If you’re looking for the best gluten-free zucchini bread, this recipe delivers a perfectly moist, tender loaf that’s easy to make and packed with flavor. It’s naturally sweetened, made with simple pantry staples, and is perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. Even non–gluten-free eaters love this zucchini bread — it’s that good.

This gluten-free zucchini bread comes together quickly, uses wholesome ingredients, and is a great way to use up extra zucchini while sneaking in some veggies.

I tested this recipe 3 times to get it perfect, and now I know all the tips to ensure that this bread doesn’t deflate, which is very common with zucchini bread because of the high moisture level. Because baking can be pretty delicate, there are a few extra steps in this recipe to make sure it turns out perfectly every time. Don’t be intimidated, I promise you’re going to nail it and absolutely love the result: a warm, chocolatey zucchini bread that is gluten-free and dairy-free. Let’s dive in!

zucchini bread ingredients

Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

  • Moist and tender — never dry or crumbly
  • Naturally sweetened with no refined sugar
  • Easy, beginner-friendly recipe
  • Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert
  • Freezer-friendly and great for meal prep

The Best Way to Use Your Zucchini

If you grow zucchini, you know how quickly it takes over your garden. When we moved into our house and finally had the space to plant a garden, growing organic vegetables was one of the first things I did. Every summer, my tomatoes and peppers do well — but my zucchini plant truly thrives.

By mid-season, I’m harvesting more zucchini than I know what to do with. That’s when this gluten-free zucchini bread becomes my go-to recipe. It’s the easiest (and tastiest) way to use up extra zucchini, and I make at least one loaf every year once the garden is in full swing.

This recipe turns fresh zucchini into a moist, flavorful loaf that’s perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert — and it’s a favorite whether you grow your own zucchini or grab some from the store.

 

Zucchini is naturally high in antioxidants, Vitamin A, and fiber – all important for digestion and overall health. 

Ingredients You Need:

  • Zucchini
  • Banana
  • Almond Butter (any nut or seed butter will do)
  • Maple Syrup
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Eggs
  • Almond Flour
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Coconut Sugar
  • Baking Soda
  • Sea Salt
  • Chocolate Chips

How to Make Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

  1. Preheat your oven and prepare a loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. Grate the zucchini and squeeze out excess moisture using a clean towel.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  5. Fold in the grated zucchini and any optional mix-ins.
  6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top.
  7. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let the bread cool completely before slicing for best texture.

Recipe Substitutions & Tips

This gluten-free zucchini bread recipe is versatile and easy to adapt to suit your taste or dietary needs. Here are some helpful substitutions and tips:

Nut & Seed Butters

The recipe calls for almond butter, but you can swap in peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter. Each will give the loaf a slightly different flavor, but all work beautifully.

Flour Options

  • Gluten-free: Stick with a high-quality gluten-free flour blend.
  • Regular flour: You can also use all-purpose flour if gluten isn’t a concern — just ensure proper measuring for best texture.

Sweeteners

  • Coconut sugar is suggested, but maple syrup, honey, or date syrup can work as natural alternatives. Adjust liquid ingredients slightly if using a liquid sweetener.

Mix-ins & Flavor Boosts

  • Chocolate chips, chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or dried fruit all work well.
  • A pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla extract can elevate the flavor.
Close-up of tender, moist slices of gluten-free zucchini bread
Moist gluten-free zucchini bread fresh from the oven with golden crust

Do You Leave the Skin on Zucchini When Making Bread?

Yes! You can leave the skin on zucchini when making zucchini bread. The skin won’t affect the taste or texture, and it actually adds extra nutrients. Bonus: leaving the skin on saves prep time and gives your loaf a little extra fiber and color.


Why Is My Zucchini Bread Crumbly?

The most common reason zucchini bread turns out crumbly is slicing it too soon. If you cut into the loaf while it’s still warm, it may fall apart. Letting the bread cool completely allows it to set properly and makes slicing much easier.

If you can’t wait to enjoy a slice, simply reheat individual pieces in a skillet, toaster, or microwave — it’ll taste just as delicious without crumbling.

Moist gluten-free zucchini loaf served for breakfast or snack with peanut butter

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

By Rachael DeVaux
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 1 Loaf
Tested this one multiple times until it came out PERFECT. I know you're going to love it, plus it's gluten-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free! If you're trying to use up your garden zucchinis like I am, give this a go 🙂

Ingredients 

  • 2 pasture-raised eggs
  • 1 mashed ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup almond butter, (any nut or seed butter to substitute)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, then drained + squeezed
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 pinches of nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate dairy-free chips, plus more for the topping

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Whisk or use electric mixer for all wet ingredients (everything through vanilla extract).
  • Shred zucchini and measure out in 2 cups. Fold paper towels about 4x, or use kitchen towel, and squeeze out all the liquid before adding to the mixing bowl. Whisk again until thoroughly mixed.
  • Next, gently fold in the dry ingredients, just enough until fully combined (don’t over stir!! It may not rise).
  • Prep loaf tin with parchment paper, then pour in batter. Top with chocolate chips then bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let cool for AT LEAST 40 minutes before you dive in. Trust me, it’s worth the wait! 😉

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Welcome! I’m Rachael.

I enjoy sharing my love for food and fitness. I'm a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, and a New York Times Bestselling author. Here you'll find all kinds of recipes and kitchen hacks, as well as workouts and fitness motivation. Enjoy! — xx Rachael

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Comments

  1. 2 stars
    This came out super moist, but not in a good way. I tried to toast it to see if that would help but it did not. Any suggestions? It seems like some people didn’t have this issue, mine was just not good.

    1. I’ve tried this recipe many times and love it. Sometimes if I don’t squeeze out the zucchini enough, it’s too moist. This last batch I added a bit more almond flour and it was great!!

    2. I should also say that I usually make these as muffins and bake for 22ish minutes. I like to do this to ensure the center has a better chance of cooking through properly.

  2. 5 stars
    I love this recipe!!! However this time I want to make them as muffins, how long would you recommend baking for? Thanks in advanced!

  3. 5 stars
    Absolutely love this recipe!! Only reason I don’t make it more often is because I’m too lazy to grate and remove the moisture from the zucchinis. This is one of my favorite bread recipes though – the zucchini adds moisture so it doesn’t taste like a crappy GF bakery item!!

    1. 5 stars
      I was a little scared of the mixture of these ingredients but still intrigued enough to try. I’m happy to say that this really surprised me and were awesome! The texture was so good and the flavor was really nice. My two year old son said “YUMMY MOMMY” when he tried them so we will def add this to our rotation.