Vegan Zucchini Bread with Dates and Walnuts

If you’ve got extra zucchinis laying around from a bumper crop or a gift from a neighbor’s garden, there’s nothing better than putting them to good use in a delicious, sweet spiced zucchini bread recipe. And you don’t need to have a garden to enjoy zucchini, these delicious vegetables are available readily in farmers markets or supermarkets a good portion of the year. Due to their moist, mild flavor, zucchinis are great in baking. All you have to do is shred fresh zucchini into a batter, such as this vegan zucchini bread with dates and walnuts.

Sweetened naturally with dates and a touch of maple syrup, this zucchini bread recipe features whole grain flour, walnuts, and a modest amount of oil, making it a healthy bread recipe that you can feel so good about. The caramelly sweet taste of dates, generous use of spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, and crunchy walnuts truly deliver a robust flavor that makes this zucchini bread recipe a standout. When I served it this weekend at a potluck, people were raving about how good it is! With no eggs or dairy products, this moist, yummy zucchini bread works well for many diet preferences. To make gluten free zucchini bread, use gluten-free flour blend instead of wheat flours. Bake an extra batch and put it in the freezer for later—it’s that good!

Print

Vegan Zucchini Bread with Dates and Walnuts

---

• 
  Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
• 
  Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• 
  Yield: 12 servings 1x
• 
  Diet: Vegan

Description

Sweetened naturally with dates and a touch of maple syrup, this vegan zucchini bread features whole grain flour, walnuts, and a modest amount of oil, making it a healthy bread recipe that you can feel so good about.

---

• ¾ cup chopped, pitted dates (i.e., Medjool)
• ½ cup boiling water
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup plant-based milk, plain, unsweetened (i.e., soy, almond, oat, coconut)
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil or avocado oil 
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose wheat flour
• 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (plus more for garnish, if desired)
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini (you’ll need 1-2 zucchinis, depending on their size) 
• ¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (plus more for garnish, if desired)

---

Instructions

1. Place chopped pitted dates at the bottom of a mixing bowl (may use an electric standing mixer with bowl). Pour boiling water over the dates and let stand for 15 minutes. 
2. Add maple syrup, plant-based milk, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and flax seeds and mix well with the electric mixer until mixture is smooth but dates are still chunky. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. 
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
4. Add white whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt (if using), cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Mix with electric mixer just for 1-2 minutes, until mixture is smooth.
5. Mix in zucchini and walnuts by hand.
6. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Pour batter into the lined loaf pan and smooth surface with a spatula. If desired, sprinkle additional chopped walnuts and cinnamon over the top.
7. Place in center of oven and bake for about 55 minutes, until golden brown and fork inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing it. 
9. Makes 12 slices (1 slice per serving). 

Notes

To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free flour blend instead of wheat flours.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: vegan zucchini bread

For more plant-based baked goods recipes, check out some of my favorites:

Lemon Scones with Currants
Corn Muffins with Spices
Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Seeds
Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Matcha Tea Lemon Muffins
Get Nutty Vegan Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Vegan Sweet Potato Bread