This keto zucchini bread is so tender and moist, with a hint of cinnamon and studded with sugar free chocolate chips. It makes a wonderful easy breakfast or mid-day snack. Now with an instructional video.
Got zucchini coming out your ears? Okay, not literally because that would be weird. You’d probably be considered a medical marvel, if that were the case.
But if you have an overabundance of summer squash, this easy almond flour zucchini bread is a must make recipe.
I truly believe that this is the best keto zucchini bread. And I don’t say that lightly. It’s tender and delicious, with just the right amount of sweetness. The chocolate chips don’t hurt either!
It’s one of my favorite keto zucchini recipes, and I am confident it will become one of yours too.
Zucchini in keto recipes
Zucchini really is a versatile low carb vegetable. I don’t like it raw very much but roasted or grilled, it becomes flavorful and tender.
It’s useful in savory dishes as zucchini noodles, and it can also be turned into keto zucchini boats and stuffed with any number of delicious fillings. And this zucchini casserole is one of my most popular keto side dishes.
But one place were zucchini really shines is in keto baking. Finely grated zucchini adds moisture and texture to recipes like keto zucchini muffins, or keto chocolate zucchini cake. And of course to this amazing keto zucchini bread.
How to make keto zucchini bread
This is an easy recipe that you will want to make over and over again. Be sure to check out the video in the recipe card to see the process start to finish.
- Finely grate the zucchini. You can do this on a box grater or in a food processor with a grating disc.
- Drain and squeeze the zucchini. You want to let it sit for about an hour with a little salt, to draw out the excess moisture. Then use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. My recipe includes a teaspoon of cinnamon, which gives the bread a warm, homey flavor.
- Add the eggs, butter, and zucchini. At this point, the batter will be quite thick.
- Stir in water. You only want to add enough water to make the batter pourable but still thick. How much you add depends on how well you squeezed out your zucchini.
- Stir in the chocolate chips. Or use chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts!
- Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch.
- Let it cool. Don’t be tempted to get it out of the pan too early or it might break apart on you. I recommend letting it cool 30 minutes or so.
- Slice and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
This keto zucchini bread uses one large zucchini, which is about 12 ounces or 330 grams. Any more than that and your bread may become mushy.
This is an almond flour zucchini bread so it won’t work with coconut flour. However, my keto zucchini spice muffins are coconut flour based so I recommend making that recipe instead.
Yes, any granular sweetener should work here. One caveat is that allulose can make keto baked goods overly brown. They aren’t burnt but they come out very dark in color, which can be a little off-putting.
Absolutely, I’ve made a dairy free version of keto zucchini bread and it’s delicious. Replace the whey protein with egg white protein powder, and the butter with coconut or avocado oil. Coconut oil can make it a bit greasier so I recommend using only 6 tablespoons.
You bet. You can skip them altogether or replace them with some chopped nuts. It’s great that way too!
Storage tips for keto zucchini bread
This is a wonderful make-ahead recipe. The bread can last on the counter for up to 5 days, as long as you don’t live in a very humid environment. Keep it wrapped up tightly so it doesn’t dry out.
It also freezes very well, and I’ve frozen it for 6 months before without any issues. You can freeze the whole loaf for future use, or cut it into slices for individual servings. Either way, make sure you wrap it up tightly so it doesn’t get any freezer burn.
More delicious keto breads
- Easy Keto Banana Bread
- Skillet Keto Cornbread
- Keto Focaccia
- Sweet Keto Blueberry Bread
- Keto Sesame Rolls
- Cheesy Skillet Bread
The Best Keto Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) grated zucchini, (about 1 large zucchini)
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt, divided
- 2 1/2 cups (265 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Brown
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavored whey protein powder, or egg white protein powder
- 2 1/2 tsp (2.5 tsp) baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup (177.44 g) water
- 1/3 cup (60 g) dark chocolate chips, sugar-free, (optional)
Instructions
- Place the zucchini in a sieve set in the sink or over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the saltand toss to combine. Let drain 1 hour, then squeeze to release as much moisture as possible.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan. You can also use 9×5 but your bread will bake through a little faster.
- In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and the remaining salt.
- Stir in the eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, and the zucchini. Add 1/4 cup of the water. If the batter is overly thick, add a little more water until it is a thick but pourable consistency.
- Stir in most of the chocolate chips, if using, reserving a few for the top of the bread.
- Spread the batter in the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake 50 to 65 minutes, until the top is golden brown and just firm to the touch.
- Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I’ve made this a few times with no protein powder (it’s not in my budget at this time)!! It smells so great while cooking and turns out great. It is a little crumbly but we don’t mind.
Good to know!
The taste and flavor is but for this 80 year old woman….its a tad bit on the dry side. I don’t like butter on sweet breads but I will try some frosting or whipped cream.
If it’s dry, you may have over-baked it a bit. Try taking it out of your oven 3 or 4 minutes earlier.
Made this yesterday. Excellent! The only tweaks I made were using 1 1/2 C almond flour, 1/4 C coconut flour and 4 eggs. I used to regularly make banana, pumpkin chocolate chip and zucchini bread and have struggled to find decent replacements. This one hit the spot 😊
I made this into 12 muffins. I also added 1 small apple, chopped into small pieces and walnuts. I know it increases the carbs but so dang good! This is definitely a fav ❤️
Delicious, fun and easy to make. I used walnuts instead of chocolate chips. I do not like almond flour normally as I find it has a mealy texture. But used it to stay true to Carolyn’s recipe. I did sift all ingredients hoping that might alleviate the texture issue. I, therefore, measured ingredients by weight and not volume. After baking and cooling, I cut the loaf into thin slices, placed in a container and kept in the freezer. I loved it toasted straight from the freezer then spread with salted butter and sprinkled generously with xylitol cinnamon “sugar” ( I don’t have a dog). I plan on making it again, experimenting with some additional spices, like powdered ginger and cloves, though it’s delicious with only cinnamon. I am also going to try it with King Arthur Keto Baking flour which I have on hand. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Now I can look forward to keto pumpkin bread this autumn.
Forgot to add that I did not discern any mealiness in the bread. Almond flour was just fine.
can I use frozen grated zucchini?
If you drain it properly!
Just took out of the oven. Smells wonderful. Looks very nice… Had to cut it after 5 min to taste…winner!
I had a hankering for Zucchini Bread the other day and I knew Carolyn’s website was the place to go for a great keto recipe! I always check here first, and it pays off every time. my zucchini bread came out perfect, I almost want to make another one already!
Love!
Another excellent recipe! Had some “aging” zucchini in the fridge, so decided to give a try. The recipe was so easy – and looked SO good when it came out of the oven (nicely browned on top – some keto desserts can be a little pale). I loved the texture and the flavor seemed so decadent with those few chocolate chips throughout! Made it yesterday – put a slice in the toaster oven today – delicious!
Carolyn, I always read your entire post before I make one of your recipes and in the substitutions you don’t mention ghee for the butter. Do you not recommend that here?
If you do, some recipe authors recommend using a little less because of the fat content being higher than butter-what would you say to that?
Lovely recipe. Is the net carb amount 3.5g for keto or the 6.9g?
Net = total – fiber.
Made this yesterday. so very good. I had forgotten just how good it is. My hubs is not Keto or LC but he liked it better than the full sugared, flour one a neighbor brought over.
Yay!!!
What other powder could I use besides the protein powder or egg white powder?
Plant based protein powder may also work.
Loved this! Used chocolate chips as well as a mix of caramel chips; so yummy!
can I use eggs instead of a whey or egg powder?
No, as you will throw off the wet to dry ratios.