If there’s any way to make homemade gluten free zucchini bread better, it’s to make it better FOR you!
Not that you’d ever know that this moist and flavorful quick bread was healthy in any way. There are little flecks of green dotted throughout, giving away the fact that this is zucchini bread, of course, but most of us have long since lost any hang-ups we might have had in thinking of zucchini bread as health food.
Of course I have other gluten free zucchini bread recipes (even one with pumpkin AND zucchini and another with chocolate, coffee AND zucchini) — and I love them! — but this one is fun too, especially knowing I can have extra extra slices because of the extra extra nutrition tucked inside from the secret ingredients.
What secret ingredients? you would be justified in asking.
Peas or lentils! Now before you turn up your nose at the thought, I promise you’d never know! They are cooked up and puréed, then added to the bread batter for moisture, vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein.
I give lots of other options with this recipe — you know I love to give options! — so it’s easy to make this recipe vegan and to use what you’ve got in the fridge. So no excuses! I hope you get to try this recipe one day soon, and I hope you love it! Remember, you can always still make one of my other gluten free zucchini bread recipes, or any other zucchini recipe on my site. There are so many options!!!
I’ve never been opposed to increasing fiber, protein, vitamins, and complex carbs in my foods, but only where the end result is a dish that’s just as yummy, moist and aftertaste-free as it would have been without the nutritional boost.
So without further ado, I present to you the peas & lentils recipe that intrigued you the most: Gluten Free Veggie Zucchini Bread!
Gluten Free Veggie Zucchini Bread
What could make homemade gluten free zucchini bread better? Making it even better FOR you!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks
- 2 large eggs or egg substitute (like 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas, apple puree or applesauce, or canned pumpkin)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (dairy or non-dairy sour cream OR plain coconut or soy yogurt like So Delicious®)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup split pea purée
- 2 cups gfJules™ Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal (optional, or use gfJules Flour)
- 1 Tbs. cinnamon
- 1 Tbs. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 cups packed fresh zucchini, unpeeled and grated (approximately 1 1/2 zucchini squash)
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- Cinnamon-sugar mixture to sprinkle on top
Instructions
Measure and rinse 1/2 cup dried split peas. Add to a large saucepan with 1 1/4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then reduce to simmer, cover and continue to cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until the peas are quite soft, but not falling apart. Drain, then purée, using a food processor, blender or a potato masher. Add water by tablespoons to purée if necessary to thin it — peas should be the consistency of canned pumpkin when done.
Measure out 1/2 cup of purée for the recipe and if there is any remaining, cover and refrigerate for use in other recipes — it will keep for 3-4 days or longer, if frozen.
To prepare the bread:
Preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325° F (convection).
Beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, then add the eggs or egg substitute, sour cream, vanilla and cooled pea purée – mix well.
Sift together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then pour slowly into the wet ingredient bowl and beat together until integrated. Fold in the zucchini and nuts, if using. The batter will be fairly stiff.
Oil one loaf pan and scoop batter into pan, then smooth with a rubber spatula. If using mini loaf pans, oil 5-6 pans; if using muffin tins, oil 24 muffin tins. Fill each no more than one-half full, then sprinkle the tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake large loaf for 50-55 minutes; mini loaf pans for 30-35 minutes; muffins for 20-30 minutes. Test the middles with a toothpick to be sure they are cooked through before removing to cool on a wire rack. Do not overbake!
Don’t forget to pin for later!
Can this be made sugar free? Maybe add fruit instead of cane sugar?
Hi Abbie, the sugar in this recipe is there for more than sweetening purposes. It actually contributes to the structure of the recipe as well, and combines with the fats to provide the nice texture of the loaf, as well. If you were to just add fruit, the loaf would be dense and wet, and I’m not sure you would be satisfied. Are there other granulated sweeteners that you would prefer besides cane? Like maple sugar or coconut palm sugar or stevia for baking?
~jules
Can the cinnamon be left out? Also, what are subs for flax, bananas, and apple (except pumpkin)? I have multiple allergies but ok with eggs/dairy.
Hi Carolyn, the cinnamon may be left out. The flax, banana, apple and pumpkin are all possible subs for eggs, so just use the eggs since you can tolerate those. Enjoy!
~jules
Hi Looking for bread recipes but I have difficulties. My daughter is Keto, My son has celiac disease and is Lactose intollerant AND my grand daughter has a deadly peanut and pea protein allergy which acan be fatal so…..I have to be VERY careful what goes into a recipe around here…..Please advise if you have a SAFE bread recipe for all of the above.
I will be a fan forever if you can….. Best regards, Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, ALL of my products are GLUTEN FREE, LACTOSE FREE, PEANUT-FREE and PEA-PROTEIN-FREE. I am getting ready to release a flour that should meet all of those needs, however, so make sure you’re on my email newsletter list so you can be the first to learn of the release!
~jules
Allergic to peas, can you suggest something else (also allergic to bananas).
Hi Connie, if you can tolerate lentils, but not peas, of course that’s an easy substitution. Otherwise, just switch over to my regular gluten free zucchini bread recipe (no peas or lentils involved!).
~jules
So good My snack and soo healthy. Thank – You..
I’m glad you loved it!
Jules,
What would we do without you?!? Please don’t ever let us find out. I can’t wait to give this one a try. You are always so thorough with your recipes. I so appreciate that. Thank you!!! Meg
Ah, thanks Meg! That’s so sweet!!! Enjoy this recipe – my family and all our guests loved it on Mother’s Day. I did the big “reveal” after everyone devoured them and wanted seconds. Of course, my mother and I were the only GF eaters there, as well, and that didn’t seem to matter! Enjoy!
This sounds wonderful, have lots of zucchini from my garden !!! Will be trying this very soon
It’s a great recipe, Erin – hope you love it!
Great recipe!
This looks so yummy! (: My mom and sister have celiac and I’ve gone on a baking spree. Yesterday was cupcakes, today was soft pretzels and peanut butter cookies and tomorrow is blueberry muffins and chocolate cookies! (:
this bread looks FANTASTIC. cant wait to get my flour and try it out! my hubby will flip!
I’ve got crohn’s disease and am looking forward to trying this awesome GL free bread!
Thank you for sharing!
I will definitely try this one out! So excited about the veggies in hiding.