Hey all! It’s the first week of school and it’s the first time in Girlfriend’s school career that we aren’t exhausted. The way things worked out date-wise, Girlfriend’s violin lessons don’t start until next week. And her teacher hasn’t assigned any homework. And, the biggest news (for me), is that I am no longer working at the school in any capacity. I finished up my tenure on the PTA Board last year. I’m not officially volunteering in the classroom. I’m not organizing and baking for the Friday Coffee Hour. Nada. It’s weird and it’s an adjustment, but it’s good. It’s time for me to move on and concentrate on my own work. What all this means is that I am not completely exhausted from the lead up to and craziness of the first week of school and neither is Girlfriend. I like it.
One thing that hasn’t changed, is that Girlfriend still doesn’t eat all (or sometimes, any) of her lunch (because she’s too busy chatting with her friends), and comes home ravenous. Then she won’t eat her leftover lunch (at least right away) because she claims it’s “gross” from having been in her lunchbox all day. Such a lose-lose situation. So, I like to have a snack on hand to help bring up her blood sugar and also her mood. After she has a snack, she’s (usually) willing to eat her leftover lunch.
Since we are in prime zucchini season, snack this week is zucchini bread! I know, I know, it’s everywhere. But we love zucchini. We eat it several times a week. And, of course, we eat it in bread. And, luckily for us, Girlfriend thinks of zucchini as one of her favorite veggies, so she will eat it in any form!
Zucchini Bread (With or Without Chocolate Chips) Gluten-Free (naturally dairy-free, too!)
-makes 1 9″x5″ loaf
Special Equipment Needed
-stand mixer is helpful, but a hand mixer will do fine, too
-9″x5″ loaf pan
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (215 g) Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
1/2 tsp aluminum-free double-acting baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 extra-large eggs
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) neutral-flavored oil (I use Rice Bran oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (about 110g) grated fresh zucchini
1/2 cup (about 95g) semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup (about 60g) chopped pecans (optional)
Extra oil and tapioca flour for the pan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the pan with your extra oil and tapioca flour.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs until they are light and fluffy–about 3 minutes. Add sugar and continue beating for another 2 minutes. Drizzle in oil and continue to beat a minute or 2 more. Add vanilla and beat to combine. Add grated zucchini and beat until just combined.
Add the flour mixture to your egg mixture–beat until just combined. With a large spoon or spatula, stir in the pecans and chocolate chips if using. Pour into prepared pan. Thump pan on counter to release and trapped air bubbles.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes–or until a tester comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: If you use a different gluten-free flour mix, alter the amount of or eliminate the xanthan gum or use a different gluten-replacer, use dairy-free or egg-free substitutes, or change any other ingredients in this recipe, your results may not match my results.
Enjoy!
PRINT FRIENDLY RECIPE
Never written a comment on a recipe before, but I am so impressed by this recipe I had to give credit. This is the most perfect loaf I have made. My son (not gf) won’t stop eating it. I made it for his girlfriend. I think the beating of the ingredients is the key. I’m looking forward to trying more.
Micheale: Hooray! I’m so glad!
Good morning, Jeanne!! Last night I used your recipe for this bread to make a gluten free LEMON zucchini bread that was DELICIOUS:
Deleted:
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Vanilla
Chocolate chips
Pecans
Added:
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Pat: Awesome!
Hi! I’m new to gluten free baking and this was my first quick bread. In appearance this looked exactly like the zucchini bread I used to make, but when eating it it seemed to be more chewy/gummy. Is that normal with gluten free quick breads or did I possibly do something wrong?
Kylei: Hm. This isn’t usually gummy when I make it. This sounds like maybe it’s been underbaked. I’m wondering if you’ve checked out my Troubleshooting Baking Problems post? If you don’t already have an oven thermometer, I would get one–they are cheap and they will tell you the real temperature your oven is heating to. If your oven isn’t heating correctly, the bread won’t bake all the way through.
