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Spiced Zucchini Apple Bread is perfect when the end-of-summer zucchini harvest meets the first fall apples! It's a cozy fall baking recipe that's a bit healthier and nutrient-dense, packed with a whole zucchini and whole apple, walnuts, raisins, almond flour and baked with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Sweetened with less brown sugar and made moist with applesauce and yogurt instead of oil, a warm slice makes a nutritious breakfast, mid-morning snack or afterschool treat!
- Fall Baking - As the season changes and the chilly weather makes for cozy fall baking, I'm so ready for apple and pumpkin season, but I've still got a pile of garden zucchini on my counter! This loaf is all apple cinnamon flavor, but zucchini is that healthy veggie you can sneak into baked goods without it adding any taste! Try these 15 Ways to Use Garden Zucchini!
- Healthier Baking - I just don't want to bake with vegetable oil and a cup of sugar in a loaf of quick bread anymore! I'd much rather sub healthy ingredients, add extra protein, and let my kids eat it as a snack that feels like a treat! Check out my ebook for lots more ways to do this, The Healthier Baking Cookbook!
- Love Healthier Baking? Try these Chocolate Zucchini Muffins and this Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Fresh ingredients plus pantry staples, this apple cinnamon bread will have your kitchen smelling like autumn!
- Zucchini - Use garden zucchini or one from the store. Be sure to shred it with the regular side of a box grater. Then add it to a glass measuring cup, and really press the water out. Garden zucchini has more liquid than grocery store zucchini, so really try to remove as much as you can. I used a full small-sized zucchini, but you can use a portion of a larger one. It's great to bake with the ones that got overgrown!
- Apple - Use one fresh apple, chopped into small pieces, no need to peel. Any apple variety is fine, use something medium in size, or if using a very large apple, just don't use all of it.
- Brown Sugar - Just ⅓ cup sweetens the whole loaf since the applesauce, apple, and raisins provide a bit of natural sweetness. I love making Homemade Brown Sugar, try it next time you run out!
- Plain Yogurt - Adds moisture and extra protein without any oil. Regular or Greek yogurt both work.
- Applesauce - Replaces the oil that most quick bread recipes use and doubles the apple flavor. We love apple picking in the fall and making a big batch of Homemade Applesauce for the Freezer.
- Eggs - Two eggs bind the batter and add structure and richness.
- Raisins - Pockets of natural sweetness throughout the bread that plump up during baking. Dried cranberries or cherries could be substituted.
- Walnuts - Adds a little crunch and nutritious protein to the bread, making each slice feel more substantial. Pecans are a great substitute.
- Flour and Almond Flour - A combination of both gives the best result, regular flour provides structure and lift while almond flour adds extra protein.
- Cinnamon, Ginger, and Nutmeg - The classic warm spice combination for fall baking. Cinnamon is the strongest flavor with ginger and nutmeg adding warmth and depth in the background. If you're out of ginger or nutmeg, you could get by leaving either one out.
See recipe card below for full quantities.
Instructions
Apple Zucchini Bread can be mixed in one bowl, popped in the oven, and there's no need to check on it until the timer's up!
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Shred the zucchini and chop the apple.
Step 2 - Add the zucchini to a glass measuring cup and really press the water out with the back of your fingers or your fist.
Pour it off over the sink, 1 small sized zucchini will give you about a cup shredded.
Step 3 - Add the apple and zucchini to a bowl along with the wet ingredients. Mix to combine.
Step 4 - Add the flour, almond flour, spices, walnuts and raisins and mix.
Step 5 - Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
Step 6 - Bake for 70 to 75 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick and cook 5 minutes more as needed.
Cool on the stovetop for 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Don't Open the Oven Door - This is the most common mistake in baking. Opening the oven door to peek can cause your zucchini apple bread to sink in the middle when it's trying to rise. It needs consistent heat while rising, so don't open the oven door for at least 70 minutes (unless you know your oven tends to run hot).
- Squeeze the Zucchini Really Well - Too much water in the batter is the most common reason a quick bread is dense, soggy, or doesn't cook through. Press the grated zucchini firmly in the measuring cup and drain over the sink. Use your fist to press it as hard as you can, garden zucchini especially holds a lot of water.
- Serve from the Loaf Pan - This is a nutrient-dense loaf! It's pretty tricky to remove it from the pan and cut into clean slices. Instead I just store it in the loaf pan and cut and lift slices out with a fork.
- Storage - Extra apple zucchini bread can be left covered on the counter for 2 days (I usually slip the whole loaf pan in a bread bag), refrigerated a few days longer, or frozen for 3 months. Ours usually gets eaten within a day or two!
Recipe FAQs
The almond flour adds protein, but you can use all-purpose flour or substitute oat flour or another nut flour.
Yes, thaw frozen zucchini and drain very well before using. Frozen zucchini releases a lot of water as it thaws and needs to be pressed firmly in a dish towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
Yes, the nuts and raisins give your apple bread a little more hearty substance, but they are easy to swap or leave out. Substitute chopped walnuts or sliced almonds, or dried cranberries, cherries or another dried fruit.
A few things can cause sinking, most likely peeking and opening the oven door too early, not baking long enough (70 to 75 minutes), or too much moisture from undrained zucchini. A slight settling is normal for a moist healthier loaf. And if it sinks significantly, it's probably still fine to eat, just extend the bake time by 5 minute increments and make sure the zucchini is well drained next time.
More Apple and Zucchini Baking!
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Spiced Zucchini Apple Bread
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 small zucchini shredded (excess liquid squeezed out)
- 1 apple chopped
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup plain yogurt
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ⅓ cup walnuts chopped
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Shred the zucchini, add to a glass measuring cup, and use the back of your fingers (or fist) to squeeze out as much liquid as possible and pour it out into the sink. Chop the apple, no need to peel.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the zucchini, apple, brown sugar, yogurt, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add all the remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Pour the batter into a glass loaf pan and bake for 70 to 75 minutes. Check for doneness and bake another 5 minutes as needed.
- Allow to cool before slicing. Serve with plenty of butter.
Notes
- Zucchini - Use a small-sized zucchini (or just a portion of a larger one). Shred on the regular side of a box grater and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- Apple - Use a medium, regular-sized apple, any variety.
- Don't Open the Oven - Don't open the oven door to peek while your bread is baking, this can cause it to sink in the middle while it's trying to rise.
Nutrition
If you love healthier baking, find more similar recipes in The Healthier Baking Cookbook (ebook)!
With healthier swaps like oats, nuts, yogurt, and maple syrup, this ebook is for you!
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