About the Recipe
I started making zucchini bread when my oldest daughter was a toddler. She wasn't a wonderful eater and certainly preferred snacking then a full on meal. So one of the ways that I would get a little more veggies into her was by making zucchini bread. Actually, I often made this recipe using half shredded zucchini and half shredded carrots. I also decided to sweeten it with honey instead of sugar. She loved it, ate it and made mama happy. Actually, mama also loved it, so it was a great snack for the both of us.
Zucchini bread is a classic treat that's perfect for breakfast, snack or dessert, and it's a great way to use up extra zucchinis from your garden or farmer's market. Just make sure to drain your zucchini of any excess moisture after your grate it. Zucchini contains a lot of water, and if you skip the draining step, your zucchini bread may end up being soggy or mushy.
To drain the zucchini, you can simply grate it into a large bowl or colander and sprinkle it with salt. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkling the zucchini with a bit of salt helps with the process of draining zucchini because it draws out the excess moisture. When you salt the grated zucchini, it causes the water to be released from the zucchini. This makes it easier to remove the excess water and ensures that your zucchini bread will have a tender crumb. After that time, if using a colander you can simply press down on the zucchini to squeeze out the water. If in a bowl, transfer the zucchini into a cheese cloth or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and twist to remove as much moisture as possible. Once your zucchini is drained, you can use it in your zucchini bread recipe.
This recipe is easy to make and requires just a few simple ingredients, making it perfect for beginner bakers. So, let's get started and make some delicious sugarless zucchini bread that's sure to become a new favorite in your household.
Ingredients
Zucchini Bread:
2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Salt + 1/2 teaspoon to sprinkle on zucchini
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
Pinch of Ground Cloves
1/2 -3/4 cup Honey
4 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Vegetable Oil (or any flavorless oil)
3 cups Shredded Zucchini (drained)
Cream Cheese Frosting: (optional)
1 cup Cream Cheese (8oz.)
1/4 cup Butter (softened)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 cups Powdered Icing Sugar
Preparation
To start, prep your zucchini by grating it into a colander or large bowl. I like to use a medium sized grate. Sprinkle the zucchini with 1/2 teaspoon salt and give it a good mix. The salt will help to extract the moisture from the zucchini. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes before draining. If you are wanting to do a mix of carrots and zucchini, grate them into seperate bowls. Since the carrots are less water logged, they will not need to be strained as the zucchini do.
In the meantime, sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves into a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients together until they are well combined.
In a seperate large mixing bowl use a hand mixer to mix together your honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Make sure to mix until everything is really well combined and you have a creamy mixture (approx. 3 minutes).
Next, slowly mix your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients. I like to do about 1/2 a cup at a time. Mix until you have a thick creamy batter. Make sure to scrape down the sides of your bowls to ensure all ingredients have been well incorporated. When you have a nice smooth batter it is time to strain your zucchini.
If you are using a colander, simply press down on the zucchini to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. I prefer using a kitchen towel or cheese cloth. I find that you can get a lot more of the liquid out by twisting the fabric and pushing the zucchini into a tight ball. You might be surprised by how much liquid you can actually get out!
Once you have removed as much liquid as you can from the zucchini, slowly fold the zucchini into the batter. Keep folding until the zucchini is well incorporated and evenly distributed.
Once everything is well combined scoop the batter into a prepared loaf pan. I like to rub a bit of butter or oil on the sides and dust with flour to create a non-stick surface. You can equally line the pan with parchment paper.
Preheat your oven to 350F.
When the oven is heated, place your zucchini loaf onto the center rack and bake for 40-50 minutes or until evenly browned and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Removed from the oven and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes or so before transferring it to a cooling rack. If you do not wish to add the frosting, you can serve it plain (which is how I primarily eat it) and it is delicious!
If you wish to dress it up a notch, wait until the bread has completely cooled before adding any icing.
To make the icing add the cream cheese, softened butter and vanilla to a medium mixing bowl. Beat the ingredients with a hand mixer until well combined. Slowly add in the icing sugar, one cup at a time until you have achieved your preferred consistency.
Once the zucchini bread has cooled completely spread or pipe the frosting over top. Add a bit of added visual interest with sprinkles or edible flowers and enjoy!