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!
Sounds very good; think I will like as a breakfast food.
I was just recently diagnosed with Celiac and I just love all the recipes that I have tried so far and looking forward to this one too!
Sounds awesome. I should have some zucchini coming out of my garden in the next few weeks to try this with!
This sounds great! A wonderful way to boost the nutritional content of a yummy way to use all that zucchini
I’ve never had split peas but I love lentils so I’ll have to try this recipe!
I love zucchini bread and this recipe looks delicious. Will be going to the store tomorrow to get some zucchini so that I can bake it. Thanks for a great recipe!
I love the combination of this recipe. When I make my split pea soup I will just cook some extra peas to use in the bread. For that matter they should be great served together.
Always looking for more recipes for my zucchini. Thank you for a new bread version.
This sounds like a wonderful recipe and I can’t wait to try it. I’ve been making zucchini pancakes and using some lentil flour in them. Please keep posting recipes like this!
This recipe looks and tastes great! Thanks for the great help in my fight against “gluten-breach”! And in answer to Amanda, yes, I cook with agave, and it works in almost all quick breads. Haven’t found one yet that it doesn’t work in, but I haven’t tried them all yet, so I can’t say “all”. Kudos to Jules for all her great recipes and ideas! Thanks!
Wonder what this would taste like with pecans and dried apricots? I love those in zucchini bread.
Myself and 2 of my childern just found out we have Celiac 2 weeks ago. They LOVE zucchini bread and I am excited to try this new recipe. I just got my Jules GF flour in the mail last week! Thanks Jules!
Sounds good and will be a good recipe to try with zucchini from my garden later on.
JULES, A VERY INTERESTING RECIPE TO TRY. THANK YOU.
I am excited to try this recipe.
This zucchini bread recipe looks yummy! I can’t wait to try it with the veggies I hope to grow in our garden this summer!
I tried leaving a message here earlier but I don’t see it-trying again!
Wow! I am sooooooo excited to try these recipes! I love healthier recipes for the kids and such!
I love the added pea puree idea! This definately would add to the color and the peas are hidding from less than enthusiastic family members. who would guess that the word zuchinni is a synonym for pea puree!!
This looks like an AMAZING recipe. I’ll bet it would go great with some nice cold gazpacho this summer!
I run the bakery at a small college and have several students with food allergies/sensitivities that I bake for. I’m always looking for new recipes and can’t wait to try this one!
thanks!