With most of the breads I make at home, I always want to add a little whole wheat flour to boost the health benefits. In this 100 percent whole wheat easy zucchini bread recipe, the wheat actually makes it better tasting! This homemade zucchini bread recipe is simple to make and freezes beautifully–perfect for when you have a lot of zucchini from over productive zucchini plants in our gardens!

Homemaking notes:

Whenever I’m contributing an old recipe to the blog–and this is a recipe my sister gave me which I’ve been making for many years for my family of seven–I can’t help but think back to when I first started making it. Gardening for my family was new. Todd and I both had parents who gardened, but it was different when we took it on ourselves. Zucchini was one of those plants in the early years that always did well. He would bring me arms full of zucchini, so proud of how well our garden was producing. I would take the vegetables and if the zucchini was small enough, I would sauté it as a side dish or fry it in a batter.

However, when we would forget to check the plant for a couple days, he would come in with a zucchini that was so big the only thing I knew to do with it was make delicious zucchini bread. Looking back, I’m pretty sure that was my family’s favorite thing I made with zucchini. And when we ate it, we slathered butter on the top like it was buttercream icing. So good! Nutrition is so much bigger than consuming super foods and eating whole grains. Those things are wonderful, but the feeling my kids had eating that zucchini bread slathered with butter was priceless! Happy times…

Zucchini Here, Zucchini There

There are so many ways to use zucchini, for sure. During zucchini season, when our zucchini plants thrive in the garden, I start to feel like I have zucchini coming out my ears! I usually fry some, make some into zoodles to eat with olive oil and marinara, or grill them outside when we’re having hamburgers. But all these things have to be eaten right away. I needed a way to use my zucchini that could be frozen for a later time. This Zucchini bread recipe is the perfect answer because everybody loves it, and I can freeze multiple loaves to enjoy for months ahead, even when the zucchini is done producing.

Three cups of fresh zucchini, 100 percent whole-wheat flour, exceptional taste. This easy recipe is a winner all the way around!

The Perfect Quick Bread for Whole-Wheat Flour

Whenever I add whole wheat flour to a bread recipe, I am careful not to add too much as I don’t want it to be too heavy. In addition, the flavor of whole wheat flour can be a bit strong for certain recipes. For instance, adding whole wheat flour to my lemon bread just wouldn’t be a good addition to the flavor profile of the bright lemon bread. On the other hand, because it relies on an array of spices for flavor, zucchini bread works really well with the whole wheat flour.

In addition to the flavor advantage, whole wheat flour is also lower in its gluten content. Because whole wheat flour, especially flour you’ve ground yourself, contains all the bran and fiber of the wheat berry, its gluten content is actually lower than all-purpose flour. Gladly, quick breads benefit from minimizing gluten. In fact, much of the technique of making quick breads is centered around minimizing gluten development. So, using whole wheat flour is a great start!

The Ingredients for Zucchini Bread Recipe

Fresh Zucchini is the star here, right? Well, zucchini on its own doesn’t impart a lot of flavor to the bread. Instead, it really takes on the flavor of the spices in the recipe. More importantly, it gives the quick bread a moist crumb that is so beautiful when you slice it. It usually takes one to two medium zucchinis or part of one giant one to make this recipe. I used one of the zucchinis shown for this batch. You can really use any size zucchini; small zucchini, medium zucchini or even an extra large zucchini. It gets shredded and measured so you are really safe with any size.

Sugar: White sugar is the sweetener I’ve always used for this bread. You could use part brown sugar as well, equally substituted and I’m sure it would be awesome. Substituting honey or maple syrup might work but I fear it will give a little too much moisture in this particular recipe. If you’re committed to honey as your choice of sweetener, try it and let me know how it works!
Oil works so well for this recipe. I generally use canola, but you could use any neutral oil. You could also substitute melted butter, but I have made it with both, and oil definitely results in a moister bread. Butter does contribute a lovely flavor, so half butter/half oil might be a perfect compromise.
Vanilla extract
Eggs, slightly beaten.
Whole-wheat flour: I have a grain mill so I grind my flour fresh, but purchasing whole wheat flour from the store will work just fine. You can also substitute whole wheat for regular white flour, but you do loose all the beautiful benefits that whole wheat flour provides. It also will change the overall texture of the bread. Using Whole-wheat flour makes this an overall healthier recipe, even if you do end up slathering it in butter…

Leaveners: This recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda.
Salt and spices: Don’t scale back the salt. The salt rounds out a perfect balance between the sweet and the spicy. This recipe calls for cinnamon and cloves, but you could also add a grating or two of nutmeg if you like. Many times over the years, if I only have cinnamon, I just leave the other spices out and it’s always delicious. You could also add chocolate chips to the recipe and it would taste wonderful.

