If you’ve followed along or checked out my website before, you know I have a big sweet tooth. That being said, I also try to live a healthy and balanced life. Thus, I’m always looking for recipes where I can get sweetness while still being relatively healthy, and this date and walnut zucchini bread is perfect! Inspired by Clinton Kelly’s cranberry health bread, I made a few swaps based on what I like and what I had in the house to come up with this recipe. While traditional zucchini breads have a ton of sugar and fat, this date and walnut zucchini bread only has 1/3 of a cup of coconut oil and ½ cup sugar in the whole recipe! Talk about cutting back! However this quick bread doesn’t taste the least bit lacking, and makes a great breakfast or snack. I’ve even smeared on some peanut butter for a pre work-out snack.
Date and Walnut Zucchini Bread Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup + 1 tbs all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup oat flour (ground oats)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 medium zucchini (grated)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (plus additional to grease loaf pan)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup dried dates (about 14-15 deglet noor dates) roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts (toasted, roughly chopped)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with vegetable oil and line with parchment paper, set aside.
In a large bowl ¾ cup all purpose flour, oat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the oil, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs and beat until combined. Add the Greek yogurt and zucchini, and mix to combine.
NOTE** Most recipes call for squeezing the water out of the zucchini, however I find that with the oat flour, leaving the zucchini as is keeps the bread nice and moist.
Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix walnuts, chopped dates, and 1 tbs flour. Make sure all of the dates and walnuts are evenly coated with the flour to ensure that they evenly distribute throughout the batter. Mix into the batter just until everything is combined, and add it to the oiled and parchment paper lined loaf pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven to a baking rack. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove to the baking rack to cool completely.
You can enjoy this date and walnut zucchini bread warm or at room temp without the guild of extra sugar and fat. Enjoy, and happy eating!
