Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread (vegan)

If you read my last post, you know I have been drooling over the delicious produce at the farmer’s market recently. I was sad to see farmers putting out the last of their zucchini crop last weekend. I definitely got greedy and snatched up more than my fair share.

I felt a wave of guilt wash over me as zucchini after zucchini was unloaded from my bag…it was like the Mary Poppin’s version of a bottomless grocery bag full of zucchini.

I had to get rid of the guilt somehow…concocting this zucchini bread (and lots of it!) was just the way…in addition to zucchini pancakes, steamed zucchini, and zucchini omelets (more on that later)!

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread (vegan)

Makes 1 loaf

Note: I tried this recipe with varying amounts of sugar. I settled on 3/4 cup which was the minimum amount I could use while still having the loaf taste like zucchini bread. A 1/2 cup of sugar was still satisfactory but not the preferred version among tasters. 

1lb zucchini (1 large or 2 medium), shredded

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/4 cup apple sauce

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoons water

1/4 cup zucchini juice (see below)

1. Combine shredded zucchini with 2 tablespoons sugar in a fine mesh strainer. Place over bowl and allow to drain for 30 minutes. Next, wring out the zucchini with a clean dish towel.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the juice.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a bread loaf pan with cooking spray.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice.

4. In a separate medium bowl, combine sugar, applesauce, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, flax eggs, and zucchini juice. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in zucchini. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

 

Vegan Coconut Banana Bread

Have I told you guys about my love for coconut oil yet? It seems like I find a new use for it every day!

My most recent use for it is making this amazingly delicious banana bread. What started out as an attempt to make vegan banana bread turned into the best banana bread I’ve ever made. I’m telling you, it is so moist and delicious that you won’t even miss the egg or butter!

I used whole wheat flour instead of white flour for an added fiber boost. I used a moderate amount of sugar. There is enough banana to do away with the egg. Lastly, I swapped in coconut oil for the butter. If you’ve ever worked with coconut oil, you know that it is solid at room temperature and melts when exposed to heat. I’ve cooked with it both ways. I chose to leave it solid for this recipe so I could cream it together with the sugar as you would normally do with butter. It worked like a charm. While coconut oil is a saturated fat, it is composed mainly of lauric acid which is known to have health benefits related to improving cholesterol levels. As with all things, healthy and less-healthy, use with moderation. I won’t judge you if you finish this entire loaf of bread in one day though 😉

Coconut Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1/2 cup coconut oil

3/4 cup sugar

3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened would work here)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray.

2. Using a handheld electric mixer, cream together coconut oil and sugar in a medium bowl. Add mashed banana and beat at medium speed until well combined.

3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat at medium-low speed just until combined. Fold in shredded coconut and chocolate chips, if using. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

4. Prepare a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy a brief moment of your day while your tastebuds are amazed.

High Fiber Banana Bread

I LOVE banana bread.

When I was younger, my friend’s mom made the best banana bread. Ever. My friend, Marcy, lived two houses down from me and I always had a knack for showing up at their house to ask her to play at the very moment that a loaf of banana bread was coming out of the oven. We would enjoy a warm slice of heaven before going out to play capture the flag for the rest of the afternoon. Marcy and I are still very good friends and we still laugh about my love for her mom’s banana bread.

While this banana bread doesn’t compare to Marcy’s mom’s, it’s pretty darn good and pretty darn healthy. It’s loaded with fiber and healthy omega-3 fats from the whole wheat flour and flaxseed. I used flaxseed to replace part of the butter in this bread. I replaced half of the butter at a 3:1 ratio with flaxseed. 

High Fiber Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup flaxseed meal

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease one 9×3-in. loaf pan.

2. Sift together the whole-wheat flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium size bowl. Add flaxseed meal to flour mixture and stir to combine.

3. Beat together egg, egg white, and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup with a spout.

4. Beat together butter and sugar in a separate medium bowl using an electric hand mixer until ingredients are well incorporated. Gradually beat egg mixture into butter mixture. Add banana to butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, mix in flour mixture until just incorporated.

5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Cool for five minutes in pan on a cooling rack. Remove from loaf pans and continue to cool completely on cooling rack.