Whole Grain White Chocolate Zucchini Bread

By Ann Fulton

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We grow zucchini in our garden and, inevitably, we end up with more than we can use.  One day, there may be two zucchini which are a bit too small to pick.  The next thing you know, there are five the size of rolling pins!

I often use the extra large zucchini for baking.  While their extra moisture content may not be the best for general cooking, it is perfect for baking.  This recipe is one of two zucchini bread recipes I have been making for years.  Over the years, however, I have adapted this recipe to make it healthier without sacrificing taste.  This time around, I figured it was healthy enough to slide backwards just a bit.  Although zucchini breads often have dark or milk chocolate mixed in, I thought the flavor of white chocolate would be pleasing.  An added note:  Though I added chocolate, I decreased the amount of sugar proportionately.  So, I think we can call it an even trade!

Whole Grain White Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Typically, I cook this bread in a loaf pan, but the addition of the white chocolate made me think it would be fun to present it as a cake. Chopping some of the chocolate finely or coarsely grating it will provide optimal flavor throughout. A half cup of chocolate is a very good amount. If you want the cake to be even more dessert-like, feel free to increase the amount by another quarter to half cup.
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (see note)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/2 cup (3 ounces) white chocolate, chopped, plus a couple extra tablespoons to sprinkle on top, if desired (see notes)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup oil (canola, grapeseed, melted coconut oil or butter all work well)
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (see notes)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh zucchini, grated
  • 1 very ripe banana, mashed
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 10″ cast iron skillet or a 9″x4″ loaf pan.
  2. Stir together all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients.
  4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
  5. Transfer batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle with additional white chocolate, if desired.
  6. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes for a cast iron skillet, 50-60 minutes for a loaf pan, or until a toothpick tests clean. (Check a bit early as all ovens vary. This will prevent a dry baked good due to overcooking. If the top is sufficiently brown but the center is still not cooked through, lightly drape a piece of foil over the pan and continue cooking.)
Notes
  • Until now, I have always made this quick bread without the white chocolate and have used 3/4 cups of sugar. Because I incorporated the chocolate, some of it finely chopped, it occurred to me that I could reduce the amount of granulated sugar. I was very happy with the 1/4 cup of sugar. If you forgo the chocolate, you may wish to increase the sugar to 3/4 of a cup.
  • The batter will be thick. If the mixture seems too dry when incorporating the dry and the wet ingredients, simply add an additional quarter cup of buttermilk. Some zucchinis will produce more moisture than others and banana sizes vary. Sometimes, I need the extra amount of buttermilk at the end, sometimes I don’t.
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Comments

  1. Karen

    This looks so tasty that I think I might try my hand at making it Gluten Free without loosing any of its goodness and taste. I love using my cast iron pots for both cooking and baking!!

    Reply
    1. Ann

      I love cast iron, too, Karen! Let me know how you make out with the gluten free adaptation. I have been successful with my basic all-purpose gluten free flour blend. The substitution is cup for cup and the recipe is listed under Kitchen Basics if you are interested! Thank you for the comment!

      Reply
  2. Marianne

    It seems to me the zucchini content of this bake is to low to actually call it a “zucchini bread”… more like an “everything in bread”, but apart from that, it sounds lovely

    Reply
    1. Ann

      I guess that’s why I gave it such a long name, Marianne! I have developed this recipe over time to make it taste great while being fairly wholesome, and there are quite a few key ingredients. Naming a recipe can be challenging: )

      Reply
  3. Mim &Jake Ober

    Made this today !!! smells delious !!! Baked some in mini tins for our coffee station at church tomorrow !!! Will wait for comments !!! Don’t think there will be negitive comments !! I doubled the recipe !!! I will make this again !!!

    Reply
    1. Ann

      I bet everyone at church will enjoy this, Mim! How thoughtful of you to volunteer to supply the coffee station. I look forward to your comments: )

      Reply
  4. Terra

    This looks seriously AWESOME!!! I love that you added the pumpkin spice, I definitely don’t use that enough:-) I made a treat in my cast iron pan before, but definitely don’t use it enough:-) Looks fantastic, Hugs, Terra

    Reply
    1. Ann

      Thank you, Terra! I like pumpkin spice also and think of it more going into the fall. Love cooking in cast iron, too: )

      Reply
  5. Linda

    Ann, this looks yummy! I think I will be trying this real soon. Also, if you have too many zucchinis, can you send some my way? LOL! –Linda

    Reply