This truly is the BEST-EVER vegan Zucchini Bread. It is a simple and delicious vegan bread that is filled with zucchini and walnuts in every bite. Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, you're going to love the flavors.
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Things are growing in my garden! Right now it's just snap peas and kale but pretty soon there's going to be beets, onions, and - you guessed it - ZUCCHINI.
Zucchini is a prolific vegetable and most of my friends who have vegetable gardens, mine included, find ourselves with more zucchini than we can eat. Sure, there are many vegan zucchini recipes worth trying, but when we are done making zucchini noodle lasagna and pesto zoodles, what are we to do?
Make vegan zucchini bread, of course.
And this is the zucchini bread recipe you are going to want to try. It is moist, sweet, NEARLY FAIL-PROOF, and so so good!
And, it really is the BEST egg free zucchini bread on the internet. Read the comments below to find out what others are saying about this AMAZING zucchini bread recipe.
Recipe Video
Recommended Ingredients
This zucchini bread is a fan favorite. It is moist, sweet, hearty, and super easy to master. Even my kids love it! And while I don’t love all the sugar they are getting with a piece, I am thrilled that they are getting veggies, fruits, and nuts with their sweet snack.
Here is everything you need.
Ingredient Notes
- White and Brown Sugar - Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements. For a healthier sugar alternative, I recommend coconut sugar.
- Applesauce - This is the binder of the recipe. You could replace it with 1 mashed banana, 1 cup of pumpkin puree, or a variety of other egg replacers.
- Oil - This recipe calls for canola oil because it creates the best texture without added flavor. If you want to avoid hydrogenated oils, try avocado or melted coconut oil. Olive oil also works but adds a slightly savory flavor. If you want to eliminate the oil altogether, swap it out for the same amount of applesauce.
- All-Purpose Flour - For healthier flour options, you can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, buckwheat, or whole wheat.
- Spices - You will need a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom
- Zucchini - This recipe calls for 1 heaping cup which is typically 1 medium-sized zucchini.
- Walnuts - Feel free to omit for a nut-free option or swap them out for chocolate chips for a chocolate zucchini bread recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One – Combine the Ingredients
In a small bowl combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl whisk together your wet ingredients. That’s your oil, sugars, applesauce, and vanilla extract.
Pro Tip: Applesauce varies a lot in texture. If your applesauce seems thin, first strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to get the excess liquid out.
Step Two - Shred the Zucchini
With the shredding attachment of your food processor or handheld grater, shred the zucchini. Using a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer, squeeze any excess liquid out of the zucchini. If you're not sure how to do it, check out this tutorial on how to wring out a zucchini.
Pro Tip: Do not forget to squeeze out excess liquid! Zucchini has a ton of water in it and when not properly squeezed, it will add too much liquid to your batter causing your bread to improperly bake.
Add the zucchini to your wet ingredients and combine
Step Three – Combine and Bake
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix in until the flour is evenly hydrated. Use a rubber spatula to fully incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet.
Pro Tip: Take care not to over mix your batter. Over mixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense bread.
Generously spray a loaf pan. Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Serving and Storing
Serving - Let the bread cool at least 10 minutes in the loaf pan before flipping it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Otherwise, the bread may break apart as they finish setting. Serve the zucchini bread warm with vegan butter or homemade pumpkin butter.
Storing - Tightly wrap uneaten bread and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. For best results, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a large ziplock bag. This bread can also be frozen for up to two months. To thaw, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Once it is thawed, it should be eaten within 3 days.
Tips and Tricks
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Do not overmix your batter. Overmixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense bread.
- Squeeze out the excess liquid of the zucchini to prevent your batter from becoming too wet.
- Applesauce varies a lot. If your applesauce seems thin, first strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to get the excess liquid out.
- Generously spray your loaf pan to ensure the bread doesn't stick to the pan. For extra protection, you can line the bottom of the loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Let the bread cool at least 10 minutes in the loaf pan before flipping it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Otherwise, the bread may break apart as they finish setting.
- Want variation? Add chocolate chips for chocolate chip zucchini bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
For sure! This recipe makes about 12 muffins. Fill the muffin tin about ¾ of the way full and bake for 20 minutes before checking for doneness. You can also try this Chocolate Zucchini Muffin recipe.
Yes! I've had luck both with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend as well as buckwheat flour.
Indeed! Simply replace the oil with an additional ¼ cup applesauce for an oil-free bread.
While I haven't tried it personally, I've had readers who have reduced the sugar by omitting the brown sugar entirely with luck. You can also check out my guide on healthier sugar alternatives for some ideas on how to replace the sugar.
Occasionally, I'll have a reader who cannot get their zucchini bread to bake in the middle. This most commonly happens when there is excess liquid in the zucchini. Make sure to squeeze the zucchini thoroughly before adding it to the batter. Additionally, if your applesauce is very thin, consider staining it through a fine-mesh strainer to get out the excess liquid.
If you have extra shredded zucchini, you can freeze it by placing it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once the zucchini is frozen all the way solid, transfer it to small glass jars or Ziplock bags. Leftover zucchini is great for adding moisture to brownies, muffins, or used as an egg replacer in common baked goods.
If you want to make this bread batter in advance, store the batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. To bake the bread, preheat the oven and bake according to the instructions.
However, this bread may take a few minutes longer to bake since the batter will be chilled. The bread will also be slightly denser as the baking soda begins to activate once it’s mixed into the batter, causing it to be slightly less potent.
More Vegan Quick Bread Recipes
- Healthy Vegan Banana Bread
- Classic Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Vegan Lemon Pound Cake
Make sure to check out all my vegan quick bread recipes for more inspiration!
