The Best Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Recipe Around
Trying to make delicious gluten-free zucchini bread? Look no further! Our tried-and-true recipe gives you tender, flavorful results every time.
Recipe and description updated 1/28/23
I am of the firm belief that the idea of zucchini is much better than the reality. That one can gently press a small seed, no bigger than a fingernail, an inch into the garden soil and get such a enormous, blossoming, fruiting vine is nothing but a small miracle. But after the first half-dozen or so, my eyes glaze over and I shudder at the thought of another month of zucchini everything, just to use it up. But there is always this light & delicious gluten-free zucchini bread!
Jump to RecipeIt happens every year, this zucchini fatigue, and yet we persist in planting the seeds in our garden beds. Or at least I do. I know I’m not alone in this, because every August 8th, there is a holiday devoted to dumping your zucchini on your neighbor’s porch, anonymously and preferably in the dark of night.
So what do I do with my abundant harvest of this squash (and what can you do with the zucchini that could make an appearance on your porch sometime later this week)? I make ratatouille, I make a stir fry, I turn them into fritters, I shred it and put it into risotto (along with some blossoms), I thinly slice it and serve it raw dressed with only a light lemon vinaigrette, but best of all (at least for the kids) I make tender and spicy loaves of zucchini bread.
How Do You Make Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread?
Before you start baking, it’s important to have all your ingredients and supplies on hand. You’ll need a zucchini, gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, avocado oil, eggs, whole milk (or coconut milk if you’re dairy free), lemon juice, vanilla extract and walnuts.
Here are the ingredients in this gluten-free zucchini bread recipe:
- 1 full cup of grated zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini)
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose gluten-free flour blend (such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1)
- 1/4 cup almond flour (or finely ground almond meal) (OR substitute regular all-purpose gluten-free flour if you have a nut allergy)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already has it)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup avocado oil (or other light oil)
- 2 extra large eggs
- 1/4 cup regular whole milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 mini loaf pans with gluten-free cooking spray (or one standard 9-inch loaf pan) and set aside.
- Place the shredded zucchini into some paper towels and gently squeeze out any moisture. Fluff the zucchini with a fork and set aside.
- Put the all-purpose gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. In another large bowl add the brown sugar, canola oil, eggs, coconut milk, lemon juice, vanilla and walnuts. Whisk thoroughly until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat until combined. Fold in the grated zucchini (I always reserve just a little to sprinkle over the tops of the loaves) and the nuts.
- Divide evenly between the pans, sprinkle over the reserved zucchini and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then carefully turn out to cool completely on a rack.
Frequently Asked Questions About Zucchini Bread
Absolutely! The last time I made it, the bread needed to be not only gluten-free, but dairy free, because it was a gift for a friend by substituting the whole milk for full-fat coconut milk. But you can use any milk substitute you like!
The bread is spicy, tender and studded with chunks of chopped walnut. But if you have a nut allergy, replace the almond flour with additional gluten-free flour blend, and omit the walnuts.
Yes! Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic, then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You may want to slice it in advance so you can use it one slice at a time.
No need! The skin of the zucchini is quite tender and soft when baked it the bread.
Yes! I find that squeezing water out using a paper towel is the easiest method. Then simply fluff the shredded zucchini with a fork before stirring it into the batter.
Squeezing as much water out of the zucchini before adding to the batter definitely helps with this, but it’s also important to turn the bread out of the loaf pan after it cools a bit, so it can finish cooling on a rack.
So what do you do with all of your zucchini?
Love quick breads and muffins? Try these other recipes!
If you make this recipe, or any of my others be sure to tag me on Instagram, and use the hashtags #agirldefloured #deflouredrecipes!
The Best Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Around
Equipment
- 3 mini loaf pans or 1 9×4 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini)
- 1¼ cup all purpose gluten-free flour blend
- ¼ cup almond flour (or finely ground almond meal OR substitute regular all-purpose gluten-free flour if you have a nut allergy)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already has it)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil (or other light oil such as avocado)
- 2 extra large eggs
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk (or regular whole milk)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup walnuts or pecans (chopped, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 mini loaf pans with gluten-free cooking spray (or one standard 9-inch loaf pan) and set aside.
- Place the shredded zucchini into some paper towels and gently squeeze out any moisture. Fluff the zucchini with a fork and set aside.
