You've probably seen a million and one recipes for zucchini bread right? Many of them may certainly be healthy using whole grains as opposed to refined flours, some may be gluten free, but very few are without some sort of sugar.
This one is made completely with stevia and no other added sugars besides the natural sweetness that comes form unsweetened applesauce and banana.
and it. rocks.
And you will be shocked that you won't notice many green shredded pieces of zucchini in there either. Why not you may ask yourself? Because I have children who at the first notice of the color green in a baked good will surely turn their noses at it and never even try it. So I secretly not only shredded the zucchini, but then completely obliterated it into a green mash similar to applesauce.
Yep.yep. I. did. and. they.ate.it.
WIN!
Here it is. 2 cups of shredded zucchini all mashed up!
And here is the finished product! Total yumminess and healthy to boot! I adapted my fabulous Blueberry Banana Bread to create this recipe with MANY trials and errors. Zucchini can be tricky to work with in a baked good especially removing egg yolks and sugar. But it's all worth it with this incredible finished product.
You can not tell this is zucchini bread and you certainly shouldn't call it that if you have picky kids like mine. It's just chocolate bread to them. I made this baby before we left for Cape Cod for a few days and thought it would be the perfect easy breakfast. Just heat up in the toaster or eat with some yogurt. They devoured it, even the picky hubby loved it!
If you look really closely at the picture below you can see a tiny bit of green, but hey who inspects chocolate that closely anyway! If my family will eat it yours will too!
NOTES:
- If you don't have white whole wheat you could use whole wheat pastry flour, both will produce a nice soft texture. Typical whole wheat flour is often dense so just be aware of that if that is what you choose to use.
- I do believe you could easily substitute the white whole wheat flour for gluten free flour if needed. I would suggest adding xanthan gum if the gluten free flour blend does not include it.
- If you don't have chocolate stevia in liquid form you could use 2 tablespoons of powdered stevia or a ½ cup of honey.
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 cup egg whites
- ½ cup applesauce, unsweetened
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted, cooled or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons [url href="https://iherb.com/p/8717?at=0&rcode=yaj035" target="_blank"]chocolate liquid stevia[/url] or vanilla will work
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 2-½ cups white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips, grain sweetened or [url:2]make your own
- [/url]
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Place your grated zucchini in a food processor and process until mashed and smooth.
- Pour the zucchini in a bowl and combine the rest of the wet ingredients with the zucchini.
- Add the mashed banana and stir well.
- In another bowl stir together all the dry ingredients.
- Combine the wet with the dry and then add the chocolate chips.
- Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick in center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes then using a butter knife loosen the edges of the bread. Carefully flip the bread out of the loaf pan and onto a serving plate.
Other recipes you might like:
- Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Banana Bread: No Sugar Added from SFM
- Zucchini Apple Spice Loaf from Healthy Pursuit
- Blueberry Banana Bread: No Sugar Added from SFM
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Stacey Hansen
I just made these with the following changes:
I used three egg whites and one whole egg
I used 2 tsp. vanilla
I did not add chocolate chips, but did add 2 pecan halves to each muffin.
In place of the Stevia I added 1/4 c. coconut sugar
I made muffins. 20 minutes was the perfect amount of time in my oven.
These were great. I only substituted the whole egg for the whites because I was afraid I wouldn't have enough eggs to amount to 1/2 cup egg whites.
I couldn't find any Stevia at the grocery without additives, so I opted for the coconut sugar.
These muffins were great. I am in week four of eating no added sugar (for the most part -- still slip here and there when I get lazy and don't check labels), so although my muffins did not taste sweet to me, that was a good thing. Coconut sugar can be substitute 1:1 for refined sugar, so had I done a substitution for the amount of sugar that is typically in a muffin recipe, they might have tasted more "normal." I am trying to adapt my taste buds to eating foods that are less sweet because I am so scared of turning on my cravings. I hear Stevia won't do that, but I am still hesitant. This is the first time I used coconut sugar (also called coconut palm sugar). It is also not supposed to cause cravings; I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to stop eating the muffins without wanting more, but again that might be because I really didn't have much sugar in them to begin with.
I think next time I will make these and skip the cocoa powder. Without having to overcome the bitterness of the chocolate, I think the minimal amount of coconut sugar will be perfect.
Thanks so much for your blog and your recipes. I know I will have to work hard to keep my addiction at bay, but am encouraged by your story!
Pat
Made this last night......Absolutely delicious!
Renee
Also, could I use cocoa powder to make the chocolate part of this recipe? Again instead of Stevia?
Brenda
I wouldn't add more cocoa powder to replace the chocolate chips, you can just eliminate them.
Renee
Hi, This recipe looks delicious and I am excited to try it. I must admit that I don't really like Stevia, the after taste is like metal to me. Is there something I could use in place of Stevia? Would maple syrup or honey work instead?
Brenda
Hi Renee, Often times the after taste of stevia is caused my the other additives in the stevia brand you purchased. The brands I use don't have aftertastes. Here's a link to the best stevia products I use, https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/top-3-refined-sugar-free-sweeteners/
But you could replace the stevia with honey if you prefer.
Vienna
Veganized this and used flaxseed egg. I subbed 1 Tbs coconut oil and the rest in applesauce to use for the oil portion, and used powdered packet stevia (lots!) for the liquid stevia. I wonder if the chocolate flavoured stevia is necessary because my bread didn't have a pronounced chocolate taste but more of a choc-banana. It was slightly gummy due to the subs however I would do it again because it wasn't really that big of an issue. Loaf looked like the photo.
