With zucchini being one of the easier things to grow in your garden during the summer season, having various uses is a must! This healthy zucchini bread with applesauce and carrots is delicious right out of the oven or can be frozen for later treats!
This recipe comes from my great-aunt. I grew up LOVING zucchini bread and have enjoyed taking her simple recipe and customizing it with applesauce, carrots, coconut, nuts, and even pineapple sometimes. Make it your own!
This recipe comes from my great-aunt. I grew up LOVING zucchini bread and have enjoyed taking her simple original recipe and customizing it with applesauce, carrots, coconut, nuts, and even pineapple sometimes. Make it your own!
Prepare the Fresh Zucchini
- You don’t need to peel the zucchini or deseed it. However, if you’re using an overgrown zucchini, you will want to remove the seeds before shredding the zucchini. this applesauce zucchini bread recipe is a great way to use up the overgrown summer zucchini.
- Use a box grater or food processor to grate zucchini.
- Don’t salt, drain, or squeeze out the excess moisture from the shredded zucchini, it will help ensure you end up with moist bread.
- If you’re using shredded zucchini that has been previously frozen, thaw it in a bowl to retain the excess moisture that is released when it thaws.
Tips for Moist Zucchini Bread
It is all too easy for zucchini bread recipes to turn out dry, but there are a few tricks to ensure yours does not!
DO NOT OVER MIX. This recipe mixes the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Once you mix them together however, you MUST make sure to only stir until you see no more dry ingredients. Over mixing is a sure fire way to end up with dry bread.
Do not squeeze the moisture out of the grated zucchini. That wetness helps a lot!
Substituting some of the oil for unsweetened applesauce. This also helps it come out a bit lighter in texture. Our homemade applesauce works wonderfully in this recipe.
Ways to Customize Your Zucchini Carrot Bread
- Pineapple Zucchini Bread – Add crushed pineapple, about 1/2 cup partially drained
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread – Add chocolate chips. Pretty sure these are measured with your heart, not a measuring cup.
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread – Substitute 1 cup flour for 1 cup cocoa powder
- Substitute walnuts for pecans
- Substitute the cinnamon for pumpkin spice for even more Fall flavor
- Add zest of one orange or lemon
- Add 1/2 cup of blueberries or cranberries
- Top with a lemon or orange glaze
- Top with a cream cheese frosting
Make Zucchini Muffins Instead of Loaves
One of the things about quick breads is that you can use the same recipe, bake it in a muffin tin and have muffins. Zucchini muffins freeze just as beautifully as full loaves and are great to add to school lunchboxes, for breakfast on the go, or as an afternoon snack. Use cupcake paper cups to ensure they don’t stick. Muffins usually take around 20-25 minutes to bake.
FAQ
For this easy zucchini bread recipe, there is no need to peel your zucchini before you grate it. You’ll see little flecks of green in your bread and it will be delicious.
Nope! This helps keep the loaf nice and moist instead of dried out.
If the zucchini was one of the sneaky ones that stayed in the garden too long and is extremely large, scooping out the seeds is a good idea. They can be tough and a bit bitter. For zucchinis you typically see in the store, you do not need to worry about the seeds.
One small-medium zucchini will be about 1 cup grated. Be sure to trim off the stem and base first. But this recipe is super versatile and it will be fine if you have a little extra zucchini in it.
Depending on your loaf size, it usually takes 50-60 minutes to fully bake. Insert a toothpick in the center to test. Loaves and muffins are done when the toothpick comes out clean.
If it is going to be eaten in a few days, on the counter in a bread bin, covered cake stand, or wrapped in plastic wrap will be fine. Store loaves or muffins in an airtight container in your fridge for up to one week if you need longer. Store in your freezer up to four months.
Freezing Healthy Zucchini Carrot Bread
Let your loaves or muffins cool to room temperature. Wrap loaves in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil or butcher paper before placed in the freezer. I like to put a couple muffins in quart freezer bags to thaw a couple at a time for later.
Looking for more ways to use or preserve zucchini? Check these out!
4 Ways to Preserve Zucchini to Use Later
Zucchini Calzone
How to Make a Farm Fresh Frittata
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Healthy Zucchini Carrot Bread with Applesauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Set the oven to 350 degrees
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl
- Add sugar, vanilla, oil, applesauce, zucchini, and carrot to the eggs. Mix well and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients together- flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nuts.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the zucchini mix. Stir only until just mixed or the bread will be dry.
- Pour batter evenly into two greased loaf pans. You can line the pans with parchment paper if you choose.
- Bake for about 1 hour, checking for doneness around 50 minutes.
- Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes and then cool completely on a baking rack.
- If adding a glaze or frosting, ensure the loaves are completely cooled before frosting.