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 may have already passed on this “mistake” that I made. I put banana extract instead of vanilla. I tasted it and decided to add some maple extract also and it has become my favorite muffin! I add chopped pecans and do 12 muffins, baked for about 12-14 minutes. Thank you so much for all the great recipes, they give me the incentive to keep trying new keto recipes and stay on track, 6 yrs now 🫶🏼
Do I have to use protein/egg white powder? Can I omit this all together? I do not buy or use those. Thanks!
You need it if you want the bread to be light and fluffy and not overly dense.
Just pulled these out of the oven. Thought I might have messed up because I did not read to “finely” grate zucchini, and simply used the regular cheese size on my block grater. I used silicone muffin cups and when I checked them at about 30 minutes they were pretty dark so I pulled them out thinking they were burnt. Nope. Taste great.
Just made this today after receiving 3 jumbo zucchini from a neighbor. I just let the zucchini sit while getting everything else mixed and then squeezed out the liquid. I didn’t put in the water and it worked fine. I used Choc Zero’s butterscotch chips because I am allergic to chocolate and they melted in and still were good. I baked it in a silicone Bundt pan but still buttered my slice. It is really good warm, but judging by other keto type baked goods, it will be even better tomorrow after being in the fridge. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Would this work with yellow squash? My store was out of zucchini!
Thank you,
Lynnita
It should!
Could I use vanilla flavored whey protein and skip the vanilla extract? I don’t have the unflavored version.
I have the same question.
Yes but it may still be somewhat overpowering.
This is so good! I’m making more now.
I’ve made this recipe twice now. The center isn’t baked through. But it appeared brown outside and firm. I used about 12 oz. Shredded drained squeezed zucchini. Any suggestions? Also, what brown sugar substitute besides Swerve brown would be best. I don’t like the cooling affect of Erythritol?
Are you using a ceramic or glass pan? Because that cooks the outside but not the inside.
my glass loaf pans work fine, lower the temp for the last 15 min and bake longer
Yes, they do… if you know how to adjust for them. The original comment gave my recipe a poor review when it was user error. It’s a little frustrating. 🙂
A delicious way to use up my garden bounty! Moist and flavorful. One of the few breads I was missing since following the keto lifestyle, but now I can have it again! Thanks Carolyn!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice (on Sundays to eat a slice for breakfast every morning). First try, didn’t use nuts or chocolate chips. This weeks loaf i used mixed nuts, chocolate chips and almond milk to thin batter out a little. This recipe is the first bread I’ve ever made. God bless you Carolyn for your recipes.
So glad you like it!
I’m not sure exactly what I did wrong, but mine was too dry. We had to slather each bite with butter. The flavor was good especially with the chocolate chips.
If it was too dry, you over-baked it. Try to take it out earlier next time.
Another fabulous recipe! I made a double batch and since we like more of a ‘spice’ bread I added cloves and nutmeg to the mix. For those looking for muffins a single recipes makes @15 for 20 minutes. Ovens and gas/electric varies so watch after 15 minutes. Oh, I also baked them in silicone muffin molds so that may make a difference to your timing.
Thanks again for all these wonderful recipes!
Love all your recipes! This one is definitely a keeper, soooo much zucchini right now!
Another excellent recipe! Can’t believe how moist this bread is. Recipe is slightly less sweet than your typical zucchini recipe. But perfect for a snack…or breakfast:) Thank you!
A great success! I only had 1/2 a zucchini, so I added some fresh green figs from our tree. So moist, so yummy! A big hit in this house!
Anyone have any suggestions or experience on baking theses either in cupcake
muffin tins time wise —theyre a moist bread and hard for me to guess when miay be fully baked.lll or those mini foil muffin loaf pans?? thanks!!