Sunday
Sep182011
zucchini bread again + again
September 18, 2011
This recipe marks the discovery of my new favorite ingredient.
Almond meal.
A lot of gluten free baking calls for almond flour, which is ground into a fine flour, from blanched almonds. Almond flour is pricey, and I didn’t have almonds on hand to grind my own. However, I did have almond meal in my cupboard, from my last trip home to Ohio. For some crazy reason, there are no Trader Joe’s in Colorado. When I’m in Ohio, I stock up on my favorites! Almond meal was a new find, that I thought I would try.
Speaking of Ohio…I’ll be there in 2 weeks! Can’t wait!
I had no idea how this recipe was going to turn out.
I expected it to crumble and fall apart. Almond meal has no holding power at all, and with an already gluten-free recipe, I thought this bread was doomed.
Instead of a thick, hearty zucchini bread, it resulted in a much lighter texture. Almost cake-like. If that makes you think, “sounds like it’s probably dry,” think again. The almond meal keeps this bread so moist it will make your head taste buds spin.
Yes, I use the word moist. Even the thesaurus doesn’t have a better suggestion. Unless you want me to call this bread “clammy,” “oozy” or “dampish,” I’m sticking with moist.
It was baked in a 9x9 pan, instead of a loaf pan, but either should work. For whatever reason, I feel the large square pan, suits this recipe best.
No detection of tasting like a gluten-free baked good. At all. Success!
If it was between this recipe and the last, I’m not sure which I would grab first. Version one is more authentic, but version two is just as flavorful, with a fluffier texture.
I’ll just urge you to try both and get back to me.
Zucchini Bread v.II
*high altitude ~5,000ft: oven: 375* milk: 1/4c baking powder: 1/2t + 1/8t
*Feel free to make this in a 9×5 or 8x4 loaf pan, an 8x8 pan, in mini loaf pans, or even in muffin tins. Just remember all of those options will vary the cook time.
I reduced the amount of oil from the past loaf because of the almond meal addition. I figured the extra fat from the almond meal would help keep things extremely moist, so the oil could be reduced. It worked really well! The flax was added to help hold the bread together.
Trader Joes carries almond meal for around $4, if I remember correctly. You can also get it from Natural Grocers for $3.75/lb. The other option is to make your own almond meal + flour at home! *Also note – when recipes call for almond flour, it is not advised to substitute almond meal – they are quite different!
I froze about 1/2 of each trial loaf [5 of them] from last week and we’re already digging in to the freezer stash! Good news, zucchini bread freezes tremendously well, and I’m not even close to getting sick of it. Bad news…we’re almost out. I’ll either have to buy another zucchini, or move on to pumpkin bread. We shall see…
Monday.
Oof.
Ashley
pssst. I spy the beginnings of my photography website! More to come soon!
Almond meal.
A lot of gluten free baking calls for almond flour, which is ground into a fine flour, from blanched almonds. Almond flour is pricey, and I didn’t have almonds on hand to grind my own. However, I did have almond meal in my cupboard, from my last trip home to Ohio. For some crazy reason, there are no Trader Joe’s in Colorado. When I’m in Ohio, I stock up on my favorites! Almond meal was a new find, that I thought I would try.
Speaking of Ohio…I’ll be there in 2 weeks! Can’t wait!
I had no idea how this recipe was going to turn out.
I expected it to crumble and fall apart. Almond meal has no holding power at all, and with an already gluten-free recipe, I thought this bread was doomed.
Instead of a thick, hearty zucchini bread, it resulted in a much lighter texture. Almost cake-like. If that makes you think, “sounds like it’s probably dry,” think again. The almond meal keeps this bread so moist it will make your head taste buds spin.
Yes, I use the word moist. Even the thesaurus doesn’t have a better suggestion. Unless you want me to call this bread “clammy,” “oozy” or “dampish,” I’m sticking with moist.
It was baked in a 9x9 pan, instead of a loaf pan, but either should work. For whatever reason, I feel the large square pan, suits this recipe best.
