Happy New Year! We hope that everyone had a good start to 2021. New year, a new zucchini-based recipe! In baking, zucchini is a complimentary add-in, for instance, for brownies or quick bread. It gives the final product a lovely moist texture that makes your taste buds sing. This time around, we made spiced zucchini bread laden with raisins and topped with chopped walnuts. The spices give the bread a wintery-touch, while the zucchini gives it a veggie boost. We believe that this bread is ideal for the winter season. Smiles guaranteed! 

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour 
• ½ tsp sea salt 
• 2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• ¼ tsp allspice 
• ¼ tsp ginger 
• ½ cup brown sugar

Wet Ingredients

• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water/ stir and set aside for 5 minutes)
• ½ cup apple sauce
• ¼ cup vegan buttermilk (1/4 cup non-dairy milk + 1 tsp lemon juice/ stir and set aside for 5 minutes) 
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil or vegan margarine 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Add-ins

• 1.5 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/3 cup (floured) raisins

Topping

• ¼ cup chopped walnuts  

Instructions

1. Add all the dry ingredients to a large-sized mixing bowl. Whisk until well-combined.  
2. Add all the wet ingredients to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk thoroughly.  
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry one. Using a spatula, gently combine the two mixture. Don’t overmix! 
4. Carefully fold in the zucchini and the raisins.
5. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
6. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F. Oil/butter your loaf pan.
7. Using a spatula, mix the batter a couple of times before transferring it to the prepared loaf pan. 
8. Top with walnuts and then bake for 40 minutes. 
9. Cover pan with the aluminum foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Do the toothpick check! 
10. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Enjoy!  

Storage Tips

• Wrap the bread in plastic/ beeswax wrap or aluminum foil. Alternatively, place the bread in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 3 days. 
• Cover the bread with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. In its wrapped state, thaw the bread at room temperature or in the fridge. 

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