Healthier Zucchini Bread

I love a good quick bread on a cold day. Soda bread, lemon bread, apple cider bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread....I'm not picky. Nothing says snow day more to me than turning on my oven. I love the way baking a simple quick bread can warm my house, consume the hallways, and fill my belly. Something I am trying to change is how much white flour and sugar I eat and feed to my family. For us, it simply doesn't process well. It is a step by step process though. Mostly because all of the alternative ingredients cost more and I have a budget people!

My recipe for zucchini bread has a few changes to a standard recipe. I wouldn't call it the healthiest option, but it is better than your local coffee shop loaf. It contains coconut oil, which is a superfood and also is good for your cholesterol. It is better for baking than say olive oil because of the flavor and a healthier fat than vegetable and/or canola oil.

Healthier Zucchini Bread

First gather your ingredients

2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil at room temp
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon each baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice
1/2 teaspooon salt

Cream together coconut oil and sugar. It won't be creamy like butter and sugar. I promise that's ok.

Add eggs one at a time to keep everything smooth and well distributed. 

See how it comes together?

Next stir in the yogurt.

Then add in the remaining ingredients. Before I stir everything I give the dry ingredients a mix so that it distributes evenly.

 

 

Now stir it up, but only until you see no streaks of zucchini or flour. Over mixing makes quick breads tough.

 

Now dump everything into a greased (I use an oil spray) loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and finish cooling on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. As prepared and sliced into 12 slices, each slices contains 245 calories, 11 grams of healthy fats, and 17 grams of sugar.  It also has 5 grams of protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium. Feel free to change up the flour and sugar options and let me know how it turns out! You can also cut your slices smaller than we do. But a thick slice with a cup of coffee....mmmmmmm.