Published: · Modified: by Traci Houston · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments
Zucchini Bread
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Moist and low sugar...THIS is the zucchini bread you want for a healthier choice!
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Simple Healthy Zucchini Bread
Looking online at other healthy zucchini bread recipes I see a bunch of different ingredients to make it "healthy." Truth is, healthy is a relative term, just like diabetes. What works for one person doesn't work for the next.
So I kept this recipe simple by taking away some sugar (which you can do to most recipes without any penalty by the way) and changing the all purpose flour to almond flour, which also makes it gluten free. Both of these changes take away a ton of carbs, making this a lower carb recipe.
Lower Carb Zucchini Bread
Standard recipes have anywhere from 30 to 50 carbs per slice, and for a smaller portion!!
Low carb recipes that you find with fewer carbs than this recipe also use almond flour, coconut flour, or some alternative, and use alternative sweeteners.
I'm not a fan of any of the fake sugars so I stick with sugar or honey for most of my sweet recipes, and rarely use applesauce. Each serving still comes out to less than 13 carbs per serving, 10 of which are sugar, and 2.5 grams of fiber.
Is sugar OK for diabetes?
Everything in moderation!
Yes!!! The old school ideology is to cut out all sugar and eat minimal carbs to treat diabetes. We've come a long way since and have discovered that carbs/sugars aren't the only factor contributing to high glucose.
When it comes to diet (there are non-diet contributing factors to diabetes), an effective way to manage blood sugar is to pair your carbs with protein, fat, and fiber. As the saying goes nowadays, "No naked carbs!"
Why is there just as much fat as normal?
Almonds have a lot of fat and since we're using almond flour to cut down the carbs we're adding fat back in. Unless your dietitian has expressed concern about your fat intake, I wouldn't be too concerned with this. It's not like you're eating zucchini bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner all month.
If you want to lessen the fat, swap the oil for milk. To keep it dairy free, use almond or lite coconut milk. The final product won't be as moist, but still good. The second option is to swap 1 cup of almond flour for 2 tablespoons of coconut flour. I haven't tried this with this recipe, however, this is what I do to muffins when I want them to have a softer texture more like regular flour.
Important Note
When you grease the pan, be sure to grease only the bottom surface, corners and 1 inch up on the sides.
Why?? The batter grabs onto the sides of the pan to rise. If the sides are greased the final product will be flatter and denser.
Storage Instructions
Wrap in plastic wrap, foil, or store in tubberware and refrigerate.
FAQs
Do I peel the zucchini for zucchini bread?
There's no need to peel the zucchini for zucchini bread. In fact, the dark green peeling adds an eye-catching aspect to the otherwise brown bread.
Do you squeeze water out of zucchini for bread?
A lot of recipes do require the zucchini to be squeezed of excess water but this recipe doesn't. The liquid is accounted for and it doesn't change the flavor a bit.
Does zucchini bread have nutritional value?
It does when you make it healthier than the standard version. This recipe swaps the white flour, which has no nutritional value, for almond flour, and uses less sugar than the standard version. Zucchini has a significant amount of Vitamin C, but is sensitive to heat so some is lost in the baking process.
Related Recipes
Recipe
Simple Healthy Zucchini Bread
Author: Traci Houston
Healthy zucchini bread is as simple as swapping the empty calories of flour for a more nutritious one, and cutting down the sugar for an exceptional healthy treat.
Prep: 10 minutes minutes
Cook: 45 minutes minutes
Total: 55 minutes minutes
Protein: 6g
Fat: 14g
Total Carbs: 13g
Fiber: 3g
Net Carbs:
Ingredients
- 3 Large Eggs
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil (or any nonfragrant oil)
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Shredded Zucchini (about 2 medium sized zucchini)
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1½ teaspoons Double Acting Baking Powder
- 2 cups Blue Diamond Almond Flour
Instructions
Move an oven rack to the very center settings, then preheat the oven to 350°F.
Shred the zucchini if needed.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil and vanilla and mix very well. Add the zucchini and mix.
In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and flour and mix together.
Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until all dry ingredients are wet.
*Small lumps of flour are OK.
*The batter will be thicker than normal.
Spray the bottom of the loaf pan with non-stick spray, or use oil with a paper towel to spread.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread across evenly.
Place the pan in the preheated oven in the middle, on the center rack. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top center of the bread is no longer batter.
Remove from the oven. Cool for 10 minutes, then give it a quick side-to-side shake to release the sides. Allow to cool longer if too hot to touch. Remove loaf from the pan and cut into 12 even slices.
Notes
Grease only the bottom of the pan so the loaf will rise properly.
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About Traci Houston
Traci is currently a Masters student in Nutrition & Dietetics to become a registered dietitian. She is also a culinary arts graduate and gestational diabetes cookbook author.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Norma
Hubby is diabetic and loves breads and desserts. I made this into 8 square muffins and froze them. Take a few out at a time. Awesome taste. Replaced sugar with Splenda. Topped before cooking with a bit of Splenda brown mixed with chopped pecans. Baked for 25 min. Taste delicious !!!
Reply
Traci Houston
So glad you guys enjoy it! Thanks, Norma!
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John
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of almond flour?
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The Gestational Diabetic Chef
Hi John - I'm not sure what the final product will be if you change the flour. This recipe was adapted from my favorite all purpose flour recipe, and this recipe uses much less oil and sugar, and more eggs. If you give me about 3 days I can try whole wheat flour and let you know how it goes. Or you can try and let me know! - Traci
Reply
The Gestational Diabetic Chef
Hey John, I just made it with Gold Medal whole wheat flour. It was much too dry after mixing, so to troubleshoot I added 2 extra tablespoons of oil and 1/3 cup of milk. My zucchini didn't have any extra liquid after shredding (first time that happened) so that played a part in the batter being dry as well. The final product is slightly sweet and less moist than what I'd like it to be, but overall, good. I don't know what your health goals are but if you make it either do as I've said here and top it with Reddi Whip for sweetness and moisture, or add honey/maple syrup (at least 1/4 cup) for sweetness and moisture, or add up to 1/4 cup more oil for moisture. Yogurt/sour cream for moisture is also an option but I don't bake with yogurt enough to suggest an amount. I do not suggest adding any more sugar or other dry sweetener. I hope this helps! - Traci
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Anonymous
This bread was delicious ? I will definitely be making it again! I had no issues with it firming up. It was very moist but still firm.
Reply
The Gestational Diabetic Chef
SO glad to hear that! I bought an oven thermometer because I couldn't figure out why others were having issues. I still can't pin it down. Happy it worked for you though. Have a good one!
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Dani
I am also having the same issue. I have been cooking this bread for almost 2 hours and it is not firming up ( Im sure its overcooked at this point). Its like gelatin. Any recommendations?
Reply
The Gestational Diabetic Chef
Hi Dani! I hate to hear this. I'm sorry, but I'm at a loss as to how it can bake for almost two hours and still not be firm. The center should be firm to the touch when done. It might be a little wet, as in some may stick to your finger when you touch it, but once it cools it won't stick. I'm sorry! I have no clue. - Traci
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LaVonne Baber
Well I made this zucchini bread and does it ever firm up like regular bread I need to know thank you
Reply
The Gestational Diabetic Chef
Hi LaVonne! It should definitely be firm, but it isn't as dense as normal zucchini bread. As long as it has cooled completely you should be able to pick up a slice without it falling apart. I hope it does firm up for you. By chance, if it doesn't, I'd say roll it into balls like fat bombs. - Traci
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