Moist Zucchini Bread with Gluten-Free Flour

Look no further for the best gluten-free zucchini bread recipe! Outrageously tasty and easy to throw together, this gluten-free dairy-free zucchini bread is made with all purpose gluten-free flour, but tastes just like the ultra moist spiced bread you know and love! Try it as a loaf, baked into muffins or loaded with chocolate or nuts.

Best Gluten-Free zucchini Bread Recipe

I’m sure you’ve heard of zucchini being used when making homemade baked goods, but have you ever wondered why? Using zucchini has some amazing benefits for gluten-free baking.

It adds moisture and soft texture, which is especially beneficial when baking gluten free breads. Making zucchini bread with gluten-free flour aids in saturating the gluten-free starches, making them less gritty and replicates the traditional texture you grew up with.

While there are other delicious options for making gluten-free zucchini bread, such as making zucchini bread with almond flour, this recipe replicates a spot-on old fashioned taste. Your families and friends will not even realize it’s gluten-free!

Below I will teach you how to make the best gluten-free zucchini bread, along with expert gluten-free baking tips, the best all-purpose gluten-free flour to use, and delicious mix-in ideas to make this recipe work flawlessly for you!

Ingredients Notes

This gluten-free recipe for zucchini bread uses affordable, kitchen-staple basics like all the recipes in my gluten-free cookbook and those shared on the website. To accommodate different diets, or what you have readily available, refer to the workable substitutions and notes below.

• Zucchini – Grate with box grater or a grater disc on a food processor with the skin on. Soak up extra moisture by blotting grated zucchini dry with paper towels or a dish towel before adding to batter. For more tips on using zucchini in recipes, see this helpful zucchini prep guide.
• Egg – For a vegan version, use an egg replacer, such as flax egg.
• Brown sugar – Adds a caramel flavor and slight chewiness. Can reduce slightly for less sugar or replace with coconut sugar.
• Canola oil or coconut oil – Because no butter is used this makes this zucchini bread dairy-free as well! Be sure to use a dairy-free all-purpose gluten-free flour.
• All purpose gluten free flour – I highly recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour for best results. However, this variety is not dairy-free because it contains milk powder. Refer to the gluten free flour section for alternative suggestions.

How To Make Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

Making this moist and incredibly tasty gluten free zucchini bread couldn’t be simpler! This easy recipe for gluten-free quick bread mixes together in one bowl with no mixer required!

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

1. To begin, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. The lower oven temperature makes for a gentler rise and time for the gluten free flour to soak up the moisture and hydrate.
2. Begin by grating the zucchini. Once you are finished, lay the zucchini in a double layer on a paper towel, or dish towel. Squeeze the towel with the zucchini gently to soak up all of the excess water. There will be plenty of residual moisture to keep the bread moist, but keeps the crumb light, rather than dense and heavy. 
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the liquid ingredients – eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Once it is mixed together, add the slightly dried zucchini and stir.
4. Next, stir in the dry ingredients – gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. You will want to stir all of the ingredients until they are very well combined and no flour pockets remain in the batter. Once you are finished, pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
5. Bake for 1 hour – 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Once it is cooled, run a knife around the edges and then turn onto a wire rack.

squeezing moisture from shredded zucchini 

While some gluten-free zucchini recipes, such as chocolate gluten-free zucchini cake, do not require the grated zucchini to be blotted dry first, zucchini bread made with gluten-free flour does benefit for this quick extra step.

Zucchini contains a lot moisture, which is a benefit, but also causes issues. If too much moisture is added to gf breads, they can have a dense gummy texture since gluten-free starches have a harder time absorbing moisture. Finding the perfect balance in either quick breads or yeast breads, like soft gluten-free sandwich bread, is key to a great recipe!

For this recipe, we need that amount of zucchini to add structure without having to add additional flour. However, an adjustment must be made to cut back on the amount of liquid it adds.

