Protein Zucchini Bread {Gluten-Free Option}

a sliced zucchini loaf on a cutting board

Protein Zucchini Bread {Gluten-Free Option}

A healthier, yet moist and delicious, zucchini bread recipe. Slice loaves into 12 slices. 2 slices per serving.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 246kcal

Author Amee

Equipment

2 standard 9x5" loaf pans

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour You can also use King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour as a substitute
30 grams vanilla whey protein powder I used Quest Vanilla milkshake protein powder with great results. It's a whey blend and great for baking.
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup coconut sugar
½ cup Allulose
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup avocado oil
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 ½ cups shredded zucchini squeezed dry before measuring. I used 2 large zucchini with about ½ cup leftover.
½ cup walnuts chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and spray two 9x5" loaf pans with quick release spray. I love Baker's Joy for this if gluten isn't an issue.
In a large bowl, whisk together: flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, whisk together: coconut sugar, allulose, applesauce, oil, eggs, and lemon juice.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a large spoon until just combined.
Fold in the zucchini and nuts.
Divide the batter between the two greased loaf pans and bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Mine was perfect at 40 minutes.
Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and baste the warm loaves with a little melted butter (optional but amazing). Remove the loaves from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

Notes

*To reduce sugar and calories a bit, you can swap the coconut sugar with a sugar substitute like Purecane brown sugar. However, I haven't tested this recipe variation.

Large zucchini can be very watery, so it's best to press out the extra moisture by squeezing the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel. However, this is typically only an issue with larger zucchini, so it's best to use smaller ones (they also have better flavor!)
Never scoop baking flour directly from the container with your measuring cup. Instead, spoon the flour into the dry measuring cup and level it off with a knife, or you'll end up with too much.
Make sure the eggs and applesauce are at room temperature. This helps to make sure that all of the ingredients are absorbed and baked evenly.
Do not overmix the bread batter. Overmixing quick bread batters results in a tough, chewy texture, and our goal here is moist and fluffy.
After pouring the batter into your loaf pans, you can sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecans over the top for extra crunch.

Nutrition