This gluten-free zucchini bread is an essential quick-bread recipe to have on repeat all summer long. It’s perfectly moist, gently spiced, and sneaks a little extra veggie into your morning routine.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
Well, cutting to the chase—it’s a tasty way to use up all your in-season zucchini and give a nutrient boost to bread. During the summer months, my favorite zucchini recipes like zucchini lasagna, zucchini fritters, zucchini fries, and especially this zucchini bread take center stage in my kitchen. And whenever I serve up this loaf to friends or guests, most can’t even tell that it’s gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free. If you’ve made my famous banana bread or pumpkin bread, you know what I’m talking about! But here are a few more reasons to love this zucchini bread:
- The texture is just right. My go-to trio of almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour makes a soft, moist loaf without being overly dense.
- It’s not too sweet. Which means that it’s versatile enough for both sweet and savory toppings. But if you’re craving something more indulgent, I highly recommend trying my chocolate zucchini bread.
- It’s low effort. Prep takes just about 15 minutes, then your oven takes it from there. No mixer, no fuss.
Zucchini Bread Ingredients
- Zucchini: The star ingredient! It’s really easy to grate one zucchini with a box grater.
- Dry Ingredients: A custom blend of almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour, plus baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: A handful of staples from your fridge and pantry, including eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
Step One: Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk everything together until well combined.
Step Two: Squeeze the grated zucchini using a nut milk bag or clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Be sure to squeeze very firmly! Getting rid of as much liquid as possible is key to achieving the right texture.
Step Three: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar. Stir in the grated zucchini. Then, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until a batter forms.
Step Four: Pour the batter into a greased 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Common Questions
You sure can! I kept the maple syrup quantity pretty low, so it was only lightly sweetened. But if you like things a little sweeter, feel free to add an extra tablespoon or two.
In my Summer Meal Prep video, I share a few fun ways to get creative with this gluten-free zucchini bread. I love slicing off a piece in the morning, adding a pat of butter, or even turning it into avocado toast for the ultimate summer breakfast. But don’t stop there, you can top it with almond butter and berries, hummus and herbs, or even a fried egg for a delicious, healthy, and satisfying breakfast or lunch.
Storage Tips
Let the bread cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. For freezing, pre-slice the bread and layer parchment paper between slices to prevent sticking. Store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Zucchini Muffins: Another delicious variation of this recipe!
- Zucchini Soup: The best summer soup.
- Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats: A fun way to enjoy zucchini for dinner.
- Easy Sautéed Zucchini: A great summer side dish.
- Or give these other delicious zucchini recipes a try!
If you make this gluten-free zucchini bread recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Nut Milk Bag My favorite tool for removing straining ingredients!
- Glass Mixing Bowls Favorite set of nesting bowls.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini
Instructions
- Stir the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Add all almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to a large mixing bowl, then whisk together.
- Remove liquid from grated zucchini. Squeeze the grated zucchini in a nut milk bag or kitchen towel to remove the excess water. It's important to squeeze very firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Stir the wet ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl add the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar, then whisk together. Add the grated zucchini to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Mix together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until the batter is well mixed. Pour the batter into a greased 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan.
- Bake. Bake the zucchini bread for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tips: Let the bread cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. For freezing, pre-slice the bread and layer parchment paper between to prevent sticking. Store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
- This is the nut milk bag I use to squeeze the zucchini and I love it! It’s great for homemade almond milk as well.
- You should get about 12 slices of zucchini bread from one loaf. And each serving is 2 slices.
- Note that this is not an overly sweet zucchini bread recipe. If you’d like it a bit sweeter, you can increase the maple syrup and cinnamon, or add nutmeg or even vanilla extract. I prefer a more mildly sweet version, but adapt it to your liking!
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted August 2018, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
I love this!! I made mine with a little more syrup and it’s amazing!
Does it need to be refrigerated?
Hi Dina – You can never go wrong with adding just a bit more syrup :) This can be left out for a few days, but should be refrigerated after that.
