Are you watching the Olympics? I don’t know about you, but I think it so stressful to watch those super humans do what they do. If you think about it, they have only a few minutes to prove themselves in front of the world with stakes so high. And when they don’t do well it just breaks my heart.
When I saw Spanish swimmer Miguel Duran Navia got disqualified because he leaped into the pool just before the start gun, I felt so sad for him and his family. Can you imagine after all the hard work you put into getting ready for Olympics, you are disqualified for a technical reason? Thankfully, they gave him another chance, but even with that I can’t help but think how devastating it must have been for him.


Today’s recipe, Vegan Zucchini Bread is a summer classic, but made in a healthier way, inspired by those super humans in the 2016 Rio Olympics. It is made with rather healthier ingredients like maple syrup, whole-wheat flour, coconut oil, and flax seeds.

How To Make Vegan Zucchini Bread:
The process of making this healthy zucchini bread recipe has three folds.
First, you make flax eggs. Flax eggs are made with mixing ground flax seeds with water to substitute for eggs in vegan baking. The ratio for flax seeds to water for one egg is 1 to 2 1/2. In other words, to substitute for 1 egg you mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water.
Second, shred the zucchini. I use my box shredder, but you can also use a food processor with the shredder attachment. The important thing here is to make sure that you squeeze the juices of zucchini as much as you can. To do so, you can (1)place the shredded zucchini in a colander set over a bowl and let it sit for half an hour and press with the back of a spatula or (2) place it in a clean kitchen towel, wrap it tightly and squeeze it until no juices remain.
With that being said, once I accidentally forgot to squeeze the juices of the zucchini and ended up with a little softer and moister bread, which was still great. So if you miss this step it is not the end of the world. Your vegan zucchini bread will still be yummy.
Third step is making the batter. It is pretty much a straightforward step. First, you mix the wet ingredients and then add in the dry ones. It all happens in one bowl and requires no mixer.
To give it a little bit of crunch and nuttiness at the end I added some walnuts, but if you are not a fan you can substitute them with pistachios or pine nuts. If you are not a big fan of nuts, you can also omit them completely.


I know that vegan baking can be intimidating to some people, especially if you have never tried it before. Using flax eggs for regular eggs, maple syrup for granulated sugar, and coconut oil for butter are new concepts for some bakers. Believe me, I am on the same boat. However, in my years of writing this blog I learned that when it comes to these new ingredients (and sometimes techniques) you start with baby steps and learn by trying recipes that are foolproof. This healthy zucchini bread is just that: foolproof.
With just a few ingredients swaps, you can turn into a classic summer loaf into a healthier breakfast that you can serve everyone in your family.
Other Zucchini Recipes You Might Like:
- Zucchini Kale Salad
- Zucchini Soup
- Oven Baked Zucchini Fritters with Feta and Dill
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Zucchini Bread
- Almond Flour Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Muffins – Gluten Free & Low Carb – From All Day I Dream About Food
Vegan Zucchini and Walnut Bread
Ingredients
To make the flax eggs:
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 5 tablespoons water at room temperature
To make the batter:
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil melted and cooled
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1½ cups 1 small zucchini – 7 ounces grated zucchini, juices squeezed
- 1¾ cups 9.625 oz whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup unsalted raw walnuts roughly chopped
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 325 F. Degrees. Spray a loaf pan (either 9X5 or 8 1/2 X 4 ½) with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- To make the flax eggs, whisk together the ground flax seeds with water. Let it sit on the counter and thicken for 5-7 minutes.
- Whisk together the flax eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, almond milk in a bowl. Stir in the baking soda, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, and nutmeg.
- Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the zucchini. Add in the flour and stir just until combined.
- Gently fold in the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes* or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool for 20 minutes. Slice and serve.
- This bread will keep fresh 2 days in room temperature as long as it is kept in an airtight container. You can also slice it and store it in the fridge up to 5 days.
Video

