Paleo Lemon Zucchini Bread
This Paleo Lemon Zucchini Bread is perfectly moist, packed with zucchini and the perfect balance of sweet and tangy! Gluten free, dairy-free, nut-free option and naturally sweetened, this is one bread everyone will rave about!
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Zucchini bread is a total classic summer recipe and might possibly be one of the first veggie-loaded recipes I can remember eating. My mom used to make it at end of summer when her garden was totally overrun by those green beauties and she was trying to find ways to use them up before they turned to compost fillings. Zucchini went into many things in an effort to use it up, but bread was (and still is) one of my favorite ways to enjoy this beautiful veggie.
When I transitioned to a more gluten free/Paleo way of eating, zucchini muffins and bread were among the baked goods that I was determined to make happen, despite not being able to follow a traditional recipe. This is also when my One-Bowl Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Muffins were born, because chocolate and zucchini are kinda of a heavenly flavor combination.
But do you know what is also magic with zucchini in baked goods? Lemon! Who knew, right?
Oh man. Brace yourselves, guys, because the combination of flavors in this Lemon Zucchini Bread is a taste explosion on a whole new level!
Why this recipe is awesome
- The zucchini adds a healthy dose of veggies into this baked good, but also gives the bread the perfect level of moisture.
- Lemon adds the bright flavor to the bread and simply must be what sunshine tastes like.
- It is super easy, mixed all in one bowl (creating as few dishes to wash at the end of the day is my mission in life)
- It’s totally dairy-free and grain-free! Oh, and naturally sweetened to boot! You can feel awesome dunking a slice into your morning coffee or watching your kids plow through the loaf at snack time.
Suggested Adaptations
- Stir in some poppy seeds! Poppy seeds and lemon are BFFs and can totally be added to this bread. Or, if little black things in your baked goods freak you out like they do my daughter, skip them like I did!
- Up the lemon zest for a power punch of lemon flavor. Lemon is one of those flavors that you either love a whole lot or just like a little. So, if you like a serious punch of lemon in your baked goods, consider upping the amount of zest in this recipe.
- Make them as muffins! If you don’t have a loaf pan or just need these suckers in your life ASAP, you can make this as muffins. Divide the batter into a lined muffin tin and bake them at the same temp as directed for 25 minutes.
Tips
- Let the batter rest before baking. Coconut flour is like a dry sponge and therefore soaks up a lot of the liquid in a recipe. However, it needs a little time. Once you have added the coconut flour to the wet ingredients, but sure to follow the suggestion of letting your batter hang out on the counter for 5ish minutes so the coconut flour can absorb the liquid and you don’t end up with a funky textured bread.
- Let the loaf cool completely before diving in. Yes, I know nothing is as good as a piping hot slice of bread fresh out of the oven. But, I have learned with most Paleo baking that most recipes are still quite moist in the middle until they have completely cooled. Save yourself disappointment and fear of having ruined a recipe and let your Lemon Zucchini Bread chill (literally) before diving in.
- Be sure to squeeze out the moisture from your zucchini. Because zucchini holds a lot of water, make sure you really squeeze out as much moisture as you can by wrapping the grated zucchini in a towel.
Other recipes you’re going to love:
- Paleo Lemon Blueberry Scones
- One-Bowl Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- One-Bowl Paleo Lemon Muffins
- Almond Butter Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
- One-Bowl Paleo Almond Butter Zucchini Cookies
Paleo Lemon Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 tbsp avocado or melted coconut oil
- 4 tbsp maple syrup or honey, (do not use honey if serving to children under 1)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, large
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk of choice , (I used plain almond milk)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- zest of one lemon, large
- 1/3 cup arrowroot powder or tapioca starch
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
Equipment
- loaf pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Take the grated zucchini and place it in the middle of a clean dish towel or large paper towel. Wrap the zucchini in the towel and squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the oil, maple syrup/honey, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Whisk together.
- Add milk and whisk again to combine.
- In the same bowl, add the arrowroot powder, coconut flour, and baking soda, stirring until well combined and there are no lumps. Fold in zucchini. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes on the counter so that the coconut flour has had a chance to absorb liquid.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and use a large spoon to evenly distribute the batter.
- Bake for 30 minutes and then cover top with foil or cover with cookie sheet. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden slightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of bread.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the loaf out of the pan and allow it to cool completely before slicing.
- Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.
I hope your daughter feels better soon! I did some cleaning today and found tapioca flour in the back of the pantry. Could I use this in place of starch? Google seems to think so 🙂
totally! I do all the time.
I love your recipes and am excited to try this one!! Is the arrowroot/tapioca essential to the recipe or easily left out? It’s the only thing I don’t have on hand! 😋
I find it essential to the texture of the bread. It helps to give it the spongy texture one comes to expect.
Just made this and it’s SO good! I can’t wait to enjoy it with coffee in the morning
Your site looks great!!!
Soooooo yummy!!!
Made this tonight and it was delicious!
Am i crazy or does it not say when to add the zucchini? Wouldn’t love to make this tonight.
Not crazy. I forgot to put that simple part in! Edit now and it is in step 5
Awesome! Thank you 🙏🏻
Can cornstarch be used in place of tapioca/arrowroot powder? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe, but I know cornstarch and arrowroot/tapioca are often successful swaps!
Everything from The Natural Nurturer is amazing! As a mom of a toddler who loves to eat, I love making these recipes knowing they are veggie loaded and low sugar! Thank you!!
Thank you so much Andrea! I’m so happy I can help!
Hi! I can’t do coconut flour, suggestions on how to use almond flour instead? THANKS!
Unfortunately, I’m not sure. Coconut flour and almond flour behave very differently in recipes and I haven’t tried this recipe with different flours
Do you ever freeze shredded zucchini to use later? Or would it get too watery?
I do. The freezing process draws out the water, so I always thaw and squeeze out liquid before using it
I left it out of the fridge for a few hours after baking it. Do you think it’s still ok to eat?
Oh yes!
Like!!
I made this recipe but it would not fully cook in the middle. It was mushy even after cooking for more than an hour. I love all the ingredients that go into it. Lemon, zucchini etc. Any suggestions for what might have went wrong?
Nancy B
Hi Nancy! Did you squeeze out the zucchini well? I’m wondering if there was too much liquid from it in the bread.
I just wrapped it in papertowels while preparing the rest of the ingredients. You might be right. I kept putting it back in the oven to cook the centre and unfortunately the outer part just kept cooking so got really dry. Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it.
Nancy
Can I make these into muffins instead and if so, any tips? Thank you!
I haven’t tried but I am sure it can! I’d follow the baking directions from this muffin recipe for time and temp https://thenaturalnurturer.com/lemon-paleo-muffins/