I didn’t have coconut flour so I used quinoa flour and still really good.
But by Tuesday night the texture was a little “slimy”, is that because it needs to be refrigerated or it went bad?
Hi Dina – I’m not sure as I’ve never made this with quinoa flour. But I do refrigerate mine if I’m storing it.
Help! I’ve made this twice and I can’t figure it out! It smells amazing but i can’t get it to bake all the way through, I let it go for 70 minutes this time, it was still partly raw inside but burnt on top! I’m wondering if I should skip and egg, or do less zucchini? I also dried out the zucchini really really well like the instructions said too!
Hi Chelsea – It sounds like your oven might be cooking hot, so I would try cooking it at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. I could also recommend reducing the amount of zucchini, or by egg. Hope that helps!
I have the same problem with my oven. So I just cover with a loose piece of foil for the last 10-15 minutes.
Hi, I love your recipes. Been making lots of them,made chia pudding with strawberry puree this morn. Want to make your paleo zucchini bread next. Where do I find that pan size 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pan. Also will a 9×5 loaf pan work? Will I have to adjust the time any? Thank u for the recipes. ?
Hi Teri – you can use a 9×5 loaf pan, it will just make your loaf more flat and spread out. In regards to time, you won’t have to adjust it :)
Delicious simple recipe for a less-sweet zucchini bread. I really appreciate how quick and easy it is to make since some paleo baking can be quite intense. It turned out very moist but still airy and held together well. I used 3Tbsp maple syrup because I was nervous it wouldn’t turn out sweet at all and I thought it was perfect. Next time I’ll add more cinnamon and maybe a few walnuts. Very tasty!
Hi Lisa – So glad to hear you loved this zucchini bread recipe! A little bit more cinnamon and walnuts won’t hurt :)
Do you think I can substitute Bobs Red Mill Paleo baking flour for all the flours in the recipe?
Hi Lisa – I’ve never tried Bobs Red Mill Paleo Flour in this cake, but it’s certainly worth a try!
Hi, Lisa! Have made this loaf 3 times now. Increased maple syrup to 5 tbsp and forgot to squeeze the moisture from the zucchini. Turned out perfectly and very moist but not soggy. I want to make this loaf and let my friend, who is sensitive to wheat, try it. Love that we can go savery or sweet with this loaf. I take the full 60 min to bake it. Thank you for all your hard work in putting these recipes and meal plans together. Beth
You’re more than welcome Beth! I’m so happy you loved the zucchini bread and that your friend enjoyed it as well. :)
Hi Lisa,
Loved your Youtube videos and so keen to try this recipe out! Just wondering what would be an alternative for apple sauce? They don’t sell it here where I live :(
Egle
Hi Egle – So happy you love my recipe and videos! You could use mashed banana as an alternative to the apple sauce in this recipe. :)
Hello! First, I wanted to let you know how much I love your website and YouTube videos! I think they are super useful and easy to understand.
I recently made your zucchini bread… I really enjoyed it! However, I was wondering how you would transform that recipe to make chocolate zucchini bread. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Elie – you must be reading my mind because I’m working on that recipe next! Hold tight. ;)
I don’t typically make comments on websites but this is an absolute keeper. Beautiful texture and taste. I had a lot of the flours making other recipes and I was not expecting a spongy texture from a paleo bread.
I made the applesauce in the thermomix as I typically don’t have applesauce on hand and it came out beautifully. It’s in the oven under 15 mins even with making applesauce from scratch!
I left out the cinnamon and I have it with avo on bread as my alternate breakfast to porridge.
Thanks!
I’m happy you loved the recipe Asuka! And that’s awesome you were able to make the applesauce at home as well. Enjoy!
Love this recipe. I must try it out. But what can I use to substitute Almond flour and egg?
You could use hazelnut flour instead of the almond flour and you could try it with an egg replacer (like a chia egg), though I haven’t tried either of those variations.