I just recently found out I can’t have gluten anymore, so I’m really to new gluten free baking. Having been an avid baker for years this is quite a change for me. I made this bread and while it was the same in appearance to bread I used to make, it was chewier. Is that normal with gluten free quick breads or did I do something wrong? I’ve made your chocolate chip cookies and Irish Soda Bread as well, and both of those seemed ok. The Irish soda bread was softer I guess than other versions I’ve had, but that wasn’t a bad thing! And the cookies tasted great, but didn’t get crispy at all. I bought the ingredients for your mix in bulk, so I just really want to figure out this new way of baking!
Thanks!!
Kylei: I’m wondering if you’ve gotten an oven thermometer to check to see if your oven is heating to the proper temperature. All of the problems you’ve mentioned indicate underbaking to me.
Hi Jeanne! I need your expertise. I want to make this bread in my Cuisinart Confection Bread Maker but don’t know if I should use the gluten free setting, the quick bread setting or the regular bread setting with yeast added. The machine comes with a recipe for regular (not gluten free) zucchini bread but I can’t eat gluten so what do you think I should try? Help! Thanks so much!, Robin
Robin: Hm, I’m not sure. I think you should use the setting they have for the regular zucchini bread (or for the quick bread) and see how it works. I’m going to guess that the gluten-free bread might need a little bit of extra time, but you won’t know until you try it. Let me know how it goes!
We are having a brief respite from the heat wave we’ve been having, so I am on a baking binge while it is cool enough to turn on the oven. We have had lovely zucchini at the Farmer’s Market, so I used them to make this today. It is a great bread- great flavor, great texture. No one would know it if gf. Thanks so much!
Michelle: Yay! Thanks for letting me know!
Loved this, but my chocolate chips all sank to the bottom; if I give them a light dusting of flour first will this help? Thanks
Sue: Hm, that’s weird. I haven’t had that happen before. But sure, dust them with flour and see what happens. Let me know how it goes.
I also made it as muffins and halved the time for cooking
This recipe is awesome and so moist! I did some substitutions as I can not have sugar, and used Xylitol instead. I also did half butterscotch and half chocolate chipets. It was a major hit.
Susan: I love all the adaptations you did–yay! Sounds yum!
I have an abundance of zucchini and decided to make bread. My daughter has recently started eating gluten free as she had a body outbreak of eczema and her face fell when she realized she couldn’t eat it. I went and purchased all the different flours and ingredients, shocked at the amount I spent! I told her that this was the most expensive loaf of bread I have ever made and she had better eat it no matter what it tasted like. Well, I am happy to say that the consistency, taste, and appearance of this bread are perfect! I am so happy to be able to bake for her. I appreciate all of your research, your blog, and your tried and true recipes! I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
Nancy: Aw, I’m so glad! Yay!
I was wondering if I could make the bread using the GF Self Rising Flour that you have on your blog instead of the different flours listed above?
Stacey: No, it is not good to use self-rising flour in the place of regular flour. Self-rising flour is a mix of flour, baking powder, and salt. If you use it in the place of regular flour, you throw off the amounts of baking powder and salt and the recipe won’t work well.
I made biscuits last night and pancakes for breakfast. I feel normal again!
I took a leap of faith and bought the ingredients to make your flour and then made zucchini bread. It is the first GF bread that I have had since being diagnosed with Ciliac Disease (over a year ago) that was like eating regular bread! I am making biscuits next and will probably bake through the night! Thank you for your website and your recipes.
Kimberly: Yay! I’m so glad! And thank you!
I converted one of my favorite zucchini bread recipes to cranberry nut bread than gluten free and then made it. Well it came out dry and crumbly.
I never added xanthan gum which I think must act as gluten does in a regular recipe. Thank you for this site and all the hard work . Switching to mostly gluten free is a new challenge for my wife is gluten intolerant and I tend to do 99.9% of cooking. I tease her it’s safer this way.
I have one Question though. In the gluten free flour recipe on this site calls for 2 tsps of xanthan gum and you recommend a 1/4 tsp per cup of GF flour,why the difference?