Best-Ever Vegan Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 heaping cup shredded zucchini, (1 medium zucchini)
- ½ cup walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray an 8x4" loaf pan and set aside.
- Using a handheld shredder or the shredding attachment of your food processor, shred 1 medium zucchini. Using a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer, squeeze any excess liquid out of the zucchini and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugars with apple sauce, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir to combine. Fold in zucchini and walnuts.
- Transfer batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes in the loaf pan before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Squeeze out the excess liquid of the zucchini to prevent your batter from becoming too wet.
- Do not overmix your batter. Overmixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense bread.
- Applesauce varies a lot. If you applesauce is thin, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer first before adding it to the batter.
- Generously spray your loaf pan to ensure the bread doesn't stick to the pan. For extra protection, you can line the bottom of the loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Can I make this recipe into muffins? For sure! This recipe makes about 12 muffins. Fill the muffin tin about ¾ of the way full and bake for 20 minutes before checking for doneness. You can also try this Chocolate Zucchini Muffin recipe.
- Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Yes! I've had luck both with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend as well as buckwheat flour.
- Can I make this recipe oil free? Indeed! Simply replace the oil with an additional ¼ cup applesauce for an oil-free bread.
- Can I reduce the sugar? While I haven't tried it personally, I've had readers who have reduced the sugar by omitting the brown sugar entirely with luck. You can also check out my guide on healthier sugar alternatives for some ideas on how to replace the sugar.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Suzanne says
I'm on the third double batch within a week! Fantastic recipe!
Peggy Shankin says
This was delicious! We love Zucchini bread and hoped after becoming Vegan, we would not have to go without.
I wouldn't change a thing!
Kimberly says
I'm a little confused. Is it 1 c shredded zucchini plus one medium zucchini or is the 1 medium zucchini makes 1 cup? lol I've never seen a recipe worded that way before. This is my favorite bread my Nana used to make so I want to make sure I get it right. Thanks!
Sarah says
I clarified the recipe. It's 1 c shredded which is typically one medium zucchini.
Lisa says
I would love to try this recipe, but noticed it calls fornyts. My daughter has peanut and tree nut allergies. Can you recommend a substitution? Or could I leave them out altogether without compromising the recipe?
Sarah says
You can just omit the nuts. Should be no problem.
Jennifer Cummins says
Hi There,
Made this and it was soooo yummy. Just wondering how it freezes? Any tips?
Sarah says
I'm glad you liked it! You can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 1 month. When you're ready for it, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.
Reanna says
I made this yesterday, and it is absolutely delicious! By far, the best zucchini bread I've ever had! I didn't have veggie oil, so I used coconut oil, and I also substituted 1/2 cup of the AP flour for whole wheat. I made 3 mini loaves instead of one big loaf, baked them for 30 minutes, and they turned out perfect! Thank you so much for sharing this incredible recipe!
Gauri says
Great recipe! I substituted all purpose for whole wheat flour, added a little apple cider, added only 1/4 cup powdered jaggery instead of the sugars and it turned out perfect! Thanks ?
Sarah says
Glad to hear it!
Lucy says
Wonderful recipe. I didn’t have cardamom or ginger, so I substituted 1/4 teaspoon ground mace (total for both). Flavor was great, next time I’ll make sure I have the right spices. I also made a mistake and added all wet ingredients in one bowl and all dry in another (as opposed to mixing the sugar with the applesauce as directed).
The finished loaf took exactly 45 my minutes.
So yummy warm and soft on the inside with just the right amount of crust on the outside. I would recommend it to even a novice baker.
Tiffany says
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I've made it twice, once with zucchini and once with yellow summer squash, and they were both two of the best baked creations I've ever made. I left out the vegetable oil completely - it was rich/moist enough without it. I enjoyed both so much that I recently tried substituting a large shredded carrot for the zucchini (a sort of applesauce-carrot bread) and it turned out extremely tasty as well. I have pinned this recipe and I will be using it over and over. Thank you for sharing it with the world.
Sarah says
Thanks for sharing your variations! I love the idea of the carrot bread.
Rodney Kipling says
My first loaf tasted great but was very dense and sank in the middle. I had read somewhere to squeeze out the moisture from the Zucchini so I did that and the second loaf turned out awesome...
Alana says
My batter does not look as wet/moist as your photo. Any tips or suggestions ?
Cathleen K Clifford says
what is the source of saturated fat?
Sarah says
It's in the oil.
Barbara says
Hi, love the recipe it’s cardamom. I’ll make it this weekend. Can I use buckwheat flour? Thanks
Sarah says
You would have to adjust the recipe to use buckwheat. Having never done this, I'm not sure what adjustments would be needed to be made. You could try 50/50. Let us know how it goes!
Mary Lynn White says
Made this last night for my vegan niece's birthday party. Her kids are vegan, too, and they all LOVED it and want the recipe. I did substitute 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour, but otherwise followed the recipe. Yum! Thanks.
Sarah says
That's great to hear! Thanks for sharing.
Caroline says
Hey! Should I use light or dark brown sugar? Thanks.
Sarah says
It shouldn't matter too much. I use light.
Sandra Ploger says
Can you suggest what I could substitute for the oil? Thank you.
Sarah says
You could try more applesauce. It will change the texture but that is probably the best option.
Tiffany says
Hello! Is there a gluten free version? This looks amazing!
Sarah says
I would suggest trying a gluten-free flour blend like this one.
Tiffany says
Ok great, thank you!!