When do you add the apple cider vinegar?
Hi Cheryl – it’s added with all of the other wet ingredients. I’ll clarify that in the instructions. :)
Is the nutrition information for the whole recipe or per serving?
Hi Willow – it’s per serving. And you can see the total number of servings at the top of the recipe post. :)
I sub’d golden kiwi puree for the applesauce called for and then followed the recipe as written. Came out nicely moist and very flavorful. I am still new to using alternative flours and your recipes have been assisting in that experimentation.
Oh wow, that’s a great sub for the applesauce – thanks for sharing! And I’m glad you loved the recipe Hillary!
I certainly enjoyed making this recipe, I did have to make one change. I agree e recently discovered some food sensitivities and it’s been so great to see your recipes and YouTube channel. I have a coconut intolerance So I used sweet potato flour. Taste Great!! Thanks again for creating this awesome yet healthy option.
I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe Monica and thanks for sharing your substitution. That’s great to know it works with sweet potato flour!
Lisa, it sounds fantastic, but I cannot have any nut flour (other than coconut). Is there a way to replace with all coconut flour? Thank you!!
Hi Lana – Unfortunately, coconut flour is extremely absorbent so I would not recommend all coconut flour without altering the liquid ratios. Coconut flour can also be extremely dense when baking, so I’d recommend blending it with tapioca flour or arrowroot flour to lighten it up. Hope that helps!
Lisa, your instructions are very clear and I’m impressed. After watching so many videos about meal prep and feeling overwhelmed afterwards, i was in awe after watching your videos. I’m not even sure how I came across your videos. Thank you!
That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks so much Ana, I’m thrilled you enjoy them. :)
Can this be made into a savory bread? I just want toast with my eggs and don’t mind the zucchini being in it, but should I add more salt and remove the cinnamon?
Yes, you can definitely tweak it to be more savory. I’d leave out the cinnamon and maple syrup.
I love watching your videos,I don’t follow any particular diet but just love being organised and using fresh products.You certainly cover all of that.
Thanks so much Cheryl! I’m glad you enjoy my recipes. :)
Love your recipes,I’m not following any particular diet I just love being organised and the fresh ingredients that you use.
Your video instruction does not match the recipe here. On the video you said quarter (1/4) tea spoon of salt and 1/2 table spoon of acv but here you have mentioned 1/2 tea spoon of salt and 1 table spoon of acv. Can you please clarify?
Thank You
Hi Pratiksha – Wow, good catch! Yes I believe the video was a flub on my part. While the differences in the ingredients isn’t going to change the recipe too much, the recipe card on the website is accurate. :)
I am all about attention to details :) I am your huge fan and love all of your videos.
You definitely are! Thank you so much! I’m so glad you are enjoying all my content! :)
Hi, Lisa.
FIRST, your site and YouTube channel are educational and an inspiration! I LOVE your approach to cooking and living — minimal, organized, creative! I LOVE that you’re able to share a bit of backstory in each video but still keep the video on point! I LOVE that there is no annoying, headache-inducing music overlay!
Anyhoo, I made your other zucchini bread recipe — it was excellent, of course!
Curious, why did you add an extra 1/2 cup almond flour to this version?
Thank you!
Hi Janine – thanks so much for your kind words! I’m happy you love all my recipes and videos and my quick little story-telling. Haha! The two recipes are very similar (as you noticed). I tweaked this one just slightly to raise a little higher in the pan. That’s all. :)
Thank you Lisa for sharing this recipe and tips. I am wondering, can I sub almond flour to cassava flour? Thanks again
Hi Nurul – I haven’t tried substituting cassava flour for almond in this recipe. You could try it but cassava tends to absorb more liquid than almond flour so you may need lessen the amount of cassava flour in the recipe. Let me know how it turns out, if out if you try it.
Lisa, can I make this without the coconut flour? I recently found out that I have a coconut food sensitivity and I’m so bummed! In the meantime while my gut heals, I’d like to try this bread. Do you think I can add the additional almond flour to make up the difference?
