protein zucchini bread with orange crackle

A loaf of zucchini bread with two slices cut, showing a moist, textured interior. An orange sits in the background, and orange zest is sprinkled on top and around the bread.

4.84 from 6 votes

protein zucchini bread with orange crackle

After so many rounds of testing (this recipe was actually years in the making), we have finally nailed high-protein zucchini bread without protein powder! It packs in 11g of protein per slice and 3g of fiber and rivals any zucchini bread you'll find at your favorite bakery. I'm not lying - try it for yourself!

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 335kcal

Author: Mika Kinney

Ingredients

1.5 cup all-purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup ground flaxseeds
1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
⅔ cup plain greek yogurt or plant based Greek style
2 eggs or flax eggs
3 tablespoon milk I prefer soy milk, but any higher protein plant based milk or cow's milk works
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave
2 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
1 cup zucchini shredded/grated , about 1 medium zucchini 5-6" long
Zest of 2 oranges
⅛ cup sugar for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Grease or line a bread pan.
Lay out a cheese cloth or thin dish cloth and grate the 1 cup zucchini on it. Squeeze the cloth together to ring out any excess moisture from the zucchini over the sink. Set this aside.
In a medium bowl combbine the ⅔ cup plain greek yogurt, 2 eggs, 3 tablespoon milk, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 2 tablespoon avocado oil, shredded zucchini, and the zest from 1 orange.
In a large bowl whisk together the 1.5 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ cup ground flaxseeds, 1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon cardamom, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until just combined. Some lumps are fine. Be cautious not to overmix. This is a very thick batter, so I have to press it together to hydrate all the flour.
In a small bowl add the ⅛ cup sugar for topping and the zest from the other orange. Use your fingers to rub them together until it become fragrant.
Spread the batter evenly in the bread pan. The batter gets sticky so it helps to wet the spatula or offset spatula (even the back of a spoon works). Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top, using your hands to spread it out evenly.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, just loosely tent it with foil.
Let it cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan before digging in. Otherwise it could be gummy inside!

Video

Notes

Storage: You can keep this bread in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature. Or, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. I like to freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap for easy reheating.

Be patient! This recipe has a lot of wet ingredients so it is crucial that you let the bread cool for at least 10 minutes (preferably longer) in the pan before even trying to remove it. This will ensure it's baked through properly and won't be gummy.

Nutrition