ingredients that make my body and stomach feel GOOD without depriving my sweet tooth.. a win win!
I used pecans instead of chocolate chips for a bit lower sugar, the bread came out moist, fluffy, and left the house smelling like heaven. Trying your other recipes soon!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks, Jessica! So glad you enjoyed it!
Morgan says
This recipe is so easy to make and so delicious! Husband approved also!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Morgan! So glad you liked it!
Donna says
I was attracted to this recipe because I am watching calories And this was low fat. I doubled the recipe and baked 24 muffins. Other changes I made included using 2.75 cups oat flour (all I had) and the balance of 1.25 cups white whole wheat flour. I used skim milk (again what I had) instead of almond mild and used half honey and half Sucralose for sweetener. As I was squeezing the moisture out of the grated zucchini,,I had a brainstorm of using my salad spinner and it worked great. Recipe turned out great. Ended up being only 82 calories/muffin!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Love those substitutions, Donna! and what a great idea to use the salad spinner for the zucchini!! that’s genius!
Mindy says
I turned this recipe into muffins and they turned out great. I love that there is zucchini in them and they are super moist. I froze some and they were good after being frozen as well. I would have liked them to be slightly sweeter so next time I think I’ll add a few more chocolate chips or a little more honey— that might just be personal preference though 🙂
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks, Mindy!! Glad you were able to make them into muffins 🙂 We definitely kept this on the lower sugar side but you can for sure add more chocolate!
Heather says
I’m a big fan of making muffins instead of loaves. How long did you cook them?
The Clean Eating Couple says
I haven’t tried it but most muffins you can bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Kathy Kari says
Very moist and excellent healthy snack recipe to use up all those garden zucchini’s. Only change I made was using coconut oil instead of the olive oil.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kathy! It’s a great way to use up summer zucchini!
Shelley Rowe says
Have to in ever tried to make this in a crockpot? My oven is not hearing properly so can’t baked I n it
The Clean Eating Couple says
I don’t think this would work in the crockpot, sorry!
Petra says
Hello!
Great recipe. Although, the middle of my loaf completely sunk! Any ideas why you think?
Still tastes great!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Petra- I’m sorry but I’m not sure why that would happen. Did you substitute any ingredients? It could’ve also happened if you used old baking soda/baking powder.
Henna says
Recipe looks good, could I add more zucchini into it? Have lots of Zucchini lol.
The Clean Eating Couple says
I wouldn’t recommend doing that. It will add too much moisture. You could double the recipe and freeze the bread or check out one of these for other ways to use it up!
trudi says
OH mi goodness thai sounds like a treat for Zukes Season…. or earlier
The Clean Eating Couple says
It’s great year round!
Laurie says
So excited when they posted this recipe. I love zucchini bread but my body does not love all the oil
& sugar. The dark chocolate chips add just enough sweetness!! So happy for this recipe and the bread was moist on the inside with a perfect crust on the outside!! YUM!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you liked it, Laurie! Thank you!
Lindsay says
Easy and delicious! If you grate the zucchini fine enough, no one notices you just snuck a veggie in to their chocolate chip bread! Will be passing this one to my supper club next!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Yay! That’s the goal! Sneaky veggies for the win 🙂
Nadine says
This Zucchini bread is moist and Delicious !!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Nadine!
Sonja says
This is really amazing! This is my 2nd time. Followed exactly except more spices and walnuts instead of chocolate chips. Thanks for such a great recipe.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Sonja! Thank you!
JB says
Can you substitute coconut milk instead of almond milk? Looking for a nut-free substitute. Thanks!
The Clean Eating Couple says
I wouldn’t use full fat coconut milk, but the kind in the carton should be fine. Soy, oat, or regular dairy milk would also work.
Hayley says
This was so yummy and easy to make! A crowd pleaser as well!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you liked it, Hayley!
Elissa says
These are amazing. Another Liz recipe that does not disappoint. I made them in muffin form, because, without a built in portion control I would eat the entire loaf. These are good for a quick breakfast on the go but also decadent enough for a healthier dessert. I saved them for a day at home because I expected zucchini break to be difficult to make, it couldn’t have been easier.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Elissa! Thank you so much!
Janice says
This is such a great recipe. Really enjoy it. !!! Its a winner
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Janice!
diane says
Can I use summer squash instead of zucchini? Just picked a bunch of summer squash from my garden!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Haven’t tried that but I think it might work. I can’t be sure without trying – sorry!
Michelle says
Came out really dry. What can I do to make it more moist? Add a banana or apple sauce maybe?
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Michelle- Did you make any substitutions? This recipe definitely should not be dry. Adding a banana or applesauce would likely make it too moist/make the bread not cook
Melody says
Excellent moist bread! I’ve tried other gluten-free zucchini breads and they just didn’t taste right, but we can hardly quit munching this one!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it!
Kelsey says
I only have 9 x 5 loaf pan, will that work okay? I can’t wait to try! I’m a terrible baker and can’t find conversion Baking times for a bigger pan! Thanks!
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’m sorry but I’m not sure. Without testing it I can’t tell. It probably will be shorter and flatter
Trish says
Hello, I just made your recipe for the Zucchini bread made with Oat flour. Mine bread came out really dry. When watching your video, i noticed your batter was a lot thinner than mine. I went over the recipe 3 times to make sure I used the right amount of each ingredient and I did.
Can you tell me what may have happened? Your bread looked so moist.
Thanks.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Did you make any ingredient substitutions? Was your oat flour ground super finely if it was homemade? I’m not sure what could’ve gone wrong here unless you possibly added more flour!
Bobby says
Superb! Everything I could’ve wanted in a healthy zucchini bread. Thank you guys so much.
Also, side note: I discovered this website like 2 days ago and am really liking it — even though the competition is stiff when it comes to searching for “healthy ________ recipe.” So I’ll def be coming back here. Really love the emphasis on subs and the underlying reasoning behind the various steps/ingredients. Cheers to more happy 350F’s!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked the bread, Bobby! Thank you so much. I’m really happy you found our site. We try super hard to provide substitutions & other info so everyone can enjoy our recipes. If there is ever a recipe you’re looking for or you need help with a recipe – don’t hesitate to reach out!
Audrey says
I wanted to make zucchini bread on a whim since I picked up way too much zucchini on clearance at Kroger and now have tons of it in my freezer. This was one of the only zucchini bread recipes I could find that didn’t use flour or bananas–neither of which I had on hand. I was easily able to make the oat flour and had all of the other ingredients. It came out great! I will definitely be making this again.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it!
Geneva says
Wow
Sloane says
AMAZING. I literally have no words make this right now!
Tiffany says
The bread tasted really good but it was still mushy and undercooked. What should i do next time? Is baking it in a muffin tin a good idea?
The Clean Eating Couple says
I wouldn’t bake it in a muffin tin. You can make these Zucchini Bread Muffins. The bread might just need a few more minutes in the oven. Maybe your oven runs a little less hot. The pan you bake it in can also make a difference. Metal cooks quicker. Glass/ceramic cook slower!
Jodi says
How do you think vanilla almond milk would taste in this recipe? I think it would be ok as it calls for vanilla extract anyway and I like vanilla flavor. But I’m not a great cook or baker and I usually follow recipes exactly. So need to know what you think. LOL
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’m sure it would be fine. I just wouldn’t use vanilla almond milk in savory recipes. And if it has sugar added it might make it sweeter