Hi Linda – I think adding additional almond flour to replace the coconut flour in the zucchini bread may come out a little different in texture but overall I think it should be fine. Let me know how its goes!
This came out just perfect. I’m hooked on this delicious healthy bread and my kids love it too.
Yay! So glad you and your family loved it! :)
Hi Lisa,
I’m excited to make the zucchini bread. I wanted to ask once made how long can it last and what’s the best way to store it?
Thanks
You could keep it for up to a week in the fridge, but I often make a double batch and freeze the other loaf. It will keep for several months in the freezer. :)
Love it! I used 3/4 of a mashed banana to sub for the applesauce I didnt have after you suggested it in a comment, worked wonderfully. I took your advice to add more maple syrup for a sweeter option and that was great too. Thanks for sharing a yummy recipe, I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a good one.
Thanks Lauren! I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe and that the mashed banana sub worked well. :)
Love this bread and have been sharing it at work, so lots of converts. Thanks a million for all these amazing recipes and tips.
You’re more than welcome Susan! So happy you enjoyed the zucchini bread. :)
going to try this recipe this weekend! Have always put walnuts in my regular zucchini bread before, would they work in this version?
Yes, absolutely!
Hi! I’ve made this twice and it is coming out too wet. I like the flavor so I want to get it right. I tried draining the zucchini more the second time, but I’m wondering. Do you measure the zucchini BEFORE or AFTER you drain it? I haven’t been able to decide so maybe I am adding too much?
I measure the zucchini before I drain it. So if you’re measuring after you could definitely be adding to much. You may need to cook it slightly longer in your oven as well, as each oven temp can be different. I’m sure you’ll get it perfect on another try! :)
Hi, I have just moved up to Lake Tahoe, CA which is at 6500 ft. elevation. Do you have any tips or tricks for converting this recipe for high altitudes? I did make a loaf and it looked amazing but was to gooey on the inside and I had to throw it away. I love your site and follow you but I am at a loss for some of the recipes.
Thank you,
Kathy
Hi Kathy – I’d recommend Googling some information on high elevation cooking. As I’m at sea level, I’m not exactly sure what might need to be changed, but it definitely sounds like it may need to be cooked longer. :)
Has anyone tried making this Vegan by replacing the egg with flax”egg”? Wondering how it would be.
I just made this… wow! Sooo good! I couldn’t wait to try it after taking it out of the oven because it smelled so good. Flavor and texture was great, I wouldn’t have known it was gluten free if I hadn’t made it myself. Now I want to try all your other gf recipes! I love your website, keep up the good work.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Melanie! And thanks so much for your kind words. I hope you enjoy many more of my recipes. :) x
An outstanding moist tasty loaf. Not too sweet with just the right amount of cinnamon.
My favourite as a side to a coffee!
So glad you enjoyed it Kathleen! And yes, it goes great with coffee. :) x
The video states 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, and the recipe states 1 Tbsp. I went by the recipe. My mixture is in the oven now. I guess I’ll see which is right in about 40 minutes.
Hi Donna – sorry about that. The 1 tablespoon in the recipe is accurate, so you should be good! :)
Absolutely wonderful! I subbed coconut sugar for maple syrup & Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking mix for the flour (I didn’t have all three the recipe calls for on hand). I set my oven for 350 and 35 minutes later it was done! My batter was far more dense than the video’s so I let me nose tell me when to check on it. Lisa, thank you for the wonderful recipe! This will definitely make it into my regular rotation!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it and that those subs worked out for you! :) x
Hi Rupal! So did you just add 2 1/4 cups of paleo flour. That’s also what I have but was wondering how to sub it!
Hi Lisa .. I am loving your meal prep videos and recipes in general. Quick question – Zucchini Bread .. could I use extra almond flour or coconut flour instead of the tapioca flour (which I don’t have at the moment) .. can’t wait to try this recipe
Hi Nickie – thanks so much! I’d recommend using more almond flour over coconut flour (as coconut flour is highly absorbent). If you have arrowroot powder, that would also work for the tapioca flour. Hope you enjoy!
