Vegan Paleo Zucchini Bread with Cassava Flour

This paleo zucchini bread starts with a base of tahini or other nut butter and maple syrup, and gets a tender crumb from cassava and tapioca flours, all studded with pockets of gooey melted chocolate. This easy zucchini recipe is also grain-free, vegan, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.

Created in partnership with Bob's Red Mill.

Apparently, many of you dear readers LOVE tahini recipes and paleo desserts just like me. And we all need more zucchini recipes to use up late summer's bounty, like oat flour zucchini bread and savory zucchini fritters.

So when I shared some behind-the-scenes testing of this paleo zucchini bread recipe on Instagram, you all couldn't wait to get your hands on the recipe. It took me about 10 tries to get it just right, but the wait is over. I'm thrilled to share the recipe with you today, along with a video showing how easy it is to make.

Effortless Zucchini Bread for Everyone

This vegan paleo zucchini bread gets a hint of toasty sesame flavor from tahini, warm notes of maple and vanilla, and pockets of gooey dark chocolate. It's sweet enough to call dessert, but it makes a nourishing accompaniment to brunch or afternoon tea. The texture is what keeps me coming back for more, with a springy, moist crumb from cassava and tapioca flours, plus a flax (or regular) egg.

I adapted this recipe from my vegan paleo banana bread recipe while experimenting with a grain-free diet health reasons. Though challenging at times, I've enjoyed getting to know with new-to-me flours like cassava flour, which I used here!

This recipe uses only two (!) flours, and if you don't have them on hand, I've given substitution suggestions. It comes together with just a whisk and a bowl. Pop it in the oven and you're less than an hour away from zucchini bread bliss.

Ingredients for paleo vegan zucchini bread

Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions

Zucchini are the star of this show. Look for smaller zucchini – 8 inches or smaller – as those will have lower water content and fewer seeds.
Tahini and maple syrup form the base of this bread, the tahini adding richness, and the maple syrup adding sweetness and moisture. I usually use runny tahini, but this should work fine with a thicker tahini too. My current favorite brand is Soom – it's silky smooth with a mild, not-at-all-bitter flavor.
Oil adds richness. I've been using grapeseed or sunflower oil for their mild taste, but untoasted sesame oil would be great. Olive oil and avocado oil would work too.
Vanilla adds sweet, floral notes and salt sharpens the flavors.
Cassava and tapioca flours from Bob's Red Mill work together to build structure and a tender, springy crumb. Cassava and tapioca come from the same root, but cassava is less processed and contains more fiber. Tapioca has had all of the fiber removed, making it starchy and sticky. Arrowroot flour can stand in for tapioca. If you don't have these flours on hand, try replacing both with 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (wheat, gluten-free, or paleo).
Chocolate tastes lovely against the tahini and maple in this loaf. I prefer a bittersweet chocolate with around 70% cacao. If you want to keep this refined sugar-free, use naturally sweetened chocolate such as Hu or Joya.

Method

grated zucchini for vegan paleo zucchini bread — Step 1: Grate the zucchini on the fine holes of a box grater. If your grater only has larger holes, that should work fine too.

whisking wet ingredients for grain-free zucchini bread — Step 2: Whisk together the flax egg, tahini, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla until smooth and emulsified.

stirring grated zucchini bread into batter for paleo chocolate zucchini bread — Step 3: Stir in the zucchini.

Step 4: Sift in the flours, leavening, and salt.

dry ingredients stirred into easy paleo zucchini bread batter — Step 5: Stir until almost combined.

Adding chocolate to paleo chocolate zucchini bread recipe — Step 6: Add the chocolate.

Chocolate stirred into paleo chocolate chip zucchini bread — Step 7: Stir until combined.

Paleo bread batter in pan, ready to bake — Step 8: Spread into a loaf pan and top with chocolate and sesame seeds, if using.

gluten-free zucchini bread baked in a pan — Step 9: Bake, cool, slice, and enjoy!

Healthy chocolate chip zucchini bread sliced on a board, 3/4 angle

Do I need to squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini first?

Some recipes call for placing the shredded zucchini in a clean towel and squeezing out much of the liquid. I formulated this recipe to use the liquid in the zucchini to add moisture, so as long as you're using small-ish zucchini (under 8 inches long) you don't have to do that.

However, if your zucchini are large, they may have a higher water content. In this case, place the shredded zucchini in a clean towel and squeeze out some of the liquid. Measure or weigh the zucchini shreds after you have squeezed so that you have 3/4 cup or 165 grams post-squeezing.

Can you make zucchini bread with yellow squash?

Yes you can! Just make sure the squash are on the small side.

Stack of tahini zucchini bread slices with drippy tahini

Can you freeze zucchini bread?

Yes! This vegan paleo zucchini bread freezes beautifully. Tuck a whole loaf (or slices separated with pieces of parchment paper to prevent sticking) into a freezer bag or two. It will keep for up to a few months.

How to thaw frozen zucchini bread

Defrost the whole loaf or individual slices in the fridge or at room temperature when ready to eat. You can also pop slices, frozen or thawed, in a toaster oven for a few minutes for a warm slice of paleo zucchini bread that's perfect for eating with DF vanilla ice cream.

How to keep zucchini bread moist & fresh

Store this grain-free zucchini bread in an airtight container or plastic zip-top bag. Its high moisture content makes it prone to growing mold if left at room temperature for too long, so pop it in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to several months.

How long does zucchini bread last in the fridge?

Up to 1 week, but it's best within the first few days. You can "refresh" slices of this grain-free zucchini bread in a warm oven or toaster oven for a few minutes.

Can I use this batter to make healthy zucchini bread muffins?

Yes! Line a muffin pan with liners, fill the cups two-thirds of the way, and decrease the baking time as needed until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

Vegan gluten-free zucchini bread slices on a plate with tahini drizzle

Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or Pinterest, purchase my award-winning gluten-free baking cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this vegan paleo zucchini bread, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.