- Put the all-purpose gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. In another large bowl add the brown sugar, canola oil, eggs, coconut milk, lemon juice, vanilla and walnuts. Whisk thoroughly until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat until combined. Fold in the grated zucchini (I always reserve just a little to sprinkle over the tops of the loaves) and the nuts.
- Divide evenly between the pans, sprinkle over the reserved zucchini and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then carefully turn out to cool completely on a rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?LET US KNOW HOW IT WAS!
Devine, I added the lemon zest and some sunflower seeds because I had them. Lovely and light as we know how stodgy gluten free food can be. Great recipe Thank you.
Hi! Thanks for the great recipes! I live in Uruguay and while we have many gluten free flours, I couldn’t find some of the ones you use. To make this, I used Rice flour, Lentil Flour, Mandioca, and the Almond Meal. It came out great! 🙂
This bread is ABSOLUTELY delicious. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour and it was incredible. Thank you thank you thank you!
Thank you for the delicious recipe! I made mini muffins, and topped them with a browned butter rosemary icing (not that they needed it). I gave away half the muffins away so that I wouldn’t eat them all tonight.
Absolutely tasty bread. We are recently exploring GF recipes, as our son is sensitive to gluten. For some reason the batter was a little soggy (I squeezed the Zucchini’s as much as possible). So I have added an additional 1/4 cup gluten free flour and 1/4 cup Almond Flour for good consistency. I have used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. There was no Xanthum gum at home, so I was not sure how it will turn out.
Its the second best (after Julia Child’s Almond Flour chocolate cake) GF cake(I know you call it bread, with so much sugar I would like to call it a light dessert cake) that is approved by both my kids and husband. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Amazing amazing recipe. I substituted because i didnt have the:
almond flour for oat flour
xanthan gum for guar gum
brown sugar for maple syrup
coconut milk for whole milk
and it still came out so delicious!
Hi Alison,
I stumbled upon your blog when looking for a gluten free recipe for zucchini bread. My son has just switched to a GF diet, in hopes that it will help with his stomach, skin and energy issues. He loves my zucchini bread, so I tried your recipe not knowing what to expect. I am happy to say it was a big hit (with the whole family). I throw in chocolate chips instead of walnuts (because everything is better with chocolate), and no one could really taste the difference between this bread and my old recipe. I’m going to try your banana bread next! (My only complaint is that when I print your recipes, they do not include a photo, so I take the extra time to cut and paste everything into a document with the photo.) Thanks so much. I am so glad I found you!
Hi,
I tried this over the weekend! SUCCESS! GF baking can be a bit blah and gritty. My daughter is not allowed to eat wheat or dairy and so I tweaked the recipe a little. I used 1/4 cup applesauce mixed with 1/4 almond milk instead of the sour cream and I used brown sugar as we all like the caramel-ish flavour! My 3 year old LOVED it! Her playgroup loved it and I am pleased as punch! Thanks for the fab recipes!!!
Love this recipe! With the garden and the chickens going full blast, this is a great way to deal with the overflow of zucchini and eggs.
I made one change. Since i had no almond flour, I used my normal all-purpose GF blend of flours, but added 1/4 tsp of almond extract to the wet ingredients. Came out very nice!
this sounds delicious. Any thoughts on a substitute/replacement for the cinnamon? I have an allergy 🙁
You can definitely omit it…or add some allspice, nutmeg or cardimom.
Does it matter if I don’t use nuts? Does it make a difference in the way it bakes?
Not a bit! Leave them out if you want.
This was probably the best bread I have ever made/eaten! I can’t stop eating it! We ate two loaves within the first 30 minutes!
We have the same problem at my house! 😉
I want to make these into muffins, how much time should they be in the oven for?
About 18-20 minutes would be my guess, but watch them carefully.
So good. Instead of the brown sugar I used coconut sugar.
I love coconut sugar too! Glad it worked well for you.
This recipe is light, fluffy and tastes delicious. I just made muffins and added 1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips—-yumm!
Loved your recipe for Gluten Free Zucchini Bread . I have been making zucchini bread for 40 years n my family love n expect it every summer , my husband was diagnosed last year with Celiac and I didn’t make it , but I just made 6 batches of your Gluten Free Zucchini Bread and they LOVE IT !!! Thank -You … Will check out more of your recipes . Thanks again.