Willie: Greetings! Yes, if you didn’t use the xanthan gum, then that is why it came out dry and crumbly. To answer your question the xanthan gum measurement looks a little odd because I have found that the “optimal” amount is a bit more than 1/4 teaspoon. So, if you use my mix, a cup of flour will contain a bit more than 1/4 tsp and a bit less than 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum (hence the “scant” two teaspoons measurement). I also wanted the mix to be as easy as possible to make. My thought is that 1 3/4 teaspoons is a bit too fussy of a measurement. That said, I don’t really think it makes that much difference. If you are using another type of mix, I would add 1/4 teaspoon per cup and see how that works. I’m guessing it will be fine. If you feel like you need more, up it to 1/2 teaspoon. I find that with xanthan gum, a little goes a long way. 🙂
Hi Jeanne. Made the zucchini bread yesterday, Sunday and it was delicious. No surprise. My 3 boys, who normally dislike zucchini bread, at the whole loaf within 4 hours. I didn’t tell them it was g-f, although they loved the g-f currant scones (with agave, instead of sugar) i made the other week, too. I will be making more today, but will try it with agave syrup instead of cane sugar. Thanks, you are so creative! my
Mylen: Yay! I’m so happy! Thanks for letting me know!
Hello I just found your blog, I’m in Australia and there are hardly any gluten free blogs from here. Your blog is sooo user friendly and your recipes look fantastic also the information you provide is very helpful. Could you tell me, the sweet rice flour in your flour mix is that the sticky rice flour the Chinese use in their cuisine? I know it’s all English however, somehow we seem to name things slightly different “Down Under”. Thank you
Hi Renee! I’m so glad my recipes are helpful! Sweet rice flour is also called “glutinous” rice flour. And yes, you might find that in Asian stores. Or, if you have access to that type of rice, then you can try grinding it up very fine in your blender/food processor (if you have one) to make a flour.
If you can’t find it, you can also substitute potato starch (not potato flour).
hey your blog design is very nice, clean and fresh and with updated content, make people feel peace and I always like browsing your site.
– Thomas
Congratulations on your new site, but if you don’t mind, my flour bin still says “4 Chix Mix.” Thanks for all the great recipes.
I tried the bread and it’s fabulous. I used grapeseed oil because it’s what I had. I baked it in a glass loaf pan lined with parchment paper. The bottom got a little toasty, but I didn’t care. It was yummy, delicious, elastic, yummy bread.
Thanks again!
Dani:
Greetings and thanks! I’m so glad you like the recipe (and the flour mix). And I think it’s great that your bin still says 4 Chix Mix! I’m trying to figure out a way to keep that name on the site :).
Thanks!
–Jeanne
Jeanne! The new site is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! I love love it! Yay!
And of course this bread looks fabulous as well! We have the same lunch-time chatterbox problem over here. My son will tell me he did not have time to finish and that they do not give enough time for lunch! I have read between the lines and found out his impressive social skills are the real culprit! 😉
I love your recipe! Zucchini bread is a favorite here, too! And a few chocolate chips make for a special treat!
Kim:
Oh, thank you so much!! And it’s funny to have these social-butterflies, isn’t it? My daughter says the exact same thing your son does–that the principal doesn’t give them enough time to eat. It cracks me up every time.
I’m so glad you like the site! I’m still working on it, but I’m very happy with the move! Yay!
–Jeanne
Looks yummy. Going to give it a go.
Beautiful new blog and great recipe. Congratulations!
Zucchini bread makes everything better. No doubt about it.
Looks delicious! I’ve been craving zucchini bread but keep eating our CSA zucchini for dinner. Usually we have more than enough but they’ve been stingy with them this year.
Mmmmmmm…..that would be great wrapped in whole wheat pizza dough. HAHAHAHA
Marc:
OK, say it with me: “Oh geez.”
Hey Jean!
The new site looks great, congrats on the move!