This simple vegan zucchini bread is one of my favorite ways to fit more veggies into my day! Perfectly moist, it’s lightly sweetened and deliciously spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Optional chopped walnuts inside and out give it a delightful crunch.
What Makes This Vegan Zucchini Bread So Good
- Summer is zucchini’s time to shine, and vegan zucchini bread is a delicious way to work more veggies into your day. Grate it super fine and your pickiest eaters won’t even know it’s there!
- This recipe gives you an incredibly moist bread that’s not dense or heavy. It’s completely dairy free and it’s so easy to make it gluten free, too.
- Leftover vegan zucchini bread slices will stay good up to one week – just refrigerate them in an airtight container! You can store it at room temperature (again, in an airtight container) if you’d like, but it won’t keep as long.
Key Ingredients for Vegan Zucchini Bread
Applesauce – In vegan and dairy free baking, applesauce replaces the butter and some of the oil you’d use in traditional baking. It has a ton of water which helps your baked goods stay moist and fresh. Don’t worry, it won’t make your bread taste overwhelmingly like apples! If it leaves any flavor at all, it’ll be really subtle.
Coconut Oil – Like applesauce, coconut oil is a great substitution for butter and other oils commonly used in baked goods. For a lighter coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil instead of virgin or extra virgin. If you don’t mind the coconut flavor, though, unrefined coconut oil may contain more antioxidants and phytonutrients than the refined version.
Zucchini – For the best zucchini, you want to look for ones that are small and firm and heavy. Larger ones will be watery and have less flavor. Fresh zucchini will have a smooth, shiny, vibrant skin, and if they’ve still got some of the stem attached then that’s even better! You can use frozen zucchini if you want, but you’ll need to thaw it completely and drain all the moisture really, really well.
Chef’s Tips
- Want to make vegan zucchini bread muffins instead of a loaf? You totally can! You’ll just need to reduce the baking time. See the “Notes” section of the recipe card below for specifics!
- Your coconut oil should be melted to start. Since the milk and maybe the applesauce (depending on how you store it) will be cold, you’ll want to whisk everything together quickly so the coconut oil doesn’t solidify when you add it. If it does, no problem, just warm the mixture in the microwave for a few seconds to make the ingredients easier to combine.
- To use the right amount of zucchini, you’ll want to grate it and drain it before you measure it out. Use a box grater or a food processor with the shredder attachment to grate your zucchini into fine pieces. Lay the grated zucchini on layers of paper towels, then place more paper towels on top. Press and roll the paper towels to extract as much of the moisture from the zucchini as possible, then measure out the 1 cup of zucchini you need for your vegan zucchini bread.
- For a sweet twist, fold in vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of walnuts for a vegan chocolate chip zucchini bread. You can also try using a chocolate plant-based milk in combination with or in place of the plant-based milk the recipe calls for.
More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love
- Vegan Banana Pudding
- The Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce (Made in 3 Minutes!)
- Vegan Marshmallows
- Easy Vegan Cream Cheese
- Vegan Shrimp with Vegan Sriracha Mayo
- The BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Hey – you’ve made it this far, and now we’re best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, too!
Vegan Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- Oven
- Loaf pan
- Non-stick spray or parchment paper
- Medium mixing bowls (2)
- Whisk (2)
- Hand mixer, stand mixer, or silicone spatula
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup coconut oil liquid, or solid melted
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup plant-based milk unsweetened
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cane sugar see Notes
- ¼ cup brown sugar see Notes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Add-Ins
- 1 cup zucchini grated, see Notes
- ½ cup walnuts chopped, plus more for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Grease loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In medium bowl, whisk together coconut oil, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and milk. Set aside.
- In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg until thoroughly combined.
- Using hand mixer, stand mixer, whisk, or silicone spatula, slowly mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, stirring constantly until fully combined and thick.
- Gently fold in grated zucchini and walnuts (optional).
- Pour batter into loaf pan, spreading mixture into all corners. Top with additional chopped walnuts if desired.
- Bake bread 45 to 50 minutes. To check doneness, insert toothpick or butter knife into center of bread and remove. If utensil comes out completely clean or with few crumbs, baking is done. Top of bread should be lightly browned. Bread will continue cooking slightly while resting.
- Remove bread from oven. Let rest in pan until completely cooled, then remove and slice.
Notes
- Sugars: Not all cane sugars and brown sugars are vegan, so be sure to double check the brand you’re using.
- Zucchini: Grate the zucchini with a box grater or a food processor with the shredder attachment. Place the grated zucchini between paper towels and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Use 1 cup drained, grated zucchini in this recipe.
- Make it Gluten Free: Use equal amounts gluten free all-purpose flour.
- Make it Added-Sugar Free: Use monkfruit or Swerve in place of the cane sugar and brown sugar, and use unsweetened or no sugar added applesauce.
- For Vegan Zucchini Bread Muffins: Lightly spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray. Portion batter into tin and bake at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out 40 Aprons Premium! 40 Aprons Premium offers exclusive recipes, monthly meal plans, grocery lists, and more – all completely ad free!
Jasmine Comer is a food photographer and recipe developer from North Carolina. She grew up in the kitchen watching her mom cook all types of delicious meals. In 2016 she established Lively Meals, a food blog where she creates healthy recipes. This led to creating recipes for other blogs as well. In her free time she enjoys exploring new places and spending time in nature. Ultimately she’s grateful to be doing work she loves—cooking good food and sharing it with people.
});
Leave a Reply