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.
Carol Rivers says
As always, your recipes are moist and delicious! I made this and shared it with my boss at work, since she gives me meat all the time I give her big to goods. this contest is a great way to make sure I keep my word!
Kathy-Jo says
Made this yesterday. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect! Make sure you don’t leave it in the pan to cool too long, I lost some of the bottom 😔
I made a double batch and made 12 muffins as well (took 30 minutes). Definitely recommend this recipe!
Carrie says
Made this today and the whole family liked it. It was moist and tasty and not too sweet. The only thing I did different, was that our yellow zucchini that we planted was summer squash, not zucchini; so I used squash instead of zucchini in the recipe and I didn’t bother to salt and drain it just to add water back in later – I didn’t need to add any water. We didn’t add nuts or chocolate chips to the batter, but did put a few on top, some of which sunk to the bottom. Not sure if that contributed to the bread sticking in the pan or if I didn’t grease it well enough. No matter, the whole family liked it and while I will us use zucchini next time, I will make it again.
SHARON ACEVEDO says
This recipe is fantastic. It’s so moist and flavorful. I have a friend that I test all the recipes on she gives it 2 thumbs up. It’s definitely going into my regular routine. Thanks for another winner!!
Renee says
I made this recipe and instead of chocolate chips I added about 1/2 c. of chopped pecans. Instead of cooking it in a loaf pan, I made muffins. I cooked them for about 17 minutes. They were moist, but didn’t rise much, even though I added egg white protein powder. I filled the muffin cups about 2/3 to 3/4 full with batter, and they barely rose to the top of the cupcake liner. When I measured the Swerve brown, I only lightly packed it, and they did not turn out quite sweet enough for my taste. Next time, I will firmly pack it, and maybe even add a little more.
Andrea says
Wow, this is the best keto zucchini bread. I have tried a few that were ok and weren’t quite right. This one hits the spot. I totally recommend. 5 stars!!
Sandy says
This is a great recipe–moist and delicious bread–and it uses up some of my mass of zucchini. It is a wonderful treat in the morning (or anytime!). It is quite easy to make.
V Pierpoint says
Finally got a break in the heat to use the oven again, and with an abundance of zucchini from the garden plus the July contest , this was the recipe to try! We made it into muffins: about 25 minutes and they were great–so moist and tasty! We added extra chocolate chips and dashes of other spices, like ginger and nutmeg (overall they tasted a lot like oatmeal cookies haha).
Dori Miller says
This recipe was easy to make. It baked up beautifully. Sliced perfectly. I had a small slice with some butter. I was expecting it to be quite banana bread like. I used the scale to weigh the Swerve brown sugar.( I also added a tablespoon of Allulose because I get the cold feeling when I just use the Swerve), It was less than 1/2 cup. I’m not used to the flavor and texture of the almond flour yet(I used Costco brand).The bread was a little dry. I couldn’t taste any sweetness. I have had a hard time finding Bob’s Red mill almond flour.Will keep trying. I am obviously doing something wrong since all the other reviews are outstanding. I do love your recipes and enjoy trying them out.
Rosa Contreras says
I made this Zucchini bread recipe a few days ago. It was easy to make and very delicious. I like how moist the bread turned out and how yummy it tastes with butter. I used the brown granulated Monkfruit “sugar” and it didn’t have any of the Erythritol aftertaste. I used unsweetened dark chocolate chips which were perfect with the sweetness of the bread. I will be making it again for sure!
Trish says
I’m curious if I could use chocolate protein powder instead of the unflavored. I have some that needs to get used up.
Carolyn says
Sure! It will obviously taste a little more of chocolate…
Andrea Simpson says
OMGOSH!
This is Definitely Delicious! I just made this this morning! I love it! Even my husband is raving over it! And I made him a “regular “ one, as well! My only problem was/is whenever I bake something Keto, it always sticks to the pan! GRRRR… The sides were fine, just the bottom….What am I doing wrong? Regardless, of it sticking…I will definitely be making this AGAIN! Thank you,Carolyn!
P.S.- If I win, I’m Definitely investing in your Cookbooks!
Carolyn says
Line the bottom with parchment if you need to!
COLLEEN PRUSHA says
I’ve been meaning to try this recipe for some time. Your July Challenge gave me the impetus to try and I am SO glad I did! Your recipe is very close to my own pre-Keto recipe which calls for 2 tsp of cinnamon (but I always add 4). I made 2 loaves with the intention of making one as written and one with extra cinnamon and nuts. I got distracted and ended up putting 2 tsp cinnamon in one and 4 in the other and no other add-ins. I had to leave the house after baking and asked my husband to remove them from the pans after 45min. Both stuck to the bottom, which were greased, and I suspect he was none too gentle in getting them out. The more cinnamon one broke in a few pieces and the other one just lost its bottom but is sliceable. I’m sure parchment paper will solve that problem. The sides did not stick. I am amazed at the texture for an almond flour bread, so light and moist! We like the more cinnamon better but both are delicious. I can think of so many ways to serve and enjoy the crumbled bread. Thanks, Carolyn!
Question: Can we use the drained zucchini liquid in place of the water in the recipe?
Mary Harrison says
I had to make this with swerve granular because I couldn’t get swerve brown for a couple of weeks online. But I was still very pleased with the outcome. I did not put the chocolate chips in and it turned out very good. I can’t wait for my swerve brown to come in to try it with that. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Kathleen Pancoast says
Moist and delicious. Great way to use zucchini
Sheri Miller says
This is so delicious! So moist and flavorful!! Even my boyfriend loved it, putting a nice amount of butter on it while it was still warm! You really can’t tell it’s low carb, like some other breads made with almond flour, it’s that good! Thank you, Carolyn, for doing what you do. Your recipes are my go-to since going keto over 4 years ago! 💓
Tillie Moore says
Fresh from the oven….Keto Zucchini Walnut Bread….or for short…. Deliciousness!! This is a “must try” recipe! Also, on a side note, I love the USA Pans you recommended. I’ve been baking for over 40 years and these are some of the best baking pans I have owned.
PS- I have some leftover shredded zucchini so I’ll be making your Zucchini Fritters with cheddar and jalapenos for dinner.
Kristin Bemis says
This recipe was delicious! I made it to take with us for an easy breakfast option while we are staying in a hotel. I made it exactly as the recipe says and added the chocolate chips. This will he a new staple in our house especially with all the zucchini growing in our garden.
Karen Warren says
Great way to use up some zucchini. Love a good quick bread recipe. Didn’t even have to dirty my mixer. Delicious
Beth says
As usual Carolyns recipe did not disappoint! delicious and moist. I added blueberries to mine instead of chocolate chips but then drizzled a slice with melted chocolate chips. yummmmm!!