What can I use instead of Canola Oil or Coconut Oil? I can’t have either of those. I can have Olive Oil and Butter.. Will either work?
Thanks!!
Try light olive oil. 🙂
Your recipe calls for all purpose GF flour blend.
I’m newly diagnosed & trying to learn new things,
Can inuse the cup4cup flour blend?
Yes! Just omit the xanthan gum. 🙂
Hello Alison,
I want to thank you for a brilliant zucchini bread recipe. I omitted the walnuts, substituted the coconut milk with almond milk, used EVOO instead of canola oil, and added half a tsp of ground ginger along with the cinnamon. I also greased the tins with wee bit of coconut oil. Everything came together like a dream. The loaves are cooling, but one already has a heel missing. I had to test it, after all. :0) It is delicious! I was happy to be able to smell and taste the cinnamon. as I often find that recipes need to be tweaked in that department. Yours was well balanced, but I will most likely add an extra half tsp of cinnamon and a whole tsp of ginger next time, because I love my spices. 😉 Thank you again. Two of the loaves are destined to be gifts when I meet with my friends tomorrow. I’m sure they will love them as much as I do. Have a lovely week.
Wonderful!
I have been gluten free, egg free, and dairy free and sugar free for over 5 months now. My love for baking was crushed the day I started this journey. I stumbled upon your blog yesterday and when I read all the different modifications to this recipe I went out and stocked my baking cupboard! I made this recipe with the flaxseed egg substitute, coconut sugar substitute, coconut oil substitute and obviously got some gluten free flour! I was giddy with excitement when I could smell the bread as it baked. I couldn’t get it out of the pan fast enough to give this a go. AMAZING!! This is my first gluten free experience with baking and I was not disappointed! My kids are going to love me again! 😉 LOL! Truly, thank you!
2 tips – I don’t ring out the zucchini so my bread is super moist and I always add an extra Tsp of cinnamon because its just so darn good!
I made muffins instead of bread. They were the best zucchini muffins ever! Very tender and moist and delicious. No one would ever know they were GF.
Any recommendation on how to add pureed pumpkin to this recipe? Thanks!
No. But I have a pumpkin bread recipe I can recommend! This can be made in a loaf pan as well as muffin tins. 🙂 https://agirldefloured.com/2012/09/14/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins/
Thank for the recipe, though everyone can cook with gluten-free flour mixes, I am trying to reduce flours overall.
Which brings me to my main point: I am absolutely *** DISGUSTED *** with your domain name? I thought you might be some 15 year old who is just a bit silly, but as a mum you could (and certainly should) have chosen a better domain name. Even if you wanted to keep the flour avoidance theme, something like deflouredcooking would have been better.
So sorry you feel that way. There are many other excellent gluten-free blogs that you might consider visiting instead. Best wishes, Alison.
I think the name is great, witty and to the point. It really depends on how the reader wants to take it. I have only found your sight today but I will be returning. Thanks Alison.
Thanks Julie! Welcome. 🙂
What flours are in the all purpose gluten free flour mix? Can I just use a combinationof rice flour, almond flour, garbanzo flour, oat flour, ie flours I havd in my cupboard also arrowroot flour. Thank you for having this blog, my husband has IBS and wheat free has helped him immensely.
Excellent! I was craving some baked goods and this hit the spot! My family loved them. I doubled the recipe and added a few more spices (nutmeg, clove) and subbed lime juice for lemon ! Spectacular!! 🙂 thank you
Thanks for the great recipe! It’s so tasty. I varied the recipe a bit and thought I’d share out. This one is also dairy-free like yours. First, I doubled the recipe and made 2 regular loaves, baked at 350 for 55 min. I only had a gluten-free flour mix (with xanthan already added) so used that instead of the flour+almond flour ingredients. I substituted agave sweetener for half of the brown sugar, and used coconut oil with a little olive oil in place of the canola oil. I also added a whole avocado to the batter, and reduced the oil slightly (to 1/2 c instead of 2/3 c for the doubled recipe). For nuts I mixed walnuts and pumpkin seeds. I also added several ‘shakes’ from the nutmeg and ginger spice jars. Super delicious!
Hi:
Just found your website, looks great. my son is a insulin diabetic, can I use these recipes for him? also, can you tell how many carbs are in this recipe for raisin bread?
