Do any of you have summer gardens? I don’t yet, but I certainly reap the benefits of my dad and sister’s backyard gardens and this year it’s all about zucchini. We have a picture of my three year old niece running around the house in her pajamas carrying a giant zucchini. Seriously. There is zucchini everywhere and a girl can only eat so many zoodles…
Enter zucchini bread! I have always loved zucchini bread but never tried to recreate this yummy breakfast treat until my mom called, lamenting about all the zucchini. She needed something to make with this garden bounty that could freeze well and be delicious.
So I made this creation! This bread is free of any added sugar and only sweetened with dates, an added bonus. Since it is egg and gluten-free, it does not have the traditional “rise” of other breads, but has a comforting, satisfying texture that holds together well and isn’t wet or gluey. It also has a hint of warming spice from the cinnamon and the burst of raisins and dates make it sweet and bright.
Moral of the story: it’s delicious and you should make it.
Tips for Success:
- Drain and dry the grated zucchini REALLY well. I like to gather it all in a dish towel and squeeze out all the water.
- Liberally grease the loaf pan. Like really get in there and cover the insides with oil.
AIP Zucchini Bread (Added-Sugar Free)
Dry Ingredients
1 ½ cups cassava flour
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
5 dates
½ cup water (reserve ¼ cup)
½ ripe plantain (yellow with black spots)
½ cup apple sauce
1 gelatin egg (see directions below)
½ cup coconut oil or avocado oil
½ zucchini, grated and drained
2 TBS (or 1 1oz box) raisins
Gelatin Egg
1 TBS warm water
1 TBS gelatin
2 TBS hot water
Add 1 tbs of warm water to a small bowl or measuring cup and sprinkle the gelatin over top. Allow it to “bloom” for a few minutes. Pour the hot water over top and whisk vigorously until fully dissolved and frothy.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a loaf pan generously with coconut oil or palm shortening.
Place dates in a microwave safe bowl, cover with ½ cup water and microwave on high for 1 minute. Set the dates aside to soften for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Once the dates have softened, place them along with ¼ cup of the soaking water, ripe plantain, apple sauce, and oil in a food processor. Pulse until the dates and plantains are fully broken down and as smooth as possible. Make your gelatin egg by following the directions above.
Add the wet ingredients, minus the zucchini and raisins, to the dry ingredients and fully combine. Fold in the grated and drained zucchini and raisins.
Pour the mixture into the greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before serving.
P.S. This bread freezes well!
