I'm just going to come out and say it - zucchini bread isn't the healthiest way to use up zucchini. It could be the oil. Or the sugar. Or the general carbification of a vegetable. I don't know what about it would be the most unhealthy, but it's just not the best thing for you.

I'm sorry if I ruined your day with that revelation. I just had to get it off my chest.

What zucchini bread is, however, is darn tasty. Tasty enough that most of the time I just don't care about the oil, or the sugar or the general carbification of what would normally be a healthy food. It is the reason I buy zucchini half the time, and it is something I crave so much in the winter that I freeze summer zucchini just so I can make it year round. 

If you like zucchini bread, like me, and want a slightly more healthy way to enjoy it, this recipe is for you. It is a lightened recipe I've tweaked over the years to make into the perfect zucchini bread. It is still moist, fragrant with spices, and deliciously sweet, but it only has 1/3 cup of oil in two loaves. It has wheat flour without being dense, and still uses a hefty 2 cups of shredded zucchini. It is everything you love in zucchini bread, with a lot less of the things you don't love. If you have garden zucchini coming out of your ears or if you just want an excuse to buy some at the farmer's market, give this bread a try. 

Light Zucchini Bread

By Heat Oven To 350 Published 08/12/2013

Ingredients

• 2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup egg substitute (or 4 egg whites)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• cooking spray

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place zucchini on several layers of paper towels, and cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally to remove excess moisture from zucchini shreds.
2. Combine flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir together to mix.
3. In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, applesauce, egg substitute, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Stir together to combine. Add to dry ingredients and mix until dry ingredients are completely moistened. (The dough will be stiff)
4. Spray two (7 1/2 x3 inch) loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly between two pans and bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove from pans and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: 2 loaves
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 hour 15 min

Recipe Source: adapted from Cooking Light

Posted in: Breads