Published: 07/22/2019 | Updated: 04/02/2024
This healthy zucchini bread recipe is made with Greek yogurt and honey as a substitute for sugar. It results in an easy and moist zucchini bread or you can even make zucchini muffins with the batter!
If you’re like our area of the country, then you’re counter-deep in fresh from the garden zucchini right about now. I actually don’t have a vegetable garden because I kill it all and it always just ends in frustration and a quick run to the grocery store for me.
But I’m fortunate to have plenty of friends who give me their zucchini overflow, and when that supply runs out, there’s a farmer’s stand close by. Because zucchini recipes are so much better when you’re using fresh zucchini from the garden and local. I’m positive someone has proven this as a fact somewhere along the line.
It’s actually amazing to me how much I crave healthy zucchini recipes because I’m actually not a fan of them in all recipes. You won’t really find me making anything with zucchini slices or zucchini boats or anything like that. I find it too mushy and just not my thing.
But if there’s a recipe where the zucchini is grated, the excess moisture squeezed out, and then incorporated into a batter… then I’m all over it! And it’s not just baked goods! My zucchini parmesan fritters are one of my favorite things and a frequent side dish or even healthy breakfast around here!
How to Make Healthy Zucchini Bread
This delicious zucchini bread recipe is seriously an easy and quick bread recipe because it’s only made in 1 bowl! I don’t even bother with a bowl for dry ingredients and a separate bowl for wet ingredients. I just mix it all up in the same bowl, give it a quick stir and it’s ready to pop in the oven.
The most time-consuming part of this recipe is grating the zucchini and squeezing the extra moisture out. I use a box grater to grate mine and it goes pretty quickly. Just wash your zucchini well, cut off one end and then grate it over a small bowl or cutting board.
Once you have it all grated, it really is an important step to squeeze out the water. I always see a lot of people saying they’re going to skip this step because their zucchini doesn’t seem that “wet” or they just don’t think it’s important. Not only will you be surprised by just how much water you can squeeze out, but you’ll be disappointed if you don’t! Your recipe most likely will turn out too moist or won’t be set up at all.
To squeeze the excess moisture out, you can do one of two things. The easiest is using a clean kitchen towel or dish towel. Put all of your zucchini in the center of a dish towel. Then bring all the ends up and, holding it over the sink, twist all your ends together until you’re really squeezing and pressing on the zucchini and you see the water coming through the dish towel.
The 2nd method is what I usually do… just use your hands. I just take small amounts of zucchini at a time and squeeze them between my hands until all the water is out. it will take 3-5 handfuls for one zucchini, but then I don’t have a dirty dish towel that needs washing right away.
To make the batter for the healthy zucchini bread, start by mixing your dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
Then add your Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, honey, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix it all up so it’s combined. Fold in your grate zucchini and then transfer to a greased loaf pan. Bake at 325 for about 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Tips and Tricks for Making Zucchini Bread
- I used Greek yogurt to keep my bread extra moist and still healthy. You could also use applesauce as a replacement, though.
- As a substitute for white sugar, I used honey. If you aren’t as concerned about calories, feel free to use regular sugar instead and leave the honey out.
- I used all-purpose flour because it’s what is most commonly used in my home and I’m assuming other households. Feel free to replace this with whole wheat flour or a combination of both. I would NOT replace with straight measurements for almond flour or coconut flour, though. If you’re looking for a low-carb or keto version of zucchini bread, please look those recipes up separately since I haven’t tested it for this specific recipe.
- This bread freezes great, so go ahead and double the recipe. Eat one now and freeze one for later!
- I often just grate and freeze zucchini too if I don’t have time to make anything right away. I put about 2 cups of grated zucchini in freezer bags and lay them out flat to freeze. When you thaw them to use for a recipe, make sure you squeeze all that extra moisture out first before adding them to the batter.
How to Make Healthy Zucchini Quick Bread
Making healthy zucchini quick bread is easy because all you need is some basic ingredients. The key ingredient is whole wheat flour which gives the bread a nutty flavor. To add extra nutrients, you can also use pumpkin seeds and raisins. Make sure to squeeze any liquid from your zucchini before baking as well!
Do I need to peel the zucchini?
Peeling the zucchini is optional, but you can if you really want to peel zucchini for bread. The grated zucchini gets softer when you bake and the skin is perfectly softy.
How to prevent dried zucchini bread?
When making the bread, we want to incorporate enough moisture and oil which will lead to a more tender dough. If you use whole wheat flour is ok but keep it for around 10 minutes after adding batter before baking.
In conclusion, zucchini bread is a healthier alternative to traditional loaves of bread. It is easy to make and has a moist texture. Zucchini can be used as a substitute for oil, butter, eggs, and milk. Without sacrificing flavor, this meal has a healthy twist.
This healthy zucchini bread recipe is a great way to use up summer zucchini. It’s moist, delicious, and can be easily made in advance for quick breakfast. So, what are you waiting for? Give this classic zucchini bread with honey and applesauce recipe a try today!
We hope we’ve inspired you to try our healthy zucchini bread original recipe for perfect breakfast and thought of new and creative ways to use zucchini.
Looking for more Freezer-friendly recipes
If you’re looking for dishes that will save you time in the kitchen, check out these freezer-friendly recipes. Some require very little preparation, while others can be cooked quickly in a skillet or baking dish. Not only are these dishes healthy snack and convenient, but they’re also delicious!
- Salami Roll Ups
- Banana Crumb Muffins
- Pork BBQ Sandwich
- Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells
- BBQ Glazed Meatloaf
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Buffalo Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Soft Sugar Cookies
Healthy Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1 Egg large
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Zucchini grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x4" loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir well.
- Add Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, honey, egg and vanilla extract and stir until combined.
- Take grated zucchini and squeeze out any extra moisture. Then add zucchini to batter and fold in until combined.
- Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake time for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Notes
In conclusion, this healthy zucchini bread recipe is a great way to use up summer zucchini. It’s moist, delicious, and can be easily made in advance. So, what are you waiting for? Give this zucchini bread with honey and applesauce recipe a try today!
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