No detection of tasting like a gluten-free baked good. At all. Success!
If it was between this recipe and the last, I’m not sure which I would grab first. Version one is more authentic, but version two is just as flavorful, with a fluffier texture.
I’ll just urge you to try both and get back to me.
Zucchini Bread v.II
- 1/2c raw buckwheat flour [ground from raw groats]
- 3/4c GF oat flour [ground from certified GF steel cut oat groats]
- 3/4c almond meal
- 1T ground flax meal
- 2T sunflower oil [or other]
- 1/4c unsweetened applesauce
- 1c grated zucchini, drained
- 7T brown rice syrup [honey or maple syrup]
- 3T sucanat
- 2t vanilla extract
- 2t cinnamon
- 1/2t salt
- 3/4t baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2c chopped walnuts
- 3T milk of choice
- Preheat your oven to 350* and grease + flour or line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper. To grease + flour, grease all sides of the pan and add 1-2T of flour, knocking it around so all sides are covered. Turn the pan over your sink and tap all sides, so the excess falls out.
- In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, except the walnuts, and mix well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together then add in oil, applesauce, milk, brown rice syrup, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Mix in zucchini to the bowl of wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently, until just combined. Over-stirring will cause a gummy texture.
- Gently fold in the walnuts and then pour into your pan and spread to even out.
- Bake centered, on the middle rack for 28-35min. Test with a toothpick for doneness.
- Let sit in the pan to cool for 10min, before sliding a knife around the edge to release from the pan. Cut into squares with a sharp knife, and carefully remove with the help of a fork or flexible spatula.
*high altitude ~5,000ft: oven: 375* milk: 1/4c baking powder: 1/2t + 1/8t
*Feel free to make this in a 9×5 or 8x4 loaf pan, an 8x8 pan, in mini loaf pans, or even in muffin tins. Just remember all of those options will vary the cook time.
I reduced the amount of oil from the past loaf because of the almond meal addition. I figured the extra fat from the almond meal would help keep things extremely moist, so the oil could be reduced. It worked really well! The flax was added to help hold the bread together.
Trader Joes carries almond meal for around $4, if I remember correctly. You can also get it from Natural Grocers for $3.75/lb. The other option is to make your own almond meal + flour at home! *Also note – when recipes call for almond flour, it is not advised to substitute almond meal – they are quite different!
I froze about 1/2 of each trial loaf [5 of them] from last week and we’re already digging in to the freezer stash! Good news, zucchini bread freezes tremendously well, and I’m not even close to getting sick of it. Bad news…we’re almost out. I’ll either have to buy another zucchini, or move on to pumpkin bread. We shall see…
Monday.
Oof.
Ashley
pssst. I spy the beginnings of my photography website! More to come soon!
tagged Recipes, bread, zucchini in gluten free
Recipes, bread, zucchini in gluten free 
Reader Comments (41)
This looks delicious! I made three loaves of pumpkin bread today - and a batch of pumpkin muffins. But I'm on to zucchini bread tomorrow - I think I'll have to try this!
It looks delicious- as always! Coincidentally, I just bought almond meal two weeks ag, so I am really excited to give this a try! They have almond meal at my local Natural Grocers in the nut fridge section. Maybe they can get it at yours!
You are the zuke bread queen! I love it!
I need to get busy making some but I've been too into pumpkin and apple stuff lately.
I've found that using nut flours/meals has a similar effect as just using nut butters, which works quite well no matter what!
oooooh I love using almond meal! so versatile for GF cooking! You will love it!
I can't believe they don't have Trader Joe's in CO either! My mom said it's because CO voters don't want grocery stores to be able to sell alcohol (even though there are a few exceptions!) Every time I go home for a visit, I keep hoping there will be one though :-( Your zuke bread is making me HUNGRY!
