Healthy Zucchini Bread (Naturally Sweetened & Dairy Free)
A delicious healthy zucchini bread that delivers both on flavour and nutrition - naturally sweetened with dates, dairy free and made with wholemeal flour. It's moist, subtly sweet and full of warming flavours that I know you'll love!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150 grams) soft dates
- 2 cups (300 grams) shredded and squeezed zucchini about 1 large zucchini
- 1/3 cup (70 grams) coconut oil melted
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 3/4 cup (125 grams) wholemeal flour
- 3/4 cup (125 grams) plain flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- optional: walnuts, hazelnuts or chocolate chips see notes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 320F/160C. Line and grease a 4 x 8 inch (8x20cm) loaf tin.
- Make a date paste: pit and finely chop the dates and add to a pan (or bowl if using the microwave). Add 2 tbsp water (add about 4 tbsp water if the dates are quite dry) and heat up until the dates soften. Take of the heat and use a spoon to mash into a soft paste (it's okay to have little bits of skin left). Let cool while preparing the zucchini.
- Shred the zucchini using a grater. Then squeeze the zucchini between your hands to get rid of some of the excess moisture. Make sure to measure the amount after shredding and squeezing - you'll need 2 cups/300 grams. Add to a large bowl.
- Add the date paste and coconut oil to the shredded zucchini and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Then add the eggs, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and give it another good stir.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flours with the baking soda. Add to the batter and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. This is also the time to mix in any extra's like nuts or chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking tin and smooth the top. Top with some walnuts (if using) and bake for 50-60 min (use a skewer to check for doneness). Leave in the tin to cool down for at least 30 min before slicing (if you can wait that long).
- Serve fresh or toasted (great for older slices) - perfect on it's own or topped with (nut) butter, honey or chocolate paste. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze in individual slices for easy grab and go breakfasts/snacks.
- If you own a scale, I would really recommend using the gram measurements rather than cups for more precise results - but either way will work great!
- Add in any extra's that you'd like: we love ours mostly 'plain' with a few walnuts on top, but you can mix in a variety of nuts, (dark) chocolate or dried fruit to suit your taste!