I did not have any tapioca flour but did have green banana flour & so I went for it, the end result was incredibly amazing. Light & slightly sweet. Really great tasting. Thank you Lisa!
Wonderful! So happy to hear it!
Hello! :) Any idea if I can sub the almond flour with anything else?
You could use hazelnut flour as a sub for the almond flour.
Thank you so much for this recipe! The first time I’m going to try zucchini bread, normally I just watch your videos to feel happy and relaxed but this time I’ll try my hand in it :)
Hate to ask but can I replace apple cider vinegar with white grape vinegar? If not, should I eliminate it all together? Thanks :)
Yes, you can use any vinegar in this recipe. I just prefer ACV. :)
Love!! Even my sceptic husband liked it. I will be making a bunch of these loaves. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Yay! Love when the skeptics are pleasantly surprised. ;) Glad you both enjoyed it!
Once again, Lisa, you’ve created a wonderful recipe. I just had a slice of this zucchini bread with some Kerrygold butter on top. So good. I’m tempted to have another piece but going to the gym instead. LOL
Thank you!
Thanks so much Alan! I’m happy you enjoyed it – and yes, it’s fab with Kerrygold butter on top (that’s what I do). Though you’re better than me for hitting the gym (I’d probably go after the second slice). Ha! ;)
Is there any replacement I can use for applesauce? I have learned that I do not not tolerate the sorbitol in apples well, but I still want to try this recipe because it can be topped with both sweet and savory food.
You could use a mashed banana. :)
I’ve just cooked and tried it. And it’s awesome! It came out a bit too moist but the taste and the flavour are incredible. Next time I’d better squeeze zucchini more thoroughly. Anyways thank you Lisa for this beautiful recipe.
Great! Yes, you may need to squeeze the zucchini more or just cook it a few more minutes in the oven. :) x
This zucchini bread is delicious. Thank you for the lovely recipe! I will be making this several times over during zucchini season. My 1 year old also loved it as he would not stop stealing bites of the first slice I tried.
So glad you both enjoy it! :)
Sounds delicious! Can you please let me know if the the tapioca flour can you replaced?
You could replace it with arrowroot flour. Or if you don’t have either of those, you could use more almond flour (though it might change the texture slightly).
Thank you so much, Lisa! Will give it a try :)
It is this zucchini recipe that says to watch video and there isn’t one. Some how ended up in the zucchini recipes with the grapes for the note about the videos. Thank you again for having great GF meals and how to videos. Can the recipes have a bar code with serving information for those watching the caloric intake. Thank You
Hi Kim – sorry about that. The video got delayed and is getting uploaded this weekend as part of my summer meal prep video. It’s coming soon! And the bar code sounds like a great idea, but I don’t know of any recipe plugin that does that. :)
Thank you for getting back to me. I will look forward to your next video!!
I’m planning on making this this week. I can’t wait!
Wonderful! Hope you enjoy it!
I bet those flavors are amazing! Cannot wait to try this! Love! Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
Yes, it’s super moist but not overly sweet. Hope you enjoy it!
I love zucchini bread! Looks so delicious and perfect for a healthy snack! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yes, it’s great as a snack, breakfast or perfect for open faced sandwiches as well. :)
I love that this bread is only slightly sweetened. It will make the perfect healthy snack, and I have so much zucchini in my veggie drawer during August.
Awesome! It’s a great way to put all that zucchini to use. :)
YES for Paleo Zucchini Bread! Such a delicious recipe!
Thanks Carson! Hope you enjoy the recipe. :)
I love that you’ve made this with applesauce and maple syrup – great being without refined sugar but also great flavors. Looks tasty!
Yes, the applesauce keeps it extra moist and just a smidge of maple syrup sweetens it, without going over the top. Hope you enjoy it Caroline! :)