Moist Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread with Almond Flour

I tested this recipe over a dozen times for the most luxuriously moist and springy gluten-free zucchini bread imaginable. Not complaining – we couldn't get enough!

This tender loaf is undetectably gluten-free (and dairy-free) thanks to a combination of flours: almond, sweet rice, and oat flour (or sorghum flour). Mix up this easy batter in 10 minutes of active time - no zucchini-squeezing required - and enjoy a cozy, spice-kissed loaf packed with good-for-you ingredients.

A hand lifts a slice from a stack of zucchini bread

If you're looking for ways to use up zucchini, you're going to love this quickbread recipe. I've been working on this gluten-free zucchini bread for well over a year, testing it 13 (!) times to get it just right. It's:

moist & tender
cozily spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg
less sweet by about 50% compared with most recipes
made with nourishing ingredients like almond flour and oat flour
packed with half a pound of zucchini
easy to mix up in about 10 minutes of active time

But don't take my word for it – here's what one happy baker had to say about it:

5-Star Reader Review

“Epic! As always so appreciate you taking 105 batches for the team and delivering ANOTHER gum-free winner. Perfect balance of flavors, perfect texture, and so simple to put together. Love!!”
—Janet

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I'm so excited to share it with you, and I hope you love it as much as I do!

a slice of zucchini bread is served on a plate, smeared with butter, honey, and cinnamon. So lush!

Testing, Testing

To develop this recipe, I adapted my favorite gluten-free carrot cake recipe which uses an extra egg to achieve the most gorgeous, springy, moist crumb imaginable. Other recipes that use the same formula are my gluten-free pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and gingerbread cake, which my community have come to know and love.

I swapped out carrots for zucchini, tweaking the flours to account for more moisture, and upping the salt and spices. The recipe used millet flour in addition to sweet rice and oat flours, a go-to combination I discovered while writing my cookbook.

But a poll on Instagram revealed that the gluten-free flours you'd like best in GF zucchini bread are almond, oat, and sweet rice flours.

Subbing almond flour for millet took some experimenting since almond flour is higher in fat and protein and less absorbent than millet. Thankfully, my husband, sister, and neighbors (and sister's neighbors!) and myself all enjoy zucchini bread and weren't mad at having to devour loaf after loaf.

All this recipe testing encouraged me to streamline the method and ingredients as much as possible. I cut the step of squeezing moisture out of the zucchini and adapted the recipe to work with the additional moisture that it adds. I used only brown sugar instead of a mix of white and brown. And I nixed the vanilla sometimes used, which gave the bread a weirdly banana-like vibe.

I'm thrilled with this final version, which is gently spiced and balanced, with a moist and springy crumb that's utterly addictive. I like smearing slices with a bit of honey butter for an afternoon treat with a cup of my favorite decaf coffee (affiliate link).

Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions

This recipe comes together with 13 real-food ingredients.

ingredients are arranged on a marble surface — INGREDIENTS: gluten-free flours (almond, sweet rice, oat or sorghum, and tapioca), eggs, salt, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, shredded zucchini, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oil or olive oil

Flours

A trio of flours – plus tapioca starch – creates the most moist, lofty, tender GF zucchini bread ever, no xanthan gum or specific GF AP flour needed. Be sure to use certified gluten-free flours, such as Bob's Red Mill brand which are made in a dedicated GF facility.

See notes for how to substitute any or all flours, or learn more about my approach to GF baking in my beginner's guide to gluten-free flours.

Almond flour gives the recipe structure and adds moisture and tenderness.
- Sub by weight almond meal, hazelnut flour, or sunflower seed flour for nut-free.
Sweet rice flour adds starchy stickiness and creates a neutral backdrop for the other flavors.
- Sub by weight a gluten-free all-purpose flour such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1.
Gluten-free oat flour or sorghum flour (I've tested it with both) add rich, nutty flavor and floof up the batter. Sorghum flour will make the crumb more open and springy (shown in these photos). Oat flour will make the crumb slightly more dense and it will take 5-10 minutes longer to bake.
Tapioca flour makes the batter stretchy, allowing it to trap air as it rises and bakes.
- Sub by weight other starch such as arrowroot, cornstarch, or potato starch.

