This Orange Paleo Orange Zucchini Bread is a healthier version of a classic zucchini quick bread recipe. Easy to make, refined sugar free, and dairy free. The orange ginger glaze is optional, but delicious when drizzled on top.
Favorite zucchini QUICK BREAD just got a makeover!
If you could choose one bread to live off the rest of your life, what would it be? Is that too much to ask on a Monday? Ha, perhaps. But I’m going to go ahead and answer this for you. Zucchini Bread! Why? Because you get a serving of vegetables in a lightly sweet and delicate quick bread form. Slather with clarified butter or coconut oil and you’ve got a serving of healthy fats.
And this paleo(ish) orange zucchini quick bread might be the bread of life. Packed with ALL THE THINGS! Vegetables, fruit, lightly sweet, healthy fats, grain free, moist (ugh, hate that word but it’s true), and packed with Vitamin C. That’s justifiable. No? Kidding. Kinda.
It’s legit delish and perfect for summer baking!
Healthy zucchini bread recipe coming at ya –
Now, let me tell you why I ended making batches of this zesty paleo zucchini bread. Get ready… nerdy nutrition talk comin’ at ya once again.
You see, we’re entering into crazy summer heat. Heat can cause stress on the body. So can summer vacation with your family. I kid, I kid. But in all seriousness, a little (acute) inflammation is good for the body, allowing it to repair and rebuild properly. Chronic inflammation is a whole other story! If you want more information on that topic, check out our Anti-inflammatory Starter Kit.
Either way, we’re still in need of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory rich foods. Hence this extra burst of Vitamin C in this paleo zucchini bread.
But wait, there’s more!
All these ingredients are high in antioxidants (think Vitamins and such).
- Fresh Oranges and Orange Juice– High in antioxidant VITAMIN C. Oh yea!
- Ground Ginger– Rich source of antioxidants including gingerols, shogaols, zingerones, and more. These antioxidants in ginger root do wonders for the body and can help reduce inflammation in the muscles. So less soreness!
- Almonds – Rich in antioxidant Vitamin E (fat soluble vitamin), which can help fight against free radicals and oxidative stress. WOO! Although Vitamin E diminishes with high heating, you can still get a great source with this almond flour base.
- Zucchini– Rich in Vitamin C and A. Plus did you know the squash seeds are said to be microbial and help with immunity? Yep, very cool!
Now you might be wondering… “That’s all fine and dandy Lindsay, but how can a glaze with sugar be healthy?”
Okay you might not have been wondering that, but I’ll answer for you anyways.
KEEP READING…
REFINED SUGAR FREE ZUCCHINI BREAD OPTION:
To make this bread UBER healthy, skip the real sugar and the glaze. Instead, opt for a refined sugar free sweetener like coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey (see this meal plan for more info on refined sugar free). Ya’ll, it’s still delicious and lightly sweet, even without the glaze. I promise!
Tips for making paleo zucchini quick bread!
Ingredients you need –> eggs, almond flour, coconut flour, ginger, fresh orange juice, zucchini, unrefined sugar, coconut milk or almond milk.
Zucchini prep tip —> The key to zucchini bread success is making sure you get most of the water out of the grated zucchini. Too much water will create soggy bread. You can do this by first grating the zucchini, then pressing it with a towel to remove excess water or placing it in a cloth and squeezing until all the water is removed. Then pat the grated zucchini dry and place in bowl.
After that, you simply mix the wet ingredients together and combine with your dry ingredients (sifted flour, sugar, etc.) . Once that’s mixed, all you have left to do is bake.
Once the zucchini bread is all done and baked, just drizzle a little ginger glaze on top and enjoy! Again, this is totally optional, but it’s a great brunch option when entertaining. Ya know?
We made a few batches already so I could freeze them for later. Speaking of freezing, stay tuned for our freezer friendly gluten free meal plan later this week.
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Paleo Orange Zucchini Bread {Quick Bread Recipe}
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 9–10 slices 1x
Description
Zesty Orange Paleo Zucchini Bread is a classic quick bread recipe made healthier with simple ingredients. Paleo friendly and refined sugar free.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and/or ginger
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or raw sugar
- 1 medium zucchini, grated with water extracted
- 4 eggs room temp
- 1/3 cup coconut milk or almond milk (regular cream may be substituted)
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 3 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 orange, thinly slices for topping
Optional ORANGE GINGER GLAZE – not strict paleo, sugar free option
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (see post for sugar free option and link in post to make Paleo)
- 3 Tablespoons – 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- dash of orange zest or orange peel
Instructions
-
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper and oil the sides. May use an 8×4 loaf pan for denser bread.