Quick Bread Method for Zucchini Bread Recipe

Making quick bread is so rewarding. Its name alone tells us we’re not going to have to wait long to enjoy it! No waiting for it to rise; just mix, bake, and eat. Some other example of quick bread are most Banana Bread, Pumpkin Bread, and Lemon Bread. Quick breads are delicious and best enjoyed with a cup of coffee…

CONTROLLING GLUTEN

The main goal when making quick breads is to minimize the development of gluten so that the bread is tender and moist. How do we do that? First, we start with 100 percent whole wheat flour, which as I mentioned before, is low in gluten potential. Second, once we add our dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, we want to stir, rather than mix in a mixer, just until you don’t see any more flour bits. Overmixing, which is easy to do with a mixer, further develops gluten, and can cause quick breads to have a dry crumb. Stirring with a dutch whisk in a large bowl or medium bowl is a perfect way to mix this dough. Limiting the gluten development will be crucial in achieving the perfect loaf.

SHREDDING ZUCCHINI

Wash the zucchini thoroughly. I never peel the zucchini skin, because I love seeing the dark green color in the finished bread–not to mention the added fiber we’re getting. However, you can peel it if you like. It won’t impact the taste either way. Shredding the zucchini can be done a couple of ways. You can use a box grater to shred it for grated zucchini, but I generally use a food processor to make it a quicker task, especially when I’m doubling or tripling the recipe. Just pulse a few times, until the zucchini is shredded, almost like a coarse slaw texture. There is no need to squeeze out any extra moisture from the zucchini. In fact, the excess moisture will only improve the texture of the finished bread.

When I first received this recipe from my sister I asked her, “How do I measure the zucchini? Is it three packed cups or three loosely filled cups?” Her answer was perfect. She said it really doesn’t matter. I have found that to be true. Sometimes, I have a little extra and I just throw it in; sometimes, I’m a little short and I just go ahead with the recipe. It’s very forgiving.

FINAL STIR FOR ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPE

Next, sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the wet ingredients, including the sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs, and shredded zucchini. Finally, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until you no longer see flour bits. Pour batter into a prepared loaf pan (buttered or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray). I used my kitchen scale to keep the loaves the same size, approximately 26 ounces of batter to each pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 195 degrees Fahrenheit, or a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

checking temperature of whole wheat zucchini bread

Special Tools for Zucchini Bread Recipe:

This recipe can be done with two bowls, a wooden spoon, and some measuring cups and spoons; but, I always recommend some tools that just make it easier.

NutriMill Grain Mill: I have been grinding my own wheat for many years. A mill is a great investment if you are looking to incorperate more whole wheat into your baking and diet in general.

Kitchen Scale: I always use a kitchen scale when baking. I’m kind of a broken record about it, but it just made my baking life so much easier.
Thermapen: Using a Thermapen to determine when the bread, or any baked good, is done leaves nothing to chance. See our post on “Why You Need a Thermapen as a Baker” to learn more.
Dutch Whisk: Also known as a Pastry whisk, this tool is used to incorpurate wet and dry ingredients without over mixing. It is a great tool for any quick breads, muffins, scones and really any pastry where we may worry about gluten development. They are not very expensive and I use one almost every day in my own kitchen.

Making Multiple Loaves and Freezing Ahead

Because this Healthy Zucchini Bread recipe is such a healthy snack for my kids, and one that I personally love the enjoy with a cup of coffee, I like to always have some on hand. Zucchini bread is the perfect freeze-ahead quick bread. Since you have to use zucchini when it’s abundant, freezing multiple loaves of this bread is one way to keep it from going to waste. In addition, it’s a great way to prepare for expected, and unexpected, guests. Doubling or tripling this recipe is pretty straightforward. Just make sure you have enough bread pans for the project. Simply double or triple the ingredients and get a lot for your effort!

After the bread is baked and completely cooled, wrap the loaves in foil or place in gallon-sized freezer bags, and they’re ready to freeze. If I want it for breakfast the next day, I simply get it out the night before and it will be ready to go in the morning. On the other hand, when I need it right away, I use the microwave to defrost it. This zucchini bread will last up to six months in the freezer if properly wrapped.

Zucchini Muffins

My grandchildren love anything in the shape of a muffin, so on occasion I will throw some a cup of chocolate chips in my batter and scoop them into a muffin tin. This recipe works great for zucchini muffins. It baked for about 18-22 minutes in the 350 degree oven. It is easy to know when they are done if you have a Thermapen, they should reach 195 at least. I have left mine in all the way to 210 and they were still delicious.

Best Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe with Whole Wheat

If like us you have an abundance of zucchini, this is a great option, as well as a delicious way to use up your bumper crop. This is the perfect zucchini bread recipe to try for beginners, as well as a for seasoned bakers. Turn your garden zucchini (or store bought) into a beautiful golden brown loaf of zucchini bread.

Kim and her Homemade Buttermilk biscuits

Hello! I am Kim, one of the bloggers for the Flour Barn Homestead, and mom to Ellen and Lily. Thanks for reading!