It’s easy to make a good-ish zucchini bread with gluten-free flour, but don’t we deserve a version identical to the classic, old fashioned loaf we remember? I’ve cracked the code and lucky for us it only requires a few simple tweaks, easy enough a GF baking newbie can pull off. Say goodbye to a sunken middle, dense, gummy texture, or a dry, gritty crumb. This outrageously moist, lofty gluten-free zucchini bread is your recipe game changer.

a slice of zucchini bread facing straight on a wooden cutting board.

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get affordable and easy gluten-free recipes delivered each week!

Legit Best Gluten Zucchini Bread To End All Searches

I know it’s a bold claim. But, after 15 years of experimenting with recipes in my gluten-free bread collection, from quick breads, yeast, to muffins, scones, and more, I’ve taught myself to stop settling for good enough and push it to the point of, “Wait. This can’t possibly be gluten-free?!”

Since we’re getting real, I’ll also admit for a long time I settled for good enough when it came to gluten-free zucchini bread. In fact, that almost there recipe was has been published right here for over 5 years. 🫣 🫥 I was on the cusp when creating this homemade banana bread with gluten-free flour and some of those tips cross over to other high moisture breads.

Like, using a lower 325°F oven temperature helps eliminate the dreaded dense, gummy, or underbaked crumb, and grated zucchini has a lot of moisture. The inside will bake at the same rate as exterior, allowing plenty of time for the liquid to evaporate and helps with a more gentle rise.

Also, this zucchini loaf uses a little trick I picked up when creating some epic GF zucchini cookies (yes, you can put zucchini in cookies and it’s ahhh-maazing). Instead of just throwing the grated zucchini in the batter, squeeze it gently first in paper towels to soak up extra liquid. Easy enough.

And the last thing? This was the latest and most game-changing trick I just stumbled upon when making the YouTube video for this recipe (you can check that out below👇). On a whim, I decided to test out waiting 15 minutes before baking the bread because I knew the wondrous result it had when creating a fluffy, moist gluten-free vanilla cake.

Mind officially blown. That’s when I immediately dove back into this recipe and admitted I’ve been passing off a good enough version of homemade zucchini bread for years. Please forgive me and accept this seriously moist, better than ever, damn perfect replacement as a way to make amends. Namaste.

Let’s Make This Together!

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

Why blotting helps

Your first easy hack is to slightly soak up extra moisture in the grated zucchini. I like to grate my zucchini on a box grater rather than a food processor disc. I find that it releases way less water that way. Place 2 cups of loosely packed zucchini on a double layer of paper towel and squeeze it gently.

grated zucchini slightly dried in towels.

Easy peasy one bowl batter

That was the hard part (but it wasn’t really, was it?) Now just whisk together the sugars with oil, egg, and vanilla. Once that’s combined stir in your slightly dried zucchini.

Bring it home with two simple tricks

Lastly stir in the dry ingredients and you are almost there. Now’s a good time to stir in any yummy add-ins too, like chocolate chips or nuts. (By the way, a mixture of mini and regular-size chocolate chips is the way to go.)

It’s time to take your GF zucchini bread to Hell-yes! This-is-perfect! How? By letting it sit for 10-15 minutes before baking. Why? Well, this bread has a lot of moisture and GF starches have a harder time absorbing it. So letting it sit gives it a little extra boost for saturating the flour so you don’t end up with a sunken middle.

What’s next? A lower oven temp. Baking at 325°F gives more time for moisture to evaporate and helps with a gentle rise. It’s a double whammy hit for a nice domed top without a dense or gummy crumb. And it couldn’t be simpler, right??

gluten free flour being stirred into the batter.
two slices of zucchini bread stacked on top of each other on a wooden cutting board.

Common Questions Answered (I Got You!)

Reading through the comments below is a good place to start if you have a specific question, but here are some of your most common questions answered.

Yes, you can make muffins! For best results follow the step-by-step directions on these easy GF zucchini muffins recipe. Ingredients are the same, but helps with the best way to bake them.

Sorry, no, you can’t swap out other flours. This version was specifically created for gluten-free flour, but I do have an zucchini loaf made with almond flour if that floats your boat.

If you are looking to reduce the amount of sugar I don’t think that would be a problem. However, granulated and brown sugar does add moisture, so your bread may suffer from being slightly drier. If you have any other questions just ask below. I’m happy to help!

baked bread in a loaf pan on a cooling rack.

Save this recipe to your pinterest board!

Pin Now, Bake Later!

Let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always sharing great recipes!

Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa

a slice of zucchini bread facing straight on a wooden cutting board.
4.74 stars (19 ratings)

Best Damn Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread (Legit Moist)

Melissa Erdelac of MamaGourmand headshot in patterned dress.Melissa Erdelac
Yield: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
It's easy to make a good-ish zucchini bread with gluten-free flour, but don't we deserve a version identical to the classic, old fashioned loaf we remember? I've cracked the code and lucky for us it only requires a few simple tweaks, easy enough a GF baking newbie can pull off. Say goodbye to a sunken middle, dense, gummy texture, or a dry, gritty crumb. This outrageously moist, lofty gluten-free zucchini bread is your recipe game changer.
Print Pin Rate Remove Ads

Ingredients
 

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease a 8X4 loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Grate the zucchini. Measure 2 cups (not tightly packed) and transfer to a double layer paper towel or lint-free dish towel. Squeeze gently to soak up excess water and set aside.
    2 cups grated zucchini
  • In a large bowl whisk together egg, sugar, packed brown sugar, oil, and vanilla extracts. Stir in slightly dried zucchini.
    1 large egg, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup canola oil , 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • To the bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir until very well combined, and no flour pockets remain. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Let rest for 15 minutes before baking. This gives time for the GF starches to saturate and helps build the structure so the middle doesn't sink.
    1 ½ cup all purpose gluten free flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Bake for 1 hour – 1 hour 5 minutes, or until the top is firmly set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Optional Mix-Ins
Stir in any of these additions with the dry ingredients. 
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped raisins or dried cranberries
  • 2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 4 oz of cheddar cheese and one diced jalapeño
Tips / Notes
  • If using a 9X5 bread pan, start checking if bread is done 10 minutes earlier.
  • Recipe may be doubled and baked in two loaf pans. 
  • The larger the zucchini, the more moisture it will contain. If using a large one with a lot of seeds, scoop out the seeds, and soak up excess water with a dish towel. 
Calories: 168kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 55mg, Potassium: 105mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 61IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below. It helps others when searching for recipes and I LOVE feedback!