Appreciate your time.
Thank you,
Carole Gray
Hello Alison! My son is gluten free and he gave me a large zucchini from his garden, so l made your zucchini bread twice! I used cashew milk that’s all I had and coconut oil and it worked so great.Taste so good thanks!
Hi. How can I convert this for a bread machine?
Use the quick bread setting….but honestly I’ve never tried it in a bread machine because it’s so easy to make in a pan. If you do, let me know how it goes! 🙂
Thank you so much for this great recipe! I live at high altitude (6,600 ft) so I made some adjustments to retain more moisture. I didn’t pat dry the zucchini with paper towel, I added a little more milk & a touch more flour. Also less baking powder & sugar. Cooked in a 9in bread loaf tin @ 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Turned out brilliantly!! Thank you!!
This looks interesting. Will be giving it a try as I too have zucchini coming out of my ears…..LOL
I just wanted to post a comment to help other readers 🙂 …
First, I have had very good success with this recipe using 2 ground flaxseed eggs (2 T. ground flaxseed + 5 T. water). Also, I’ve melted coconut oil and used that in place of canola oil. I use “Namaste Foods Gluten Free Organic Perfect Flour Blend” and I do not add the 3/4 t. xanthan gum. I’ve used Califia brand unsweetened almond milk when I don’t have homemade coconut milk on hand -both are great!
Thank you Alison for a spot-on zucchini recipe! Love from MN!
All fantastic suggestions for modifications. Thank you, Stacy! 🙂
Hi Alison,
I just found your website and tried this zucchini bread last night. I’ve been baking gluten free for over 10 years and knew before it went in the oven it was slightly off. I’m wondering if you can help me figure out what was off, since everyone seems to have had success with it. The only change I made was to use Almond milk instead of coconut milk, and I used KAF gluten free flour. The batter was extremely running, only slightly thicker than water. It did rise a bit and tastes okay, but the texture is off. It is slightly oily, and not very bread like, even for a sweet bread.
Thank you
Hoping to make this tonight but wondered if it will work just as well in a normal sized loaf pan? I don’t have mini loaf pans and would like to avoid making muffins.
This was great! My family loved the bread.
Amazing! I cut the sugar in half and added dark chocolate chunks to the batter then topped with slivered almonds. It was a huge hit!
This was super easy to make and turned out fantastic. I doubled the recipe and got 2 largish perfect loaves. I substituted coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and added a little less, extra light olive oil instead of canola and i cut out half a tsp of the cinnamon and added half tsp of mixed spice. Sooooo yummy. Will definitely be making again soon. Next time i will try substituting half the zucchini for carrot ????
This recipe is so awesome! One of the best quick bread gluten free things I’ve found! I’ve sent it to a couple other gluten free friends. I’ve actually also adapted it for banana bread by just subbing mashed banana for the zucchini and doing a little less cinnamon. I’m hoping to try an apple bread next!
Thanks so much!
Hi Alison, first of all I love love your blog name! I am keen to try your zucchini bread but I don’t have small loaf tins. Do you think this recipe will work in a 8.5’x4.5′ tin. Also what do you think of adding cranberries and sunflower seeds instead of walnuts, am nutted out for a bit.
All sounds good! Just don’t overfill the pan. 🙂
Love the illustration of zucchini bread, beautiful! One question, possible to substitute out baking powder? I’m in search of a recipe to suit all dietary needs, and powder causes extreme GI discomfort for a family member.
This is the best gluten free quick bread recipe I’ve found. I actually have adapted it for various types of breads like banana bread (two ripe bananas-mashed, instead of zucchini) pumpkin bread (1 cup pumpkin puree instead of zucchini and then add some nutmeg) and if I want to make it a desert I do muffin tins for 15 or so minutes then top it with some cream cheese frosting when it’s cool!
Thanks so much for this!!
Hello Alison,
I keep wanting to subscribe to your newsletter but I never receive a confirmation email. I’ve tried multiple times and still nothing. I want to make sure I don’t miss out on any of your wonderful recipes. Thanks!
It was really good!
I used amaranth flour and extra almond flour since I didn’t have the blend mentioned in the recipe. I also substituted guar gum since no xantham. Yum!
Fantastic! I’m so glad your substitutions worked and that you loved the bread.