- Sift together the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl; stir in sugar and mix until combined. Set aside.
- Grate the zucchini onto a plate or bowl. Press the grated zucchini with a paper towel to extract as much water out as possible. Or place zucchini in a towel and squeeze out water. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk or blend together eggs, milk, and orange juice.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient bowl and mix together. If batter seems too dry, add a touch more milk.
- Stir in the melted coconut oil and vanilla. Lastly, fold in the grated zucchini.
- Pour the batter into a loaf/bread pan. The batter will be thick due to coconut flour, evenly spread batter into loaf pan using a spatula. Place thinly sliced orange slices on top.
- Place in oven on center rack and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Check for doneness at 1 hour by inserting toothpick into center of bread, when comes out clean, the bread is baked through. Depending on the oven, the bread could take up to 1 hour and 25 minutes to bake. If edges become darker brown, cover with foil and bake until center of bread is set.
- Remove from oven and let cool. Spread the optional glaze on top before slicing, or skip and slice as is.
FOR THE OPTIONAL GINGER GLAZE
- Combine all glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. See post for link to sugar free powdered sugar option.
- Drizzle glaze on top of entire bread before serving or on each individual piece.
- Store in fridge if not using all glaze at once. If using coconut oil, warm the glaze in microwave slightly to liquify glaze from solidifying in cool fridge.
Notes
- The glaze is optional, but delicious if serving at brunch.
- This bread is freezer friendly.
- Sugar free powdered sugar can be used in glaze.
- Nutrition below based on calculations without glaze
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 70-80 min
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 269
- Sugar: 12.3 g
- Sodium: 161.5 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6.9 g
- Cholesterol: 74.4 mg
Keywords: bread, zucchini, paleo, grain free, dessert, gluten free
Now tell me, if you could choose one bread to eat the rest of your life, would it be this? Haha, I am hopeful!
Bliss. Pure bliss!
MORE HEALTHY YEAST-FREE BREAD RECIPES HERE!
This recipe is part of our Healthy Yeast-free Bread Recipes collection. Check it out!
I made this last year and have it marked as “ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS”
So making again… However I have a giant zucchini…. How many cups of grated would you say u used? 1C? Less more?
★★★★★
I think 1 cup shredded should be about right! Keep me posted, for sure!
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YES! I would totally choose this bread to eat for the rest of my life. Zucchini bread on its own is great; but with orange & ginger added to the mix? Oh yes – even better.
★★★★★
I’m so glad Liz! SO good!
Hey Lindsay…this looks soo amazing & sounds sooo delicious..this amazing recipe till now…Thanks for sharing…keep shared your new recipe….!
★★★★★
Thanks Macy! Let me know if you try it. 🙂
The batter tasted amazing, but I’m at 65 minutes baking and the center is still gooey! What could have gone wrong?
Oh no! Could be just too much water in the zucchini. Cover it with foil and keep baking. Keep me posted
Adding coconut cream to a recipe… a whole new level! So good!!
★★★★★
Has anyone tried substituting summer squash in place of zucchini? I don’t think that it would effect anything. I’d love to try this recipe, trying to do so me more paleo baking. but only have summer squash at the moment.
I’m sure that would work! Might have a slightly different taste but that’s it
Love it!!! definitely, will try it!!! And your all your blog looks tasty!!
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Love the way you have presented, it looks so great in look!
WOW! orange is the flavor I like the most, your recipe is both delicious and nutritious . It is sure that my boys is keen on it,but I have a question if I can add some mint into the cakes? so that the orange flavor is affected or not ?
oh i bet that would be lovely! try it and keep me posted abigail
I made this recipe with half AP flour and half almond flour and it turned out delicious. If you don’t have the dietary restrictions I say definitely make the glaze – it adds so much depth of flavor to this bread! I’d really describe it as more of a cake the way I made it, and it’s wonderful!
Wonderful! So glad! Did you use cassava flour as the AIP?
