Vegan Zucchini Bread

5 from 6 votes

Moist vegan zucchini bread, naturally sweetened with dates and packed with fiber from flax. Oil-free, dairy-free, with gluten-free options.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Vegan

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 117kcal

Author: Nisha Melvani

Equipment

1 Loaf pan or muffin tin

Ingredients

8 Medjool dates (about ⅔ cup)

Dry Ingredients:

1 ⅓ cup chickpea flour or whole wheat pastry or gluten-free blend
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1 ½ tablespoons psyllium husk or 1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt or to taste

Wet Ingredients:

1 ½ cups grated zucchini (about 1 small; lightly packed, unpeeled, do not drain)
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional:

⅓ cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or an 8x4-inch loaf pan with parchment.
Soak dates in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain the dates, preserving the soaking water. Add more water to make 1 ¼ cups of water. Pit the dates and blend them with the water until smooth.
Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: flour, flaxseed meal, psyllium husk, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt.
Wet Ingredients: Stir in wet ingredients: date paste, zucchini, applesauce, vanilla, and zucchini. Batter should be thick but spoonable. Add a splash of water or non-dairy milk if it is too dry.
Optional: Fold in nuts or chocolate chips, if using.
For muffins: Divide batter into 12 cups and bake 22–26 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Set aside to cool.
For loaf: Transfer the batter to an 8x4-inch loaf pan and bake 45 to 55 minutes, moving to a lower rack at 35 minutes if browning too quickly. Cool completely (at least 1 hour) before slicing.

Notes

Psyllium husk: This is a worthwhile ingredient to keep on hand. I eat 1 tablespoon daily to help keep cholesterol in check! It keeps this loaf springy. Otherwise, substitute 1 ½ tablespoons with 1 tablespoon chia seeds.

Zucchini: Grate the zucchini using the largest holes on the box grater. Do not squeeze to drain.

Flour: Please see the blog post for additional flour options.

Batter Consistency: The batter may vary slightly depending on the type of flour used. If the batter is too dry and not easy to transfer to the baking pan, add more water or non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Note: This recipe makes a moist, slightly dense, but sliceable zucchini bread (or fluffy muffins).

Nutrition