If there's one thing we can all agree on about this quarantine, it's that bakers have popped up everywhere and it seems like everyone is making some sort of banana bread, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, etc.
Who am I if I don't hop on that train? I mean you can only see so many pictures on Instagram before you start craving it hardcore. All I wanted was something warm and comforting and so...I caved.
I decided to mix it up and just throw something together, like most of the things I make to be completely honest. BUT what resulted was one of the best versions of zucchini bread I've ever made. No joke. Both of my parents loved it, and that's saying something--my mom has a umm *ahem* critical eye when it comes to baking. Sooooo I was super happy to see that everyone enjoyed it!
It's pretty easy and made with minimal ingredients! I included substitutions as well for things that may be harder to find, like the vegan egg by Bob's Red Mill.
When I made this I actually didn't even have a container of apple sauce so I just peeled and blended one small apple and it was the perfect amount I needed for the recipe. So don't be afraid to adapt it to what you like! Just make sure the measurements are the same and the type of ingredient is similar. For instance, you could swap the applesauce for mashed banana because they both have a similar consistency and are both a type of fruit puree.
Guilt-Free Vegan Zucchini Bread
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 1 Loaf
Pan size: 4 in. wide x 9 in. long x 2.5 in. deep
Category: Dessert, Breakfast, Sweet Treat, Snacks, Vegan
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 vegan egg (I used Bob Red Mill's Vegan Egg Replacer)
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 squeeze of fresh orange juice
1 1/4th cup of grated zucchini
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF (on convection if you have that option)
Grate the zucchini and measure out 1 and 1/4th cup. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can with a kitchen towel and set aside.
Combine 1 tablespoon of the vegan egg with 2 tablespoons of ice-cold water. Whisk together with a fork and set aside. **
Add all of the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt – into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, add the apple sauce, vanilla, and orange juice. Sift in the coconut sugar and mix to combine.
Add the vegan egg into the wet mixture and make sure it's well incorporated.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and combine, making sure not to over mix the batter. Fold in the grated zucchini.
Line or spray a 4 x 9 baking pan and pour the batter in, smoothing out the top to make sure it's even.
Bake for 55 minutes, checking the last 5 minutes or so with a toothpick to see if it's cooked all the way through.
Notes
**You can replace the vegan egg with ground flaxseed, keeping the ratios exactly the same
Coconut sugar may be substituted with regular sugar for a sweeter end result