Light and Fluffy Zucchini Bread

This Light and Fluffy Zucchini Bread is just that- incredibly light and fluffy, almost like a sponge cake! Traditional recipes call for a lot of oil and sugar, but this recipe subs in apple sauce for most of the oil, and cuts down on the sugar, while still creating a moist and sweet bread. The hint of lemon juice and zest adds a nice brightness, and a slice (or two or three) is delicious warm with butter or a slather of almond butter. Meal prep these loafs for quick and easy breakfasts, snacks, or even dessert to enjoy throughout the week 😊

Serves: Makes 2 loaves

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40-50

What (your ingredients):

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

½ cup unsweetened apple sauce

¼ cup melted coconut oil

Zest from 1 lemon

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups grated zucchini

Optional: ½ cup walnut pieces

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, apple sauce, melted coconut oil, and zest and juice of one lemon.

Add all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.

Squeeze and discard all of the liquid from the grated zucchini. Add the squeezed, grated zucchini to the batter and stir until evenly distributed.

Add walnuts if using (or stir into half the batter for one nut-free loaf and one nutty loaf).

Pour batter into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each loaf comes out clean.

Allow loaves to rest in the pans for 5 minutes before removing from the pans and allowing to cool on a cooling rack.

Why (the science): The highest level of antioxidants in a zucchini are found in the skin! One cup of zucchini provides 40% of your daily value of vitamin A, which promotes not just eye health, but also skin and heart health. Zucchini is also high in soluble fiber, which feeds the healthy bacteria in your gut, promoting a healthy immune system.