Savory Zucchini Bread
This savory zucchini bread recipe combines zucchinis, tomatoes, and lots of delicious flavors in tasty savory bread. This quick bread is easy to make and a perfect summer bread for your favorite vegan dishes.
I’ve seen a lot of recipes for zucchini bread. Chocolate zucchini bread. Cinnamon-spiced zucchini bread. Carrot zucchini bread. You name it. But what about savory breads? I wondered if it was possible to make zucchini bread savory? Or would it be a complete flop!
Savory quick breads recipes are not that easy to come by…until now. If you’re into savory bread recipes, check out my Artisan Vegan Fig and Walnut Bread. Or how about this Vegan Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread.
But I had never seen a recipe for savory zucchini bread. At least not until one day recently when I was standing in line at the grocery store check-out.
I do that a lot…stand in line at the grocery store check-out. They should have an Olympic sport for that, because I think I could win a gold medal!
I can unload my cart, scan magazine headlines for recipes, catch up on the latest celebrity gossip and day dream about what new candy bar I should try to veganize all at the same time.
It was on one such trip that I spied a recipe for Savory Zucchini Bread. It was merely a headline, but the idea of it had me hooked. So I started playing around with the idea a little more, until I finally had to make a loaf (or two) myself.
Of course, my next challenge was to make savory zucchini bread vegan!
Ingredient Spotlight
What Zucchinis are Best?
Select zucchinis that have smooth skin that’s thin. To tell if the skin is thin enough, scrape a little bit with your fingernail. It should come off easily. Zucchinis with pitted skin are older and not as fresh. Select smaller zucchini, around 6 inches in size. Large zucchini may look nice, but they can be bitter and watery.
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:
- Flour — You can use all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or a combination of these.
- Baking powder + Baking soda
- Salt
- Zucchini
- Tomato
- Fresh basil
- Scallions — Otherwise known as green onions, these provide the perfect mellow flavor for this bread.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Vegetable oil
- Tomato — I like adding 3 thin slices of tomato on top before it’s baked but this is optional.
How to Make Vegan Savory Zucchini Bread
It’s easy to make Vegan Savory Zucchini Bread! Begin with heating your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with a light coating of vegetable spray.
- Stir together dry ingredients from the flour to the salt.
- Prepare the zucchini by cutting off the top of the zucchini, chopping, and placing it in a food processor. Pulse a few seconds.
- Prepare the veggies by chopping the tomato, basil leaves, and scallions. Add these to the food processor and pulse for several seconds.
- Add the water, apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil and pulse again to combine.
- Pour the wet mixture into the mixing bowl with the flour and stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan. Top with the 3 tomato slices.
- Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. The top of the loaf should be a golden brown.
Marly’s Tips
You can add up to 1/2 cup vegan cheese shreds to make zucchini cheese bread.
Reader Reviews
I took a chance and made this for a brunch without trying it first. It was a huge hit! My vegan friends just raved about this bread. I loved it as well!
Cali
Storage Tips
Store the bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can be frozen in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 2 months.
Serving Suggestions
Here are ideas for serving this savory zucchini bread recipe:
- Side Dish — Cut it into slices and serve like you would any bread alongside a bowl of soup
- Grilled Cheese — Add a slice of vegan cheese on top and melt it in a toaster oven
- Croutons — Cut slices into cubes and toast them until crispy. They’re delicious croutons on your favorite salads!
Zucchini Recipes
If you love tasty zucchini recipes, be sure to check these out:
We hope you love this recipe for vegan savory zucchini bread as much as we do.
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Vegan Savory Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium zucchini
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup vegan cheddar shreds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C degrees. Spray a loaf pan with a light coating of vegetable spray.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Cut off the top of the zucchini. Discard. Then roughly chop the remaining and place in a food processor. Pulse a few seconds.
- Roughly chop the basil leaves and scallions. Add these to the food processor. Pulse for several seconds. Use a spatula to push any pieces in the side of the bowl down. Pulse again, until shredded. Add the water, apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil. Pulse again to combine.
- Pour the contents from the food processor into the mixing bowl with the flour. Stir until combined. Then gently stir in the cheese.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Place in the heated oven and bake for 70 to 75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. The top of the loaf should be a golden brown.
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2010 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2020.
Sorry I know this blogpost is ages old but I just made this and it is AMAZING. So lovely and moist and delicious and exactly what I was looking for!