To do this, grate the zucchini before beginning and place it in a double layer of paper towels. Gently squeeze and let it sit to draw out more moisture until you are ready to add it the recipe.

baking gluten-free breads at lower Temperature 

Baking gluten-free zucchini bread at a lower 325ºF oven temperature also helps eliminate a dense, gummy, or underbaked crumb. This is something I do with a lot of high moisture gluten-free breads, such this recipe and gluten-free banana bread.

It gives more time for the added moisture to evaporate and helps with a gentle rise. Some recipes, such as gluten-free biscuits, use high temps for a short fast rise, but the moisture comes from fat and not liquid.

If high moisture breads rise too quickly they will inflate, give a “done” golden brown exterior appearance, but be undercooked inside. When pulling from the oven they will quickly fall, compacting the crumb and making it dense.

Use a lower oven temperature to make sure the inside cooks at the same rate as exterior, also allowing plenty of time for the liquid to evaporate. For best results, use an an instant read thermometer to make sure the bread is done before pulling from the oven. When inserted in the middle it should read about 190ºF.

What is the Best Gluten Free Flour to Use? 

Because there are so many variables to consider with this question, I have created an entire post dedicated to answering it. To learn more about the best gluten free flours, complete with pictures and more details on how they stack up – be sure to check out the Best Gluten Free Flour Guide.

After testing four popular and widely available flours, the number one choice was Cup4Cup gluten free flour in terms of both taste and texture. However, if you cannot have dairy or corn, King Arthur Measure-for-Measure is a good runner up.

Dairy-free modifications

The ingredients in this gluten-free zucchini bread are also dairy free since it contains no butter, milk, or sour cream. However the recommended flour, Cup4Cup, does contain milk powder. Substitute your preferred DF gluten-free flour blend. See above section for suggestions.

If you are vegan, or are avoiding eggs, and would like to make this easy recipe egg-free as well, that’s not a problem. Substitute the egg with a flax egg or use an egg replacer, such as Neat Egg.

Optional mix-ins

Zucchini bread, like gluten-free zucchini cookies, are incredibly versatile. Do you have a sweet tooth? Add some chocolate chips. Maybe you are wanting a bread with some tang? Try adding some lemon zest.

If you want to spice up your homemade gluten free zucchini bread recipe, consider adding these options to your batter to make the best version ever!

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped raisins
• 2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 4 oz of cheddar cheese and one diced jalapeño – for those who are wanting to literally spice it up!

Making Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins

For a more portable, grab-and-go gluten-free breakfast, turn this recipe into gluten-free zucchini muffins. The ingredients and amounts stay the same, only the baking directions will change.

If you would like to make muffins instead of bread, it’s easy. All you need to do is grab your favorite muffin tin instead of the loaf pan, and follow the instructions on this gluten-free zucchini muffin recipe..

When you fill the liners, be sure to avoid adding too much batter. You don’t want your muffins to overflow. Only fill each liner about 2/3 to 3/4 full, which is roughly 3 tablespoons.

A great way to ensure you are putting an even amount of batter into each cup is by using an ice cream scoop. One batch will make 12 muffins.

Can I Replace the Oil with Applesauce? 

Yes, you can absolutely replace the oil with applesauce. It is a one-to-one substitution so use 1/4 cup applesauce. I prefer to use unsweetened if I am going to go this route.

Freezing and Storing Tips

If you have a garden that produces an abundance of zucchini, making and freezing bread is a great use for all of the produce. Gluten-free zucchini bread, stored in an airtight container or wrapped securely, will keep at room temperature for 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

To freeze, first make sure it has completely cooled, otherwise ice crystals will form as it freezes. Freeze the bread either sliced or unsliced. Unsliced bread will preserve longer, but you will have to thaw the whole loaf to enjoy. Sliced bread is good for grabbing a slice or two as needed.

Wrap the zucchini bread with plastic wrap and then place in an airtight bag. Be sure to mark the bag with the date.

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