Notes
Nutrition
This recipe is adapted (with minor changes) from Cookie and Kate’s Healthy Zucchini Bread recipe.
John
I made this Bread yesterday morning and my family loved it so much. It was a fantastic recipe like always.
Aysegul Sanford
This makes me so happy John. Thanks for coming by!
gail yagci
Hi Ayesegul
I wanted to know if I could replace maple syrup with organic honey and if so how much? Also can I use spelt flour and would it be the same amount? Thanks for always answer my questions. Gail Y
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Gail,
You can replace maple syrup with honey. I usually use a little less honey as I find it to be sweeter. While I can’t give you exact measurements without actually making the recipe, I recommend tasting the batter as you mix it to judge whether or not it is sweet enough to your liking.
In terms of spelt flour, I think you should be able to substitute whole wheat flour with spelt. Again, it is hard for me to say that it will work 100% without trying, but having worked with spelt flour in a few recipes I think it would deliver similar results.
I will definitely try with spelt flour next time as I think it is a great idea to make this recipe with an ingredient that is easier on our tummies.
I hope this helps.
Thanks for stopping by.
Maite
Hi Aysegul!
I absolutely lovee your videos! I am a Holistic Nutritionist, plant based chef and educator. I just launched my website maitebou.com and I would love to learn to make videos from you! They are the best!???? I saw in the comments that you want to learn using alternatve flours/GF and alternatives to sugars/natural sugars. I can help you with that!❤️ That is my niche. Would you like to exchange? Cheers
Aysegul Sanford
Aww thank you Maite. You are so sweet. Though I am no pro. I am learning as I go.
I would love that exchange. 🙂
I am in the process of typing up a how-to blog and will publish it soon. Cheers! <3
PS: Your blog is so beautiful. Love your energy!
Jeff Stroud
I just made this, I added local honey instead of maple syrup, and a touch of Garam Marsala brings up the spice a bit. I would of used essential oils as well such as Cinnamon which I don’t have at the moment. still warm, I tried a piece, moist and yummy, the flavor will only improve with cooling.
Aysegul Sanford
Oh I love that you used Garam Marsala. What a great idea!!! I may have a couple of zucchinis in the fridge. I have got to try that for myself.
I am so happy to hear that you liked it. Thank you so much for letting me know.
Kerrie
my version of the recipe has ‘?’ in place of amount of melted coconut oil – can you tell me how much is needed please as I’d love to try this bread. Thank you!
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Kerry,
I have no idea why it was showing like that. I uploaded the recipe again and it seems like it is working now. I am so sorry for the inconvenience. It should be fine now.
Let me know if I can help in any way.
Louise
Looks delicious! what is the measurement for coconut oil?
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Louise,
I am sorry for the inconvenience. I have no idea why it was showing like that. I uploaded the recipe again and I see it working from my end. It is 1/3 cup coconut oil.
Please let me know if I can help in any way. Cheers!
Gena
What a wonderful, nourishing recipe this is! I love zucchini bread, and I can’t wait to try my hand at it.
Aysegul Sanford
Thank you Gena.. So happy to hear that you liked it.. 🙂
Sarah @ Snixy Kitchen
OMG YES! I get so so so stressed out watching the olympics! I made Lucas hold my hand at certain points too! Especially the gymnastics.
I’m loving this loaf and especially the video! The music is just perfect for it and the video is beautiful!
Aysegul Sanford
Than you my friend. Videos take a lot of time to make, but they are so much fun! 🙂
Tessa | Salted Plains
I grew up swimming competitively and knowing technical mishaps like false starts can happen at the Olympic level still make me so nervous! There is so much adrenaline coursing through you, it’s crazy those types of things don’t happen all the time! Stressful for sure.
When this recipe hit my inbox yesterday, I made a note to grab some zucchini at the market while I was shopping. I’m hoping to do a little gf swap for the wheat flour – I love the ingredients used here. And so loving your videos – they are excellent!!! xo.
Laura&Nora @Our Food Stories
love zucchini recipes so much lately as we have so many in the garden 😀 the bread looks so delicious and LOVE the photos <3
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four
What a gorgeous loaf of bread! It looks so tender and moist, and I love that you added in walnuts. Also, your video was fantastic! So well-done, my dear <3
Aysegul Sanford
Thank you Beeta. I really appreciate your kind words my friend. <3
Stephanie McKinnie
What a fun video! One day I’ll try my hand at one! We don’t have T.V. so not watching the Olympics. But yeah, so stressful! I like that your bread is not too sweet, it sounds perfect! xO
Aysegul Sanford
You should! It is a lot of work, but I love it. Plus, once you get a hang of it, it is not that hard to put it all together.
Thank you for stopping by my dear friend. <3
Louise | Cygnet Kitchen
I really must try doing some videos, yours is just fab, Aysegul. I have a vegan friend coming to stay next week and I always feel a little challenged when it comes to cooking for her! My husband is not a great lover of vegetables so I end up having to cook separately for him. I think we would all love this bread though, I can’t wait to try it! xx
Aysegul Sanford
Videos are a lot of work, but lots of fun. You should try too. If you have any questions or if I can help in any way, I am here for you my dear friend.
Baking vegan is challenging for sure, but I am learning. I also want to cut out granulated sugar from our lives. Again, baking with alternative sweeteners is a new thing to me, but I am working on it. Eventually, I want to turn this blog into a granulated/processed sugar free place. Hopefully soon. Cheers my friend. Lots of hellos and hugs to England.
Amanda @ Cookie Named Desire
I am not watching the Olympics this year. It just gives me too much anxiety for the reasons you mentioned! I cannot imagine what it must be like to train for the Olympics! I am really excited to try this bread, though. I love the warm, cozy feelings it gives me. Perfect with a cup of tea!
Aysegul Sanford
Oh tell me about it. I feel like I can’t breath sometimes. I guess it is the mother in me. I feel bad for them.
I hope you’ll like the cake. Looking forward to our chat on Monday. 🙂
Jennifer Farley
Delicious! Love the video 🙂
Aysegul Sanford
Thank you my friend. Can’t wait to see yours. Cheers!