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!!!
Oh, and if you’re interested in more recipes using pea or lentil purée, I’ve slipped these healthy little jewels into Chilled Pea or Lentil Salad, Pumpkin Hummus, Zucchini Bread, Veggie Burgers and Chocolate Cake.
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!
i am so excited to try a hearty, fulfilling bread packed with zucchini and the summer season begins. i just began a gluten free diet, not easy, but hoping to see health benefits!
This looks so tasty, looking forward to giving it a try.
Thanks for remembering those of us with food allergies by listing baking alternatives to problem ingredients!
Always looking for new g/f recipes. My 6 y/o granddaughter is celiac AND Type I diabetic. Your recipes are a godsend! And before you know it it will be zucchini season in Iowa! Thank you Jules!
Interesting. I love Zucchini Bread and look forward to trying this recipe. Always looking for ways to make old favorites better for you.
This is a great way to incorporate non-traditional veggies into baked goods! Sounds delicious!
This will be great this summer when we have way too much zucchini!
Yummmmmmmy!
I love lentils!
Your flour has offered my family the chance to “normalize” our past family favorite recipes. While I can’t say that “peas” in our zucchini bread was ever on the radar screen, it is quite an interesting idea. I, too, have tried to sneak in those veggie servings in unexpected places. Thanks for the latest idea.
Wow, finally a way to make gluten free baked goods a little healthier! Too many recipes don’t have much fiber. And thanks for the non-dairy alternatives, too.
What a great recipe! I am always looking for tasty recipes that have the added bonus of healthful ingredients.
Yes, zucchini bread is delicious. It adds a good amount of moisture to the bread. I like to add chopped nuts. A bit more flax seeds gives a nuttier flavor. A bit less sugar gives a great balance to not-too-sweet. Warm with spread, nothin’ better to wake up your tastebuds. Thanks!
Subterfuge–I love it. I can serve chocolate cake to my two young grandsons and they’ll never know they’re actually eating veggies. (I’m not dumb enough to tell them why I’m smiling so broadly as they munch happily away!)
Happy to have a recipe that actually has good fiber in it
This looks delicious!! I love that there are “good for you” ingredients hidden in there.
I will definitely try this recipe. We are growing zucchini this summer, so we will hopefully have lots to use. Thanks for great gluten-free recipes!
I love all of your recipes and appreciate how you always pass on useful information and cool deals. It’s a joy to follow you on your blog. Thanks so much
We love zucchini bread here and can’t wait to try this version!
I’ll definitely keep this one handy when zucchini season is in full swing. I’m hoping it doesn’t taste ‘beany’ but will give it a try.