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