Vegan Zucchini Bread - Simple Sweet Bread Recipe! (2024)

Vegan Zucchini Bread is filled with cinnamon, nutmeg, toasted walnuts, fresh grated zucchini, and even more deliciousness. You won’t believe how soft and spongy this homemade sweet bread is!

Zucchini makes pretty frequent appearances in my kitchen. It’s been grilled, stuffed into tacos, packed into lasagna, etc. My favorite thing to do with it, though, is bake. Muffins, cakes, cupcakes… you name it, I’ll try it. Recently, though, I’ve been making batch after batch of this Vegan Zucchini Bread!

Homemade zucchini bread is truly a blessing. It’s spongy and super moist on the interior (like a good slice of cake!), and baked to crisp, golden-brown perfection on the exterior. And, with the additions of cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and allspice, it’s flavorful without being overpowering or ultra-rich.

Making your own zucchini bread is a great way to use up a surplus of zucchini if you’ve got one. It’s also a great way to get picky eaters (we’re talking kids and adults, here) to gobble up some fresh veggies. So, quick recap: zucchini bread uses up fresh veggies, is cake-like in nature but is still healthy, and provides breakfast and snacks for the next couple of days. Sounds like a good deal to me!

What Makes this the Best Vegan Zucchini Bread?

‘Best’ is a pretty serious qualifier, so does this vegan zucchini bread recipe really live up to the hype? In a word, yes. It’s every bit as fluffy, sweet, and delicious as non-vegan zucchini recipes are. Here are some more words on the matter:

• It’s Healthy: This zucchini bread subs in applesauce for some of the oil, and, as stated above, it uses freshly grated zucchini – from your garden if you have it! Don’t you love making treats that feel indulgent even if they’re not actually loaded with that many calories?
• It’s Simple: Essentially all you have to do to prepare this bread is mix the ingredients together, and then pour them into the loaf pan to bake. So simple! It won’t take you more than 20 minutes to prep everything for the oven. Then all you have to do is wait… which is kind of tedious… but not too labor-intensive!
• You Can Add To It: You can throw in toasted walnuts (highly recommended!), chocolate chips, extra cinnamon, etc. Whatever you like! Make this recipe your own with add-ins. 🙂

Notes on Ingredients

Now that we’re all craving a slice of warm, tender zucchini bread, let’s go over all of the necessary ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to round up:

• Sugar: I like to use cane sugar, but you could substitute it with regular granulated sugar or brown sugar if need be.
• Oil: Use something like coconut oil. (If you do end up using coconut oil, make sure that it’s melted.) This adds the necessary moisture to the zucchini bread.
• Vanilla Extract: For extra sweet flavor! Vanilla paste also works.
• Flour: I just used all-purpose flour, but you could try this recipe with gluten-free flour. Be sure to sift it first for the fluffiest loaf.
• Baking Powder: To ensure that your loaf will rise.
• Sea Salt: To balance out the flavours (be sure to use less if you’re using table salt)
• Spices: Today we’ll mix together cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice which make this zucchini bread perfectly spiced.
• Applesauce: This will help thicken/bind the batter together, adds sweetness and moisture.
• Walnuts: Chopped and toasted. These are optional, but I love the nutty flavour they add.
• Grated Zucchini: Make sure not to press or drain your zucchini! We are using all that water in the batter to get it to the right consistency.

How to Make Vegan Zucchini Bread

Preheat the Oven to 350°F/180°C: Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with an oil spray to prepare it. Set aside. Mix Sugar, Oil, & Vanilla: In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar, oil and vanilla extract. Mix together with a whisk for about 2-3 minutes on low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice. Add into the wet ingredients for a minute on medium speed or with a whisk until just incorporated, typically less than a minute. The batter will be thick and dry (this is normal at this stage). Scrape down the sides again.

Add the Remaining Ingredients: Add in the applesauce, grated zucchini and the walnuts and mix until incorporated. Using a spatula is easiest. Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes until the zucchini releases some more liquid, then stir again. The batter will still be thick, but a lot more smooth now and more liquid-y.

Bake the Bread: Pour the batter into the loaf pan and use your spatula to smooth down the top. Bake the zucchini bread on the middle shelf of your oven for 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.

Let Cool: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Transfer the bread to a wire rack by placing the wire rack on top of the bread, then holding the sides of the pan and flipping it over and removing the pan. Hold the sides of the bread to turn right side up. You can also turn the pan over into your hand, and then flip right side up and place the bread on a wire rack. Allow the bread to cool completely. Slice as desired. Enjoy!

Tips for Success

• If You’re Toasting the Nuts: Do it first. Toast the nuts in a lightly oiled pan over medium high heat for about 2-4 minutes until fragrant. Spread them onto a baking sheet or cutting board to cool. You can chop them before or after toasting, it’s up to you.
• Don’t Skip that 10 minute resting time: The 10 minutes to let the zucchini release it’s liquids is crucial! Too soon and your batter won’t be the right texture. It’s totally okay if you go over though to like 20 minutes or so (I recommend just setting a quick timer).
• Don’t Press/Blot the Zucchini: You want the grated zucchini to keep that extra moisture because it will help make the batter smooth later on, hence the 10 minute resting period mentioned above.
• Do I Have to Peel the Zucchini? Nope! You can if you want, but you definitely don’t have to.
• Don’t Over-Mix the Batter: Just mix until everything is combined. Too much stirring can cause the bread to turn out tough and dense after it bakes.
• Let the Bread Cool in the Pan: If you try to remove the bread from the pan too soon, it will probably crumble or start to fall apart. Let it firm up for 10 minutes or so, then remove it and let it finish cooling on the cooling rack.

How to Store

You can store your zucchini bread for up to 3 days at room temperature when stored in an airtight container, or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep for a couple more days if you refrigerate it the same way.

Can I Freeze Zucchini Bread?

You can definitely freeze this vegan zucchini bread once it has cooled. Place it in a tightly-sealed freezer bag or an airtight container, and eat within 2-3 months.

More Vegan Baking Ideas

On the lookout for more easy vegan baking recipes? Try out these ones!

• Vegan Chocolate Cake
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Scones
• Pecan Banana Bread
• Vegan Chocolate Frosting