This zucchini bread recipe is really easy to make, and you can eat it throughout the week as a quick healthy treat. Feel free to substitute the zucchini for any of your favourite root vegetables such as carrots or squashes.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces, or 1 stick) organic butter, softened
• 1 cup unrefined organic brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups grated zucchini (about 3 medium zucchini)
• 3 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1. Place an oven rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 350F/175C.
2. Prepare your loaf pans: line the pans with parchment paper, or butter them and dust them with flour.
3. If adding in nuts/etc., combine them in a bowl and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and spices and set that aside as well.
5. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
7. Add the vanilla extract and mix well; then add the zucchini and stir until everything is combined.
8. Add the flour mixture in two additions, stirring only until just combined; again, if using them, gently fold in dried fruit, nuts, and crystallized ginger.
9. Divide the batter equally among the pans, and use a spatula to smooth it out a bit. Place the pans on a baking sheet for easy maneuvering.
10. Bake for about 40-45 minutes for regular loaves, or 30-35 minutes for small loaves. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, or even a bit of almost-done batter.
11. Cool the loaves in their pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

Notes

• A food processor, fitted with the grating blade, makes wonderfully quick work of grating zucchini.
• Vary the fruit, nut, etc. combination as much as you like, perhaps staying close to the rough guideline of about 2 cups total additions.
• Keep a close eye on it as it bakes; the loaves will be dry if you overbake them, so err on the side of underbaking for a nice, moist cake.

Substitutions & Additions

• Replace the eggs with xanthan gum

• Replace the brown sugar with agave

• Replace butter with earth balance butter spread

• Add 3/4 cup each of your favourite nuts (pecans and walnuts work great), raisins, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, a medium carrot (grated), or a 1/2 cup crystallized ginger to the batter for more sweetness

• To really give yourself a treat, slather on some cream cheese icing for an additional indulgence!

Makes 2 4×8-inch loaves, or 4-6 mini loaves