A Healthier Zucchini Bread Recipe (Made with Whole Wheat Flour)

With our zucchini growing in overdrive, I make this recipe AT LEAST once a week (this and our zucchini pickles and gallettes). I usually make two or three batches at a time, then give away mini loafs like zucchini bread is going out of style. I've tried many things to improve upon the recipe, but it really is best just as is. I discovered it in my favorite cookbook of all time, The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook. This should be in every family's arsenal, and they don't pay me to say that. It gives a healthier way to make just about every basic recipe, and a ton of inspiration for healthy, yet delicious, family meals and desserts, along with lots of basic cooking advice and instruction.

I'll share my version of the Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread recipe after the jump, I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread Recipe

Wash and grate one pound of zucchini. In all of these pictures, I've doubled the recipe, just an FYI, but the recipe I'm giving is for a single loaf.


Place in a mesh strainer over a bowl and add two tablespoons of sugar.

Toss to combine. Let the mixture sit to drain for at least 30 minutes.

Pre heat your oven to 375 and grease your loaf pan (or 3 mini loaf pans).

So we need to get the moisture out of the zucchini. Moisture is what makes quick breads gummy, and gummy is no good. The best way, IMHO, is to place the zucchini in a clean, dry kitchen towel


twist the top to close,


and squeeze. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, until you've removed as much moisture as possible. Do this over the sink of course.


In a bowl, mix the zucchini with 1/4 cup yogurt (low fat is ok, but not nonfat) and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Set aside.

Whisk all of your dry ingredients together:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup while wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 tea salt
1/2 tea ground cinnamon
1/4 tea ground allspice


In your electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup sugar with 5 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter until creamy and uniform. Then beat in 2 large eggs one at a time.

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beat in one third of the dry ingredient mixture, then half of the zucchini mixture. Then continue by adding 1/3 of the dry ingredient mixture, the other half of the zucchini mixture, and finish with the final third of the dry ingredient mixture. Mix quickly and just until incorporated, avoid overmixing.

Scrape the batter into your loaf pan (or mini pans) and smooth the top.


Bake at 375 until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, for me that's 55 minutes exactly.


Watch it disappear while no kids catch wise to your whole-wheat trickery.