Zucchini Apple Bread

Tender, moist, lightly sweetened zucchini bread with the delightful flavor of autumn apples and crunchy walnuts, this zucchini apple bread is simply wonderful. Made with white whole wheat flour to give it extra fiber and texture, this appley bread has a lovely crumb and goes perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Personally, I love a slice in the morning with my chai latte because what’s better than apple bread with chai?

I did briefly consider throwing a bit of chai tea INTO the bread and I may do that one of these days, but for my initial zucchini apple bread voyage I was at my parents’ place and I didn’t have a lot of chai available. When I got home with a box full of my dad’s honeycrisp apples, I just HAD to make it again, partly because I just wanted more, partly because I had zucchini and loads of apples to play with, but also so I could share this yumminess with you, my dear foodie friends.

So if you still have zucchini from the garden (my zucchini plant is still going strong!) and the apples are starting to roll in (or fall off the tree, as they tend to do), use some of that good harvest abundance to make bread. The awesome part about this recipe is it makes two loaves: one for you, one to share. Because why not spread the zucchini apple love?

Do you have to peel the apples? or the zucchini?

Gosh no! There’s no need to peel either the apple or the zucchini! The peel is where all the nutrients lie, so it’s best to leave that pretty peel on. Just cut out the core of the apple, cut into chunks and toss it in the food processor (I used my little Ninja chopper). A few pulses of the chopper and you have nice little flecks of apple and zucchini, all ready to toss into the bread. (If you don’t have a mini food processor or handi chopper, you can certainly chop the old fashioned way using a knife, but seriously, a Ninja chopper doesn’t cost much and it saves a TON of time in the kitchen!)

The apple peel totally disappears into the bread, but you might see some little green flecks from the zucchini. Personally, I think they’re a beautiful reminder that I’m getting some veggies in my body while I’m enjoying my apple-tasting bread.

What kind of apples to use?

I think you could use just about any sweet, good tasting apple that you like for this apple zucchini bread. I’ve tried it with red apples from my mom and dad’s mystery tree (came with the house … we really don’t know what kind of apple it is!) and also with my dad’s honeycrisp apples and both turned out really well. If you are using a tart apple, you might want to add a little more sugar.

Do you have to squeeze the water out of the zucchini?

No, even if your zucchini is super wet, there is no need to squeeze the water out! We’re using the zucchini to add moisture to the bread here, folks. Squeezing out the water kind of defeats the purpose. Now, if your zucchini leaves a puddle of water in the bottom of the chopper, you can pour that out if you like, but seriously, you do not need to go squeezing your zucchini.

I’m personally not a fan of squeezing zucchini unless you’re making something like zucchini pizza crust, where it’s really necessary.

Can I make this bread gluten free?

I made the bread with white whole wheat flour but I’ve had good results when making quickbreads with gluten free flour, so I’m certain it would work well in this recipe as well.

Can I make this bread egg free?

Yes! I actually tried this the second time I made it because I was low on eggs … stir together 3 Tablespoons chia seeds (or flaxmeal) with 7-8 Tablespoons water. Wait about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens, then add to the batter.

How do I make this bread vegan?

To make the bread vegan, use the chia or flax egg substitute and substitute melted coconut oil (or avocado oil) for the butter.

Adapted from Mom on Timeout

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