It’s that time of year again, when the amount of zucchini coming from my garden, is far more than two humans could ever consume. So, I’ve been getting busy making zucchini noodles, chocolate zucchini muffins, raw zucchini bites, stuffed zucchini, crispy baked zucchini rounds and more.

However, while staring at a pile of fresh heirloom zucchini freshly picked from my garden over the weekend, I realized I hadn’t made zucchini bread in a very long time, in fact I hadn’t made bread of any kind in a long time. So I pulled out my favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and I got busy.

This Gluten-free Spiced Zucchini Bread has a delicate crumb and the perfect amount of spice. I like mine toasted with a little pat of coconut butter or real butter.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy zucchini?

This recipe was originally shared on the Free People Blog BLDG 25, as part of my ongoing Restricted Diet series.

[print_this]Gluten-Free Spiced Zucchini Bread
makes 1 loaf

• 1 full cup of grated zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup light coconut sugar or other granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup olive oil or coconut oil
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with coconut oil and set aside.

Place the shredded zucchini into some paper towels and gently squeeze out any excess moisture then set aside.

Put the all-purpose gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground flax seeds, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. In another large bowl add sugar, oil, eggs, coconut milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Whisk thoroughly until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat (by hand or with mixer) until well combined. Fold in the grated zucchini and the walnuts, if using. (I always reserve just a little of each to sprinkle over the tops of the loaves).

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, using a spatula to even out the top. Sprinkle over the reserved zucchini and nuts to the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean.

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the loaf from the pan and let cool completely on the rack. As hard as it can be, I allow the bread to cool for at least an hour, if not longer, before slicing into it.

Once cooled, bread can be wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. [/print_this]