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 grated zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- 2 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup Swerve Brown
- ⅓ cup unflavored whey protein powder or egg white protein powder
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ – ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free (optional)
Instructions
- Place the zucchini in a sieve set in the sink or over a bowl. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon 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 ¼ 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.
Jae Avenoso says
I served this last night with cut up strawberries. Everyone went nuts, they couldn’t believe it was keto. I know I’ll be making it again and again.
Patty says
Pretty good.
My substitutions-
walnuts instead of Choc.
1/4 tsp of molasses with plain erythritol
Parchment paper in pan ( no grease)
The bread came out nice & moist after 60 min in a glass 9″ loaf pan.
The center sunk a tiny bit, as it cooled – but maybe all zuc breads do this a little ?
I might play with the spices for the next one – but my husband liked it, and since I did as well, I think I’ll make it again.
Thanks Carolyn.
Carolyn says
The glass pan is likely the cause of the rising and sinking. Because it doesn’t conduct heat as efficiently as metal, the sides rise a lot and cook faster before the center is done.
Pam Lewers says
Made this Zucchini Bread recipe, it was so good. I added pecans to it, cause they are my favorite nut. Thanks for the great recipes!
Vic T says
I made this because some neighbours were giving away free zucchini. I tweaked it a bit by substituting a flax egg for one of the eggs, using a tsp of Molasses instead of Swerve Brown, and using blueberries in lieu chocolate chips. This turned out great (as always with Carolyn’s recipes — I’ve never had one go bad).
Marcy says
I made this yesterday, and we enjoyed it for an evening snack and again for breakfast today. It was easy and quick to make, as long as you remember to drain your zucchini ahead of time. I’ve made a lot of keto zucchini breads – this one has a better texture, somehow both dense like a poundcake, but with an airy crumb. Also, the touch of cinnamon definitely enhances the flavor. Try it with cream cheese for breakfast!
Cheryl says
We are enjoying this zucchini bread very much! Super moist and not too sweet. I love it with softened KerryGold butter. Delicious!
Krissie Thomson says
I made the keto zucchini bread today. It was moist and turned out nice! I had some zucchini from my garden which I used. I served it with some whipped cream.
Kate says
This was so easy to make and turned out moist and delicious. Another great recipe, Carolyn!
Angie says
Rainy Sunday here so I made this Zucchini Bread. The recipe was very easy to follow and the results were fantastic! Bringing to the office tomorrow to share with my new coworkers. Hoping to get some new Keto Baking fans. I love to bake but I can’t eat all the calories myself.
Shannon Jeneral says
Oh my, this zucchini bread is so delicious and moist! I used Carolyn’s candied pecans instead of the chocolate chips. It is SOOO GOOD!
Sharon says
I made the Best Keto Zucchini Bread yesterday and it was easy, tasty, and moist! I swapped out the chocolate chips for walnuts for personal taste. My daughter loved it so I sent half home with her. I look forward to including it in my work lunches this week. Cheers!
Tara says
I made the zucchini bread today and it’s perfect. I’m not a confident baker, but this recipe is true to Carolyn’s tested-until-perfect standards. I’ll probably freeze a few slices for a treat down the road.
Mary Ruggirello says
Another excellent recipe! It was delicious! Thanks for the dairy free suggestions!
Tuğçe Ayteş says
Hi Carolyn, I always wanted to try this recipe. And I did when I saw your challenge on your newsletter. It turned out to be great as all your recipes. Thank you for myself who has insulin resistance and for my boyfriend who is recently diagnosed with diabetes. We don’t miss any of our previous food.
Diane Rossiter says
Just made the Keto Zucchini Bread. Delicious. I tweaked it a bit as I always do to make it perfect for my “more is better” taste buds. Both chips and walnuts, a little extra sweetener, and subbing in a little oat fiber and pysllium fiber for 1/2 cup of the almond flour and a few keto baking items to take the place of gluten to lighten it a bit. It came out moist but not soggy, great texture and flavor. I don’t normally take photos of my cooking, but you asked, so I did, but after I had already boxed it up. There was enough of the batter to make the loaf and six good sized muffins, so bonus! Thank you for all your great recipes and keto hints.
Kim says
This recipe is great! I made muffins, instead of bread, and they turned out really good. I also added chopped walnuts. Great flavor, and moist.
Darcy says
I haven’t found a recipe of yours that I haven’t liked! This zucchini bread is no exception – I did not add in the chocolate chips and I used more cinnamon. (I love, love, live cinnamon!) This bread came out moist and with an amazing aroma. Happy baking!
Julie says
Oh my! This recipe is absolutely delicious! Thank you so much. It is moist, tasty, and nicely spiced…. just purrfect.
Tree says
So good! And so easy! I thought about adding pecans but decided to follow the recipe exactly as written. Turned out nice and moist too.
Lorraine Rowe says
Absolutely delicious! I substituted chopped pecans for the chocolate chips and doubled the cinnamon but made no other changes. I will be wrapping the slices individually for freezing to have on hand in the next few weeks while I will be recovering from surgery. What a treat !!!!
Alice says
I made this bread yesterday and had a slice this morning for breakfast. It was a lovely breakfast bread — great flavor, dense and moist, somewhat sweet, but not too much. I’m going to try it toasted tomorrow with nut butter.
I love the way the bread has plenty of zucchini in it. Many keto recipes have very little zucchini, but I prefer to get more veggies in this way, if I can.
I made mine in a 8.5″ x 4.5″ glass pan and it took exactly 50 minutes. I got 16 slices — wrapped them up airtight in 4-slice packages and froze two, put one in the fridge, and left one on the counter to see how they do. I’m the only keto person in my household, so longer-term storage is important since it can take me a while to get through each recipe I make.
For next time: Despite the fact that I did grease my pan, my loaf stuck a bit to the bottom. It did eventually come out in one piece, but I had to work at it. Next time, I’ll be sure to grease the bottom extra well.
I’ll also leave out the chocolate chips. I normally don’t prefer chocolate chips in this kind of bread, but I wanted to get a photo with them for this giveaway.
Thanks, Carolyn, for this great giveaway idea!