While I typically use my tried-and-true gluten-free flour blend as a cup-for-cup stand in when baking quick breads, cakes, muffins, I have been experimenting more and more with various flours used separately, specifically, almond flour and coconut flour.
Coconut flour is unique in that very little of it is required relative to other flours due to its incredible ability to absorb liquid. It also responds well to eggs, making it possible to produce a high-protein, low-carb baked good. Although I have several traditional zucchini bread recipes which I adore, I have eaten quite a bit of this as I have worked through creating the recipe and found it satisfies my hunger longer than most anything else. And although this recipe is not too sweet and has no refined ingredients, I think it is quite tasty and is a wonderful choice even if you don’t have to eat gluten free!
Extra note: I love the added texture provided by the steel cut oats and might actually add an extra tablespoon to see what that does the next time around. If you must eat gluten-free, look for a brand of oats that is specifically marked gluten-free to ensure no cross-contamination (Bob’s Red Mill, for example). If you are sensitive to oats in general, I have made this recipe without and it is still good. Almond flour would be another option.
Sunflower Zucchini Bread (Gluten-Free with Coconut Flour)
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (I use the coarse side of a box grater)
- 8 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil or canola oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup honey (could use maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup (85 grams) coconut flour (see notes)
- 1/4 cup steel cut oats
- 1/4 cup (slightly rounded) sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan by buttering and placing a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan for easier removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, combine the spices, salt, baking powder, and coconut flour. Stir in the oats and the seeds.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and then pour in the wet ingredients. Mix well. If you have lumps use the back of a spoon to break them up.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes, and then remove from the pan and cool completely.
- Yields 8-10 slices. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Because coconut flour is so absorbent, it is important to measure precisely. I really like my kitchen scale for this reason. If you do not have a scale, I suggest sifting the flour then gently spooning into the measuring cup and leveling with a knife.
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