Greek Yogurt Zucchini Bread
As promised, here is my favorite lightened-up zucchini bread recipe aka theeeeee healthy snack of the season.
I’ve been slicing off a piece of this zucchini bread every time I walk in and out the kitchen. And there’s been zero shortage of said bread recently. No lie, I’ve made this bread 3x in the past 2 weeks. And I was traveling for 6 of those 14 days. SO MUCH ZUCCHINI BREAD.
I first made a loaf to take to my mom. And by “take to my mom” I mean find an excuse to stay and eat the bread with my mom. Then I baked 2 more loaves right after that for quick and easy breakfasts/snacks/desserts. That’s kinda why I love zucchini bread in the first place. It’s an anytime bread– welcome on the breakfast table or as a totally delicious and awesome snack. And it most certainly counts as dessert with a big ol’ smother of peanut butter AND nutella on top. → Yup, both.
Plain and simple, zucchini bread is just so nice to have around when you want something a little sweet that’s not dripping with oil nor overloaded with sugar. And hello! It sneakily has vegetables in it. You’re winning already.
This particular zucchini bread recipe is a spin-off from the Quinn family zucchini bread recipe. Kevin loves that zucchini bread. Have you tried it yet? When he tasted this slightly healthier version, he had no clue it was any different from the original. And that’s the point of healthy baking, isn’t it?!
Here’s what I did differently. It’s not much, just a few tweaks here and there. I cut out all of the white sugar, reduced the oil, added protein-happy Greek yogurt, a little orange zest, took out the chocolate chips (what is happening), increased the cinnamon, and added walnuts. Ok, that sounds like a lot. But the two breads really do taste similar! Replacing chocolate chips with nuts is a little gutsy around these parts, but I promise you won’t miss the chocolate. Is saying that blasphemy? At least it’s not raisins? (Which I was totally tempted to do because ♥ raisins ♥.)
The Greek yogurt makes the crumb suuuuper moist. Moisture is usually sacrificed when fat (the oil) is reduced, but the Greek yogurt’s all like I got this. And that orange zest! Adding it to zucchini bread is a little different for me, but I loved its addition in my carrot cake last month so I decided to toss it in. Never looking back, my friends. Next level flavor when combined with cinnamon and vanilla extract. You’re going to love it too.
Instead of 1/2 cup granulated sugar, I sweetened the bread with Wholesome!® Organic Blue Agave. I started working with Wholesome! this year and couldn’t be more proud to be their partner. Can I just say something super honest here? I sincerely appreciate Wholesome! and their entire line of fair trade, non-GMO organic sweeteners. I have utmost respect for companies who pour their heart into what they do and strive to make a difference. I don’t typically bake with sweeteners like agave or coconut sugar, but how can you not support a company like this.
And you know what’s even better? Their line includes our regular favorites like organic light brown sugar and organic powdered sugar. Ok and the best part of all: their packaging is pink and purple and yellow and amazing. It’s just really refreshing to have the folks at Wholesome! around and their happy packaging in our cupboards is a big fat awesome bonus.
Other than that, it’s just a super straightforward zucchini bread recipe. No tricks here. You don’t even need a mixer. Just two bowls– one dry, one wet– then mix the two together. Literally most of the “work” lies in shredding the zucchini.
And if you decide to sub the chocolate chips back in because nuts will never be chocolate, I promise that’s ok. But raisins would be even better. 😉
Ok, stopping now.
Greek Yogurt Zucchini Bread
Prep Time: 10 minutes- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
Yield: 1 loaf
Category: Bread
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
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PinDescription
Easy, healthy, and wholesome Greek yogurt zucchini bread will be your new favorite recipe for this classic quick bread!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (80ml) canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup (120ml) organic blue agave
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (121g) plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature*
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 medium-large)*
- optional: 2 teaspoons orange zest (so good!)
- optional: 3/4 cup (95g) chopped walnuts, (115g) raisins, or (135g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- Whisk the oil, agave, egg, yogurt, and vanilla together in a medium bowl until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Avoid overmixing. Fold in the zucchini, orange zest, and walnuts.
- Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the bread is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the bread from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Bread freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- Muffins: prepare batter as instructed. Grease a 12-count muffin pan or use liners. Fill with batter all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue to bake for an additional 13-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving. Makes about 10-12 muffins.
- Yogurt: I use plain nonfat Greek yogurt. You can use low fat or full fat instead. Vanilla or honey flavors would work wonderfully here!
- Zucchini: If your zucchini is extra wet, give it a few blots before adding to the batter.
- Adapted from award-winning zucchini bread.
Keywords: healthy zucchini bread, zucchini bread
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