Lindsay, this looks incredible! I love zucchini bread, and the added orange flavor sounds so fun and delicious!
thank you friend! I adore that orange combo too!
The additional of oranges in a zucchini bread is quite clever, which is par for the course from you. I would totally add the powdered sugar ginger glaze. 🙂
awww well shucks. thanks friend. 🙂
Zucchini bread is a favorite around here! Love the addition of orange!
I was feeling baking up some goodies today but now you’ve pushed me over the edge to do just that… AND BUY some zucchini to shove in the recipes too!!!
Do it!!! Shove shove
Gah this looks SO good. Would have never thought of adding orange flavor into zucchini bread. And the ginger glazer?! I just had some ginger tea last night after dinner because my stomach felt funny. Love foods that heal, and I always appreciate your nutrition talks 😀
–one bread for the rest of my life would have to be banana <3
This loaf looks absolutely perfect! Orange is such a great addition to zucchini bread too! Especially if you’re trying to convince someone who doesn’t like veggies to enjoy a slice 😉
exactly! you can just tell them it’s orange bread haha. sneaky!
Oh girl, you are making my heart sing and taste buds water with this one! Ginger is my everything, and all that nutrition geekery is right up my alley. I’m always skeptical about baking with coconut flour because that stuff can have a mind of its own sometimes (or maybe it’s just my lack of baking skills) but I trust you on this one and can’t wait to make it!
I’ve missed you!!! And yes, the trick to coconut flour is use a little combined with almond meal so it won’t dry out. A little goes a long way. Xxoo
Great idea to make up a batch and freeze them. Homemade grain free bread it the best. I don’t like heating up the kitchen in the summer. Thanks for the recipe. I will be sure to make more than one loaf. Looks awesome.
so true! it’s hot already. haha
I never thought I’d say this, but zucchini is a miracle worker. And so are you for making something so delicious! I love the addition of orange in this, and I love that a slice of this is basically like taking vitamins 😉
I so agree! it’s like pumpkin.. but summer version. LOL!
My kids love zucchini bread and they never leave any left for me!! This looks amazing friend.
Maybe you can threatened them with avocado haha. Kidding. They are allergic right?
Friend. You know I’m with you on the moist-factor. I squirmed just typing this. I do want to stick my face in this moist bread though. LOL!
The orange is a brilliant add. Side note: we have an orange tree in our yard – how crazy is that?! I’d add some chocolate chips too… because have we met? 😉
P.S. Come to SD and cool off!
Yes! TWSS
I have never wanted to stop what I was doing and go bake bread as bad as I do right now. I’m pretty sure Dave would devour this! I might need to make this for our trip to Austin next week. I have a feeling it will be gone before we even get on the plane though!
By the way,. I have been meaning to send you a note to inquire about GF restaurants in Austin, we are headed there for a quick trip next week! Any suggestions would be AMAZING!
Yes! Where are you staying?
i love bread. plain and simple lol if i had to choose only ONE, it’d probably be banana bread with walnuts and raisins 🙂
I definitely would side with you on this one too! This zucchini bread looks fantastic! But my sprouted banana bread comes in a very close second–they just may have to fight to the finish for the place of m favorite bread!
I would totally choose zucchini bread AND banana bread because I can’t just pick one haha. I’ve been loving all things citrus lately so this orange cream version is perfect!
me too!! best of both worlds!
OMG this looks amazing…Come to Nantucket so you can make all these delicious recipes and I will supply the wine! HAHA! Miss you pretty lady and I hope you had a wonderful weekend! XOXO
yes! i need to escape the heat!
I am all about anything zucchini- pinned for later, looks amazing!
Oh, yum! I love this twist on the classic zucchini bread. My kids would definitely eat their veggies this way!
Zucchini bread is my all time favorite and I have been a little obsessed with putting orange in all the baked things this year. I know this is superb!
i think it’s the heat! haha so refreshing
I love zucchini bread. Love and adore it. This would be so good for any time of day (I was going to say that it would be so good for brunch but then I kept adding other times of day and it got silly)
you’re silly, i’m silly, i love it all! <3
I feel your pain on the word moist but we have to describe a good bread that way! Shockingly I haven’t tried a Paleo zucchini bread but summer is the time. I love all the healing properties in this one!
haha i know. can we come up with another name please? LO!