This easy recipe for Gluten Free Zucchini Bread makes a moist and tender loaf, lightly spiced with cinnamon. It’s also a great way to use up some of your zucchini harvest.
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Although fall is fast approaching, I still have an ample supply of zucchini to use. If you’ve ever grown zucchini plants, you know how easy it is to be overrun with this summer squash.
Using some of my abundant supply of zucchini in this quick bread recipe was a definite win. The high percentage of water in zucchini gives extra moisture to the bread.
I like the added convenience of not having to peel the zucchini before grating it. And the dark green skin gives the bread a little color.
Did I mention this is a quick bread recipe? A quick bread doesn’t require working with temperamental yeast or waiting for dough to rise. And the tasty results far outweigh the effort to make the bread.
Are you more of a muffin fan? You’ll want to try my easy Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins. My Gluten Free Banana Muffins are also delicious!
Why this Recipe Works
- The moisture from the zucchini gives the bread a soft, tender texture.
- Using butter adds flavor and texture to the zucchini bread.
- The ground cinnamon and ginger add a warm, earthy flavor to the bread.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Gluten free flour blend - I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour in this gf zucchini bread recipe. If you don’t have a problem with gluten, you can use all-purpose flour.
- Baking soda and baking powder - These act as leavening agents to give lift to the bread.
- Ground cinnamon and ground ginger - These spices add a warm subtle flavor.
- Sugar - Granulated white sugar adds texture to the bread without making it overly sweet.
- Egg - One large egg.
- Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract.
- Salt - I use regular table salt.
- Zucchini - Grated zucchini. You can use shredded zucchini, but I like to be able to see the zucchini in the muffins. The zucchini adds moisture to the bread.
- Butter - Unsalted butter is my choice so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe. For dairy free use a non-dairy butter like Earth Balance.
How to Make Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt.
- Add the zucchini and butter and stir until combined.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture.
- Transfer the batter to a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Bake for about 45 minutes.
- Allow the bread to cool before serving.
Step By Step Instructions
(For ingredient amounts see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt until combined.
Stir the grated zucchini and melted butter into the egg mixture until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture and stir until completely combined.
Transfer the zucchini bread batter to the prepared pan and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Gluten Free Flour Blend
Make sure to use a good quality all-purpose gluten free flour blend when making this gf zucchini bread. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 which contains xanthan gum.
Xanthan gum helps to hold baked goods together. In traditional baking, gluten in all-purpose flour acts as the binding agent for the baked good. Gluten free baking requires a replacement for the binding agent and that’s where xanthan gum comes in.
Your results may vary depending on the gluten free flour you use. I haven’t tried using almond flour or coconut flour with this gf zucchini bread recipe.
Remember to use the “spoon and level” method when measuring your gluten free flour. Simply use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then use the back of a table knife to level off the top. Using the measuring cup to scoop the flour directly from the canister or bag can give you more flour than needed in the recipe.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Gluten Free Zucchini Banana Bread
- Easy Gluten Free Zucchini Brownies
- Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour mix for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- Grease or use non-stick cooking spray all around the inside of the loaf pan. Doing this will keep any part of the bread from sticking to the pan.
- Be sure to check the bread, with a cake tester or wooden pick, prior to removing from the oven. Test the bread in the middle of the loaf to ensure the thickest part of the bread is done.
You don’t need to peel the zucchini before using it in this bread. The skin of the zucchini is thin, and the dark green color adds flecks of color to the zucchini bread.
Wash the zucchini skin well to remove any dirt before cutting and shredding. After washing the zucchini, I cut off the ends, sliced it in half, and removed any large seeds, before grating.
(Note: I like to use a box grater to make it quick and easy to grate the zucchini.)
No. The zucchini seeds can be bitter, and you don’t want to use them in zucchini bread. Scoop out the center of the zucchini before grating it.
No. The zucchini adds flecks of green color and moisture, but it doesn’t add any flavor to the bread.
This gluten free bread will last for 2 to 3 days, at room temperature, if stored in an airtight container or zip top bag.
Yes. This quick bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Tightly wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then in foil before placing in the freezer.
I like to slice the bread first before freezing. I wrap 2 slices of bread per package. This way I don’t have to thaw the entire loaf, if I only need a couple of slices.
Defrost the frozen zucchini bread overnight on the counter, or microwave individual slices of bread for a few seconds on medium power.
Are you looking for a way to use up your zucchini crop? Use some of it to make this easy zucchini bread. I hope your family enjoys it as much as my family does. Happy Baking!
More Gluten Free Quick Bread Recipes to Try!
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Gluten Free Banana Blueberry Bread
- Gluten Free Cranberry Bread
- Easy Gluten Free Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread
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Recipe
Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt until combined.
- Stir the zucchini and butter into the egg mixture until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture and stir until completely combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake at 350° for 45 - 50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour mix for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- Grease or use non-stick cooking spray all around the inside of the loaf pan. Doing this will keep any part of the bread from sticking to the pan.
- Be sure to check the bread, with a cake tester or wooden pick, prior to removing from the oven. Test the bread in the middle of the loaf to ensure the thickest part of the bread is done.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on products and brands you use. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the ingredients you are using with your preferred nutrition calculator.
This blog post is also available as a Web Story, "Gluten Free Zucchini Bread."
This post was originally published in 2020. It was republished in 2022 with updated images and additional text and FAQs.
Phoebe says
This was an easy recipe. Mixed well good consistamcy. I didn't have ginger so I added all spice and a dash of nutmeg. I will recommend this recipe to my friends, gf and not.
Flavor Walk says
Hi Phoebe,
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for the 5-star rating.