Try this moist, fluffy, and healthy zucchini bread with applesauce, fresh zucchini, and no refined sugar! Dairy-free and less than 200 calories per slice, thanks to using less oil! Easy to make and kid approved!
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Zucchini season is here! One of my favorite thing to make is healthy zucchini bread with applesauce!
We have many healthy recipes using zucchini, so if you have an overactive garden, try out lasagna rolls, chocolate muffins, or air fryer zucchini fries!
If you're a banana bread fan, you will love this zucchini bread! Add in some shredded carrot or apple for an even more delicious flavor.
This zucchini bread with applesauce is a delicious way to start your day with breakfast or for an afternoon snack. And if you love this one, be sure to try these pumpkin zucchini muffins!
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- It is baked with fresh and seasonal ingredients!
- Use up the zucchini you harvest in late summer or early fall!
- Hidden veggies - great for picky eaters.
- Easy to make!
- Full of veggies and fiber.
- Kid-friendly.
- Make ahead for a quick snack or healthy breakfast.
- Great to freeze!
- Dairy-free, heart-healthy, and can be made gluten-free, with no egg, and vegan.
- Lower in fat, calories, and less sugar than the old-fashioned recipe.
- It can be made into a loaf, mini loaves, or even healthy zucchini muffins!
Ingredients to Make This Recipe
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
All-purpose flour or gluten-free baking flour work well.
Use coconut sugar, pure maple syrup, or raw honey. Brown sugar will also add sweetness.
Applesauce provides moisture and can be an egg replacer. Unsweetened applesauce has a very mild natural sweetness.
Coconut oil adds a fat source providing additional moisture.
Baking powder and baking soda act as leaven to help the bread rise and be fluffy.
Eggs help to bind this healthy zucchini bread together. See notes for making vegan or eggless.
Grate the zucchini using a box grater using the side with small openings. You do not have to peel the zucchini unless you want to.
Chocolate chips provide sweetness and texture. I use dairy-free Enjoy Life mini dark chocolate chips.
Vanilla extract provides warmth and a delicious aroma.
Salt helps to balance out the sweetness.
Dietary Preference Notes
Vegan or Eggless: Healthy zucchini bread with applesauce can be made vegan or eggless by swapping out eggs for a flax egg. Alternatively, you could add ½ cup extra applesauce for each egg.
Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free baking flour like Bob's Red Mill. To make a similar recipe for zucchini muffins with almond flour, try this chocolate zucchini muffins recipe.
No sugar: Use keto-friendly chocolate chips like Lakanto and a sugar-free sweetener like stevia or monk fruit. Note that applesauce will have natural sugars.
Taste and Texture
This healthy zucchini bread is light, fluffy, and moist.
You do not taste the zucchini in the bread. It has a subtle sweetness with a bit of chocolate.
How to Make This Recipe
Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
Step 1
Place the oven rack in the middle. Preheat the oven to 325F and spray the loaf pan with coconut oil spray.
Step 2
Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 3
In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs. Then, add the remaining wet ingredients.
Step 4
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Step 5
Add in zucchini and any other add-ins. Mix until just incorporated.
Add up to three tablespoons of almond milk if the batter is too thick.
Step 6
Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan up to ⅔ full and bake!
How to Make Zucchini Bread Mini Loaves
Follow the preparation instructions above through step 5.
Then, divide the batter evenly between four mini loaf pans. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
How to Make Zucchini Bread with Applesauce Muffins
Place your oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 425F. Line a muffin pan with silicone baking liners or paper liners sprayed with coconut oil spray.
Next, follow the preparation instructions above through step 5.
Finally, use an ice cream scooper to scoop out 12 muffins. Scoop batter into 12 muffin liners in the pan, filling them ⅔ full.
Bake at 425F for 5 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 350F and bake for 15-20 minutes.
How to Store Zucchini Bread
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days on the counter.
Alternatively, you can refrigerate it for up to one week. If stored in the refrigerator, do not slice the zucchini bread as it may dry out.
Freezing Zucchini Bread
Allow loaves to cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap zucchini bread loaves in plastic wrap and then foil.
Healthy zucchini bread may be stored in a freezer-safe container and frozen for up to three months.
Expert Tips
To make the best zucchini bread with applesauce, here are a few expert tips and tricks to follow:
- If using unsweetened applesauce instead of sugar, this recipe will not be noticeably sweet. Add more coconut sugar, stevia, chocolate chips, or another sweetener like maple syrup if you like more sweetness.
- Pack the zucchini down into the measuring cup. Do not remove the excess moisture; this helps to keep the zucchini bread moist.
- Swap out the chocolate chips for raisins, blueberries, chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
- Do not over-mix the batter; it may become dense.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing it.
- Fill the loaf pan to ⅔ full so that the zucchini bread bakes evenly and does not overflow.
Recipe FAQs
The zucchini and applesauce help to keep zucchini bread moist. Similar to bananas when making banana bread, zucchini gives it a moist texture.
No, but you may want to. If you are making this healthy zucchini bread with applesauce for picky eaters, you can peel the zucchini for better texture and appearance.
Also, use a box grater to grate the zucchini on the smallest grater so that there are not large pieces.
When I am making healthy zucchini bread I find that the right balance of moisture comes from leaving the zucchini water in the recipe!
I will even add up to three tablespoons of unsweetened vanilla almond milk before baking to ensure it has the perfect moist texture.
However, if the zucchini has excess moisture, it may make the bread soggy in the middle. You may consider blotting out the excess moisture with a paper towel.
Other Healthy Muffins and Sweet Breads
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Healthy Zucchini Bread with Applesauce
Equipment
- bread pan
- coconut oil spray
- box grater
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large eggs beaten
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 cups coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Other Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini grated
- ½ cup chocolate chips or more if desired
- unsweetened vanilla almond milk add 1 tablespoon at a time, only if batter seems too dry.
Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the middle. Preheat oven to 325F. Spray the bread pan with coconut oil spray.
- Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.3 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 teaspoon cinnamon
- Whisk eggs, coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla, and coconut sugar together in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well incorporated. Once the mixture is incorporated, if it seems overly dry, add 1 tablespoon almond milk as needed until you are satisfied with the texture (should be thinner than a cookie batter but not thin)3 large eggs, ½ cup coconut oil, ½ cup applesauce, 2 cups coconut sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared bread pan. See recipe notes for tips for different pans. Do not fill the pan more than ⅔ full so that it doesn't overflow and bakes evenly.2 cups zucchini, ½ cup chocolate chips
- Bake for 50-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool loaves in the bread pans for about 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a cooling rack.
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