Everyone is using pumpkin (I assume this will only increase with autumn, hah), so I hope you make some more zucchini recipes! :D
Almond meal is amazing-I just used it in some cookies I made and it made the taste and texture to die for! It seems like we are on the same wavelength-first with the hair and now with the almond meal!
I'm loving these zucchini bread posts. I definitely did the same with banana bread to try to find the perfect loaf!
This looks like a pan of zucchini brownies!!
These look great - almost like a zucchini cake instead of bread!
Yum that looks amazing!!
I'm sad too that Trader Joe's doesn't exist in Colorado. My boyfriend is getting stationed at Ft. Carson and once he comes back from his deployment I can't wait to move out there. I've been researching all my favorite places and so said TJs wasn't on the radar. :(
How cool! I love it! It looks great :)
I've heard of almond meal in the past, and I believe it was in a recipe on Jess @ How Sweet's blog. The recipe was awesome, but I was hesitant to buy the almond meal (or a ton of almonds) but now that I have TWO recipes to use it in, I think it's a must have! :) Looks great Ashley!
I got peaches + zucchini at the Farmer's Market yesterday! Can't wait to try this recipe...I saved it in Evernote!
Happy Monday :)
I'm not GF, but I loooove baking with almond meal. You have got to make Elana's Pantry Chocolate Chip Cookies: http://www.elanaspantry.com/dairy-free-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies/ They are my favorite cookies and everybody else raves about them too :)
It really looks incredible. I love how thick and cakey it looks as opposed to somewhat gummy or crumbly (which is often why my gluten-free goods come out like!)
Also? I'm already SO in love with your photography site!!
Keep em coming zucchini lady! I made your savory herb zucchini bread last night... Oh my gosh I ate half the pan! So good and seriously addicting. Even the hubs liked it :). I can't wait to give your sweeter varieties a try :)
That's awesome!! Glad the hubs liked it too! It's kind of weird at first but then totally addicting!
Yesss, no gumminess here!! :) And thank you SO much about the photography site!
I was looking at those recently...definitely need to try!!
Ooooh, I'll have to find Jess's recipe!
Can you find Natural Grocers?? It's a GREAT store and the produce is WAY better than TJ's. :)
As I was typing this post, I was thinking....I bet I could turn this into a brownie recipe!!! :) We shall see... [oh, minus the zucchini hehe]
Definitely have 1 more zucchini recipe to share!
Oohhhh, right...I forgot about that major selling point of Trader Joes. It's something like only 1 store per chain can sell alcohol. So like.....1 target sells it in Denver...same for Whole Foods.
Yes! I just saw it at Natural Grocers and mentioned it at the end of the post. I think Bob's Red Mill sells it for like $10...rip off!
mmmmm....pumpkin
What's the difference between almond meal and almond flour? I looked around but most sources say they're the same/similar.
The photography site looks fantastic!
waiting on the vegan zuchinni bread recipe!!!! :)
Loving all of these zucchini bread recipes...seriously, I'm in heaven!
Jennis Ice cream has a parmesan cheese and zuchinni bread ice cream right now!! Its amazing!! light cheese cake flavor with a hint of salt, and some sweetness from the bread. You need to come back to ohio for her creations!!!!
I'm going to be back in Ohio in 2 weeks!! Are you in cleveland? Perhaps I should try and put a meetup together! Oh...that ice cream flavor sounds insane. :)
Coming in a few hours!! :)
Almond flour = ground into a fine flour from blanched almonds : almond meal: ground into flour from whole raw almonds - almond flour has a much lighter texture, because the skins have been removed. I've seen a lot of recipes that call for almond flour say that almond meal does not make the baked goods turn out the same. I would think they would still work, but the texture probably won't be as light and it will look darker. -- Thanks about the photog site!!
Congrats on getting your photography site up. You have a great eye for shooting people in a natural state. I'm sure your business will be as successful as your food blog.
yum yum! not sure which zucchini bread looks the best because seriously they have all looked great!!!! yay for successful gf baking!!!
Thank you!!
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