Other Ingredients

Zucchini is the star of this show. Choose small zucchini which have lower water content and grate them on the large holes of a box grater, or in a food processor using the shredder attachment. I've formulated the recipe so that you don't need to squeeze the zucchini to remove the liquid.
Oil adds moisture to the batter. I used sunflower oil, but I've also tested this with olive oil which adds extra-rich flavor.
Eggs add loft and springiness. I don't recommend subbing them out if you can help it since there are three of them. But if you have an egg allergy, I'd recommend using 1.5 flax eggs and 6 tablespoons Greek yogurt (dairy or plant-based) in place of the 3 eggs.
Brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture. I've tested this with both maple sugar and coconut sugar, subbed by weight, and all work beautifully if you're avoiding refined sugar.
Baking powder and baking soda lift the batter and promote browning.
Salt sharpens the flavor while cinnamon and nutmeg add cozy spice (Sidenote: is it me or does Cozy Spice sound like the name of a sixth Spice Girl?)

Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact quantities!

Method

This recipe makes one 9x5 or 8x4-inch loaf, serving 8. It takes about 10 minutes to mix up with just a bowl and a whisk, plus about an hour to bake.

flours are being sifted — Place the dry ingredients in a medium-mesh strainer set over a bowl.

flours have been sifted into a bowl — Sift to remove any clumps.

wet ingredients are combined in a large mixing bowl — Shred the zucchini on the large holds of a box grater, or use a food processor attachment. Put the shredded zucchini in a large bowl with the eggs, brown sugar, and oil.

wet ingredients have been whisked smooth — Whisk to combine.

dries have been added to wets — Add the sifted flour mixture.

the finished batter has been stirred — Stir to make a smooth batter.

batter is in a loaf pan ready to bake — Pour the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper or coated with softened butter.

the finished loaf in all its glory! — Bake the zucchini bread until a tester inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

loaf has been sliced up — Let cool, then remove from the pan and slice.

a slice is being served on a plate with honey butter — Serve on its own, or top with honey butter. See below for more serving suggestions.

Allergy-Friendly Options

This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, but here are some other options. Because everyone deserves good zucchini bread that makes them feel good, too.

Refined sugar-free - Instead of brown sugar, use the same weight of coconut sugar, maple sugar, or a blend of the two. I've tested this several times and you can't tell the difference.
Egg-free - Try swapping 6 tablespoons flax egg and 6 tablespoons Greek yogurt or applesauce for the eggs (I haven't tested this – please comment if you do!)
Nut-free – Swap the almond flour for an equal weight of ground seed flour such as sunflower seed. (I haven't tested this – please comment if you do!)
Paleo / Vegan – Try my cassava flour zucchini bread recipe which uses nut or seed butter as the base.
Low-Histamine – Use freshly ground raw almonds instead of almond flour, and trade the cinnamon and nutmeg for 1 teaspoon each cardamom and ginger. Use olive oil and maple sugar for lowest-histamine.
Low-FODMAP – One slice of this bread is naturally low-FODMAP (low in fermentable carbohydrates that bother certain conditions such as SIBO and IBS)

a loaf of zucchini bread has been sliced up on a rustic wood board

Variations

Mix it up with these zucchini bread variations:

Chocolate - add ½ - 1 cup chocolate chips to the batter
Nutty - add ½ - 1 cup toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter
Pumpkin spice - omit the spices, adding 2 teaspoons golden pumpkin pie spice to the batter
Streusel - top the batter with a half batch of the streusel from my gluten-free blueberry coffeecake recipe.
Muffins - divide the batter between 9 or 10 muffin tins lined with paper liners and decrease the baking time to 15-20 minutes.
Snack cake - bake the batter in an 8-inch square pan, decreasing the bake time as needed. Top the cooled cake with cream cheese frosting or another frosting, glaze, or ganache of your choice.

Storage

This bread keeps like a dream once baked, staying moist and tender for days. Here's how to keep it fresh:

Wrap and store the baked loaf, or slices of bread, at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Or freeze for up to several months.

Serving Suggestions

This almond flour zucchini bread needs no accompaniment, but here are some yummy, creamy things to serve with or on it if you like:

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 gluten-free zucchini bread recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.