HEALTHY PUMPKIN ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPE – WHOLE WHEAT & WFPB
This healthy Pumpkin Zucchini Bread is warm, spiced, and bursting with fall flavors. It's a moist, delicious, and wholesome treat made with whole wheat pastry flour and no refined sugar!
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 Box grater
- 1 loaf/bread pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour (180g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (180g pumpkin puree, unsweetened)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (120g)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (80ml)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (150g shredded zucchini, lightly squeezed to remove excess moisture)
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts (30g chopped walnuts, optional)
- ¼ cup raisins (40g raisins or chopped dates, optional)
- pumpkin seeds (optional, for garnishing)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or use a silicone loaf pan.
- Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar until well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Be careful not to overmix; this activates the gluten too much and may make the bread tough.
- Add Zucchini and Optional Ingredients: Gently fold in the shredded zucchini, walnuts, and raisins or dates (if using).
- Transfer to the Loaf Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it out evenly. Optionally, add some walnuts and/or pumpkin seeds for garnishing.
- Bake: Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too much before the bread is done, you can loosely cover it with foil.
- Cool and Serve: Let the zucchini pumpkin bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Flour Substitution: You can substitute for whole wheat flour. I haven’t tried it yet with other flours.
- Spices: Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking. For a simpler flavor, you can use just cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice instead of the blend of spices.
- Zucchini Moisture: Lightly squeeze out the excess moisture from the shredded zucchini to prevent the bread from becoming too wet. However, don't press out all the liquid; leaving some moisture helps keep the bread tender.
- Sweetness Adjustment: If you prefer a less sweet bread, reduce the maple syrup to ¼ cups. You can also substitute maple syrup with date syrup for different flavor profiles.
- Optional Mix-ins: For a nut-free version, omit the walnuts and replace them with additional raisins, dates, or chocolate chips. You can also mix in dried cranberries or sunflower seeds for a different twist.
- Overmixing: When combining wet and dry ingredients, stir until just mixed to avoid activating the gluten too much, which can result in tougher bread.
- Baking Tip: Check the bread at the 45-minute mark; if the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning while the center finishes baking.
- Storage: Leftover bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week. For longer storage, wrap slices individually and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Pumpkin Tip: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugars and spices!
- Make Pumpkin Zucchini Muffin: scoop the batter into a lined muffin tin, bake at 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F (175°C) for 13-17 minutes until fully baked.