So glad you loved it! It’s so refreshing to have a zucchini bread that’s not sweet! ❤️
I had the same thing happen to me as Dani (although I made the recipe as listed with no substitutions). I cooked it for almost 2 hours and it still came out raw in places. The flavour was still great, so I think I might try it again using smaller loaf pans.
Hi Marly,
Tried this recipe. Only change I made was use 2 cups all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour. The bread took 85 mins to bake at 325 degrees and the inserted skewer barely came out clean. The crust was crunchy and looked nice, starting to brown and was separating from the walls of the loaf pan (9X5). So, I took it out of the oven. However, after cooling the bread for 15 minutes and then slicing it the inside was very wet. The bottom of the bread was dense and doughy and had not risen for about the thickness of 3mm. What went wrong? How can I correct it? Thanks.
Dani, GA
Hi Dani. Thanks for your comment. It doesn’t seem like making that change to the recipe would result in a loaf that you’re describing. I double checked the recipe to make sure it was correct. I’ve used it many times and haven’t had problems so I’m not certain what the problems were.
Thanks Marly. Though soggy it tasted very good. Perhaps my oven was not warm enough. I will check with a thermometer and try the recipe again, without any substitutions.
OMG that zucchini bread looks absolutely amazing!
My grandma always makes the most delicious pumpkin & zucchini breads, & although I’ve been able to veganize her pumpkin bread with great results, I haven’t quite figured out the zucchini bread yet…
Looks like I’m on my way with this recipe. Thanks – I’m happy to have found your blog!
Made it last night and it was so good we finished it off today. You suggested using 1/2 cup of corn, could I do that instead of tomatoes?
I tried to buy Zucchini yesterday and couldn’t get any…. how sad is that?!
Anyhow, thanks for yet another great recipe!
😀
I hate it when that happens! I did the same thing last winter. Went into the store to buy some zucchini and there was none to be found. I guess the zucchini were on vacation…I think Tahiti
There are still none here and the veggie prices have sky rocketed…. insane 🙁
That is a stunning zucchini bread…bursting with goodness 🙂
Looks delicious and I happen to have a half of a zucchini in my fridge. 🙂 but is it 325 F or 325 C ? and what can I use instead of apple sauce? it’s not very common in my country :s
thanks
Hi Violet. Thanks for coming by and for commenting! Here are answers to your questions:
325 F
A substitution for applesauce? Well, if you have an apple you could make your own apple sauce. Just slice it up (removing the core) and throw it into a blender. I do this and I even leave the skins on (I figure it adds healthy stuff to the mix). If you don’t have any apples and still looking for something to substitute, do you happen to have any squash? You could substitute mashed squash for the applesauce. No squash? Well, this next idea may may sound kind of crazy, but you can even boil a potato and mash that up (and then let it cool). I’ve done this several times in recipes (don’t tell anybody). If none of these work for you, you could just replace an equal amount of water or soy milk. It may mean the final version doesn’t hold together as well, but it should still taste just fine.
Best of luck and let me know how it goes! I’m so excited you’re trying out this recipe!
First good job on the blog! I have been considering of going Vegan for health reasons – however I still love meat. Once I point out this to people in forums and many others , I normally get feedback about “killing harmless creatures for food ” and how might a civilized person do something like that. I am sorry, however I do not really feel that way , I just suppose that the vegan lifestyle is more healthy and wish to strive it. Does anyone have any helpful hints about find out how to curb my meat cravings
Hi Jessica
There are lots of resources for people who wish to become vegetarian. I’ll list one below. I know different people have different reasons. I think it’s important to just consider what others say and then find what’s right for you. It can be difficult in the first few days, but after awhile most people (me included) end up feeling so much better you can’t imagine ever going back! Taste buds are so malleable that way! I hope this resource below is helpful. Hope to hear back from you on how it’s going! Marly
https://features.peta.org/VegetarianStarterKit/index.asp
Hey Marly Yummy Zucchini Cake, I especially love the slices of tomatoes on top, I love tomatoes especially this time of year. Did I tell you my sister and her husband were nice enough to pick my 5 bushels of tomatoes and do my canning for me this year. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family. I don’t know what I would have done if they didn’t, my pasta sauce would never be the same without my jars of tomatoes.
Marly! You are such a photography queen! That last photograph is just beautiful. You truly put me to shame. I wish we could share a slice of this bread. It looks so delicious, and I’m sure it’s best enjoyed in the company of friends. Great post!
What is a good substitute for the oil in this recipe?
Thank you.
Hi MaryPat. I haven’t tried this myself, but you can try applesauce instead of the oil. Just use an equal amount and it should be fine.