This Healthy Lemon Zucchini Loaf is our new favorite! Super easy to whip up, just one bowl, and oh my is it so good! We are swapping the sugar for honey and using lots of zucchini to make this a feel-good snack or breakfast too. Add lots of lemon and poppyseeds to give this loaf those bright spring flavors, and you have the perfect loaf!
I crave lemon desserts like I crave cookies!
Which is a good thing, because lemon desserts are healthier…or so I thought.
It seems lemon loaves are viewed more as cake(which we have a winner recipe for with this Lemon Amaretto Cake). So today we are cutting out the sugar to create a healthier version of the popular lemon zucchini loaf… with no added white sugar and extra shredded zucchini!
While this loaf has a light, cake like texture, the crust is just golden, the crumb is soft, and you can feel great eating it!
Hey- you don’t even have to tell anyone there is zucchini in it- when baked, the zucchini strings add moisture to the cake and are virtually undetectable!
My husband ate almost an entire mini loaf by himself, all the while trying unsuccessfully to guess what was inside. Haha!
Questions and Tips for the most delicious Lemon Zucchini Loaf:
How small should you grate the zucchini?
I am not one for extra dishes- and one zucchini is not enough for me to get the food processor out. I use a box grater and grate the zucchini on the smaller side for little strings- they absorb into the loaf better than the bigger ones!
Do you have to peel Zucchini?
Zucchini skin is thin and perfectly edible…in fact it is quite nutritious! It’s got lots of Vitamin C, vitamin B, potassium, carotenoids, and magnesium. So….eat up! Scrub the zucchini first with a kitchen scrub brush or rub gently under water, dry, and chop off the little end bits before grating.
Is Lemon Zucchini Loaf Healthy?
This recipe is for a Healthier loaf. We cut the sugar out completely and use honey instead- which adds natural sweetness and moisture to the bread, keeping it from drying out.
That said, the loaf is not sweet. My little kids loved it but I am used to more sweet treats- so I am giving you an optional lemon sugar glaze to add to the loaf after it has baked(which does have powdered sugar in it).
You can leave it off, use a little drizzle, or cover the thing in glaze, that’s up to you. I personally like the look of a glazed lemon loaf over a naked one.
The details
When I said this lemon loaf recipe was super easy, I meant it! First you’ll whisk together the eggs, oil, and honey until frothy. You want to whisk enough to break up the honey to evenly distribute it.
Add the grated zucchini and lemon zest and juice. Then add it the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds, if desired!
If you don’t love poppyseeds you can just leave them out.
Again with the health benefits- poppy seeds are very nutritious and also popular here in the Middle East! I love adding them for color, health, and flavor.
How much does this recipe make?
You will make two mini lemon zucchini loafs or one large loaf PLUS 12 mini muffins.
My babies love mini muffins- they are so fun to eat! This recipe will yield 12 small lemon zucchini muffins, or a couple large muffins( perfect for breakfast on the go!).
Fill the loaf tins 3/4 of the way full and bake for 40 minutes, till golden on top.
Looking for other breakfast recipes? Here are my favorites:
Raspberry Citrus Burst Mini Muffins
Extra Big Jammy Strawberry Muffins
Healthy Banana Breakfast Cookies
Lastly, if you make this Healthier Lemon Zucchini Loaf, leave a comment/rate the recipe below! I love to hear about your tips and tweaks to the recipes, and all about what you are cooking! Of course, don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram, those make my day. Happy Cooking, Estee
Healthy Lemon Zucchini Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 3/4 cup grated zucchini(one medium zucchini)
- 1 TBSP lemon zest
- 4 TBSP lemon juice( one lemon zested and juiced)
- 2 1/2 cup flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp poppyseeds optional
Optional Glaze(NOT SUGAR FREE)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tsp milk
Instructions
- Whisk wet ingredients
- Preheat oven to 350 f/ 175 c. Add eggs, oil, and honey to a large bowl and whisk until frothy and the honey is dissolved.
- Wash and dry zucchini and grate with the small holes on a box grater- no need to peel it! (more on this in the above post). Zest lemon, then cut in half and juice. Add zucchini and lemon to the egg mixture and mix to combine.
- Dry
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds(if desired). Mix to combine with a rubber spatula until all the flour is mixed in. Try not to over mix the batter as this results in a tough cake.
- Bake
- Spray two mini loaf tins or one large loaf tin with cooking spray OR use a pastry brush to brush the inside of the tins with oil. With the leftover batter you can make 12 mini muffins or a couple large muffins.
- Bake the mini muffins for 15-20 minutes.Bake the mini loaves for 40 minutes.
- Optional Glaze
- Obviously, the glaze is not sugar free like the cake! If you want to make it, add powdered sugar to a small bowl with lemon juice. Mix. Add milk and mix. You want a pourable consistency but not too runny otherwise it will not set when dry. Add an extra 1-2 teaspoons of milk as needed. Let the loaves cool and then drizzle with glaze. Let the glaze harden for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!
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Great content! Keep up the good work!