I am always looking for something new for me and my hubby to have for breakfast with our morning coffee. Definitely a coffee addict! My day doesn’t start without an amazing cup of coffee (right now I have a pound of coffee from Oren’s I got from New York City in Grand Central) and pair it with something delicious and usually healthy. This Healthy Zucchini Bread definitely fits the bill.
Usually, for breakfast, I will either do scrambled eggs with cheese (sometimes adding turkey sausage or veggies depending on what I have in the house), breakfast quesadillas, yogurt, or some other “creation of the week”. Whatever I make is usually in large quantities and we have it for breakfast all week. Definitely, a great time-saving and money-saving tip. Sometimes its cookies (yes cookies for breakfast) of a crazy variety I whipped up or it is some kind of pastry I came up with or attempted.
I have always been a fan of Zucchini Bread but never attempted to make it, until I came across this recipe from Cookieandkate.com which is a healthy version of Zucchini Bread. This peeked my interest because I love anything that is a healthier version of a delicious original.
When I first read her post on her blog for her healthy Zucchini Bread, I laughed because she incorporated a story about her dog in the post.
That just reminded me of my little furry “son” who has to always eat what I cook. My dog Oreo goes crazy when I am in the kitchen. He always knows when I am going to whip up something new. He literally won’t leave my side the whole time I am cooking. It’s pretty darn cute! It’s like I have my own little apprentice in the kitchen. Partly he’s by my side because he loves me and the other part is he is hoping I drop some crumbs his way.
Besides my hubby, he probably is my #2 fan. He especially loves when I make breakfast and mix some of my eggs with his food. He licks the bowl clean.
This fluffy Healthy Zucchini Bread recipe is made healthier with whole grains, honey (or maple syrup) and coconut oil instead of butter. (It was also Oreo and my hubby approved!)! It’s delicious and you won’t feel guilty going for a second piece! Hope you enjoy!
Healthy Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- ¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts or pecans optional
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk of choice or water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon + more to swirl on top
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fine-grain sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini you’ll need 1 small-to-medium zucchini about 7 ounces—if your grated zucchini is very wet, squeeze out the excess moisture over the sink before stirring it into the batter
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup, and grease a 9” x 5” loaf pan (or a small loaf pan) to prevent the bread from sticking.
- Once the oven has finished preheating, pour the chopped nuts onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey. Beat them with a whisk until they are combined. Add the eggs and beat well. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 20 seconds in the microwave.)
- Add the milk, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and nutmeg, and whisk to blend. Switch to a big spoon and stir in the zucchini, then add the flour and stir just until combined. Some lumps are ok! Gently fold in the toasted nuts now.
- Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan (I used a small Bundt pan) and sprinkle lightly with additional cinnamon.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing it with a sharp, serrated knife.