Brenda
That's awesome Vienna! Glad the subs worked for you. The applesauce tends to make a bread or muffin moist and too much makes it gooey. Yes The Chocolate liquid stevia is awesome and really makes a chocolatey flavor.
Jacqueline Gottke
I have so much zucc in my garden that i am excited to make this. I bake alot so I try to omit suagr for the goods i bake for myself and honestly i hate the idea of stevia or truvia so I am going to attempt to add raisins to sweeten it...any suggestions? i just found your website and am thrilled to see more
Sabrina
Just found your website and I can't wait to try some recipes! Everything looks amazing! I live in Canada, I have yet to to see flavoured stevia, if I can't find any, should I add extra cocoa powder or just liquid vanilla?
Thank you!
Brenda
Yes if you have vanilla extract you could use that to flavor.
Sabrina
Sorry, last questions! If I am using whole eggs, how many would I use vs the 1 cup of egg whites? and If I am using powder stevia, would I still use 4 tsp? Thank you for answering! I am going to make this for my kids class this week!
Brenda
3 eggs would probably work although I haven't tried it. Same stevia.
kayley
What about Oat Flour instead of wheat flour? I never use any type of wheat or white flour so I hate to buy any, wonder if the oat flour would make it too heavy?
Brenda
I'm not sure it would even rise since wheat has gluten. You would need to try a gluten free packaged flour or google to make your own gluten free flour mixture.
deb thomas
Is that really 4 teaspoons of stevia? That sounds like a lot, pretty close to half the bottle.
Brenda
You could try 2 and see if it's sweet enough. It's a huge loaf.
Jennifer
Do u peel the zuchini?
Brenda
nope
Jenny
I see I'm late to the party here, but I have a crazy question....Can this be made in a bread machine? As a mama of 4 it would be mighty helpful ;0)
Brenda
I've never tried it and I have a bread machine. Maybe, not sure though.
Andrea @Pencils and Pancakes
Looks so good! And has servings of fruits and veggies!
Lisa
This is my first time on your website, but already I am excited. I want to try using almond flour(also a first). How much whole wheat flour, if any, can I replace with almond flour? Thanks
Brenda
Wish I could help you with the almond flour but unfortunately I can't use it as my boys have a nut allergy so I have no idea bout how it bakes, texture etc.
ursula albrecht
I have a couple of questions for you. I do not have stevia yet. I do have fructose and granulated no calorie sweetner, as well as splenda brown sugar. How does that translate from stevia? Do I have to get stevia at a health food store? I have not found it at the grocery store yet.
Brenda
Here is a stevia conversion chart to use: http://www.cookingwithstevia.com/stevia_conversion_chart.html
You can find stevia in a health food store but I buy mine through iherb.com and I have a coupon code you can use YAJ035
Marjorie
This looks wonderful! Is there a banana taste at all to this? My picky DD won't eat banana. I might be able to get my family to eat this but dk.
Brenda
No they won't notice it but you could eliminate it. I've made it without and its still good.
Lynne
I could not get the zucchini mashed up using my little food processor (didnt want to get the Ninja out) & it worked just as well using grated zucchini.
My question is, could you sub canned pumpkin for the mashed zucchini?? It would be close to the same consistency.
Brenda
mmmmmm great idea! I will try it and let you know! Pumpkin chocolate bread sounds fabulous!
Teri
This sounds delicious!!! I might actually be able to slip a green veggie into my son's food. What would you guess cooking time would be if I used a regular sized muffin pan?
Where do I find liquid stevia? And could I use regular wheat flour? Would the measurements change?
Brenda
I haven't tried it in a muffin pan yet, that's on my lost but check them at 30 minutes, may need more time though. I buy liquid stevia through iherb.com. You can use my discount code: YAJ035. Yes you can use regular wheat flour but not sure how dense they will be, or use whole wheat pastry flour.
Allison
To keep fat down, could you substitute the coconut oil for another 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce?
Brenda
I have not tried removing the oil so I can not say if the outcome would work.
Tracy
Embrace the coconut oil, healthy fats are super good for you!
Vienna
I subbed 1 Tbs coconut oil and the rest in applesauce to use for the oil portion and it came out slightly gummy, but nothing to complain about.
Minnie(@thelady8home)
This sounds amazing!!! Lovely recipe.
The Better Baker
Amazing - you are just amazing to come up with this wonderful recipe. Thanks so much for sharing! You are always WOWing me. =)
Ariel
This recipe looks SO AWESOME! But...what is the reason you use just egg whites? could I use whole eggs?
And do you think I can sub some almond flour or coconut flour instead of using so much white wheat flour? thanks for the advice in advance!
Brenda
I try to keep cholesterol low for the hubby. My boys are allergic to nuts but you could use almond flour as a sub. I've not baked with coconut flour so I wouldn't know the outcome if u used it.
Heather
I used coconut flour there good but the tend to fall apart eat into crumbs so I'm going to try to use almond flour to see how that works out
Leigh Anne
My neighbor just gave me some zucchini....yay! Gonna try it as mini-muffins....for some reason my kids think anything that is in mini-muffin form tastes better 🙂 forgot to comment, but I tried your mini-muffin banana chocolate chip recipe and the kids LOVED it! Thanks!
Brenda
Yep my kids too. I was going to do that next as well. Glad they liked the banana chocchip!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table
It looks so fudgy and decadent! I did a chocolate-zucchini muffin that is similar, but I made them vegan with a flax egg. It worked really well to make them vegan!
Brenda
Thanks Laura! I want to make a muffin next. I've heard alot of people use flax eggs and it works out great.