Name: Vegan Zucchini Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup shredded zucchini; 1 small banana, mashed; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce; 1/4 cup canola oil or melted coconut oil; 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped; 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (make sure they're vegan)

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Treat yourself to a slice of this moist and flavorful vegan zucchini bread, loaded with crunchy walnuts and irresistible chocolate chips. It’s incredibly tender, perfectly sweet, and oh-so-satisfying. Perfect as a quick breakfast or afternoon snack!

five slices of vegan zucchini bread on a cutting board with a knife on the side

Why This Recipe Works

This vegan zucchini bread with walnuts and chocolate chips is a real winner. I’ve been making it for years and our kids absolutely love it!

Say hello to a delightful medley of nuttiness, richness, and just the right amount of chocolatey goodness. It’s even better with thinly spread nut butter on top.

So let’s talk about the star ingredient in this recipe—zucchini! It adds moisture and a subtle sweetness to the bread, making it incredibly tender. Mashed bananas serve as a natural sweetener and also contribute to the moistness of the bread, creating a texture that’s simply heavenly.

The recipe couldn’t be much easier. All you need is a grater for the zucchini (or a food processor), a bowl, a spoon, and a loaf pan. Easy, peasy! It’s also a great recipe to make with kids. My kids absolutely love to help me mashing the bananas and stirring the batter.

Whether you enjoy it for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or as a comforting dessert, it’s a treat that will bring a smile to your face. The combination of flavors and textures is simply heavenly, and it’s a crowd-pleaser that will impress everyone who takes a bite.

Ingredients & Substitutions

ingredients for this recipe on a marble countertop with labels

Bananas – they should be ripe with a few brown spots. The riper the bananas are, the sweeter and easier they are to digest.
Brown Sugar – you could also use coconut sugar instead.
Chocolate Chips – dark chocolate chips are often vegan, but always check the label.
Apple Sauce – use unsweetened apple sauce
Flour – I used all-purpose flour, but you could also use whole wheat or spelt flour for a healthier version. Or use a gluten-free flour blend.
Walnuts – add a bit of crunch to the zucchini bread. You could replace them with other nuts if you want.
Oil – use olive oil or canola oil.

How To Make This Recipe

a collage of four step-by-step photos that show how to make vegan zucchini bread

1. Step: Grate the zucchini either in a food processor or with a handheld grater.

2. Step: Throughly squeeze them with your hands to remove as much excess water as possible.

3. Step: Add the dry ingredients to a bowl. Preheat your oven to 350 °F.

4. Step: Stir the dry ingredients with a spoon until well combined.

5. Step: Then add the mashed banana, the apple sauce, the maple syrup, and the vanilla extract.

6. Step: Stir until combined. Then add the grated zucchini and stir quickly.

7./8. Step: Next, mix in the chopped walnuts and the dark chocolate chips. Make sure not to overmix the batter as this can cause the bread to not rise properly.

zucchini bread batter in a loaf form lined with parchment paper

9. Step: Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (let the parchment paper overlap the loaf pan) and pour the batter into the loaf pan.

a vegan zucchini bread in a loaf form lined with parchment paper

10. Step: Bake it for 40-50 minutes. Do a toothpick test to check if it’s s done. Stick a toothpick into the center. If there is wet batter on the toothpick, it needs more time. If it comes out clean, it’s done.

11. Step: Let it cool down in the loaf pan for about 20 minutes before moving it to a cooling rack. If you take it out too early, it might break apart.

Tips & Tricks

Make sure not to overmix the batter as this can cause the zucchini bread to not rise properly.
I lined the loaf pan with parchment paper. Make sure to let the parchment paper overlap the loaf pan, so it’s easy to remove after baking.
Alternatively, you could also spray your loaf pan with no-stick cooking spray. However, make sure to spray it very generously, so it doesn’t stick to the pan.
It’s very important that you let it cool down in the loaf pan for about 20 minutes before moving it to a cooling rack. If you take it out too early, it might break apart.

a freshly baked zucchini bread on a wooden cutting board

Equipment

You need the following equipment for this recipe:

grater
sharp knife

Storing

I recommend covering the zucchini bread with foil and storing it at room temperature. Stored at room temperature, it will last 3-4 days.

If you want it to last longer (5-7 days), you can also store it in the fridge. However, I’m not the biggest fan of storing it in the fridge as it loses some of its flavor this way.

Freezing

The zucchini bread freezes really well. Double-wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then transfer it to a freezer bag.

This way you can freeze it for up to 8-12 weeks. Before freezing it, let it cool down completely.

To thaw, just leave it in the plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature.

Gluten-Free Version

You can replace the all-purpose flour 1:1 with a gluten-free flour blend.

I Love To Hear From You!

I hope you like this vegan zucchini bread as much as we do around here.

If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!

You like my recipes and want to see more? Then follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Sina

Vegan Zucchini Bread