Traditional zucchini breads are rich and dense due to their refined oil and sugar, but these ingredients are not necessary, or health-promoting. This bread gets its moistness and heartiness from zucchini, apples, dates, and millet and oat flours.
I have happy memories of my mom’s zucchini bread made from the squash in our garden. And it was full of walnuts from our trees, which my dad used to pay me and my sister twenty-five cents a bucket to pick up. We complained a lot, but those walnuts were so good! Usually we’d make this in the summer or fall when zucchinis were fresh and plentiful. But there’s no reason you can’t make this tasty bread anytime of the year.
A word about baking pans: This recipe makes one standard loaf or two “half” loaves. Most recipes make 2 standard loaves, but you can easily double this recipe if you want to make two. I wanted to touch on baking pans since a different size pan will affect the baking time slightly, and there are so many sizes of loaf pans.
My standard pan holds 5 cups of water (to the brim) and is about 8.25 x 4.25 x 2-1/2″ (it’s says “medium loaf pan” on the end, and is “Gourmetware” brand).
What I call my “half” loaf pan holds 2 cups water and measures 5.75 x 3″ (the brand is “Good Cook” and says “mini loaf pan” on the label). It doesn’t say “half” on it, but that’s what I call it since it looks like about the size of my standard pan (see comparison photo below).
There are also true “mini” loaf pans that measure closer to 2.25 x 3.5″. These can be sold individually or as “cavities” in one large pan. I have not made these super small loaves, but I’d start checking them for doneness around 25 minutes and cook longer as needed.
So, if you want to replicate my loaves, those are the two pan sizes I have used (I have the Good Cook brand of pans in my online store as well as a true “mini” pan). If your pan is not one of these sizes, this chart on pan sizes may be helpful.
Ingredients
10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup non-dairy milk
1-1/4 cups quick or Old Fashioned rolled oats (not instant), ground into flour
¾ cup dry millet, ground into flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground (dry) ginger
1-3/4 cups unpeeled and grated zucchini (about 1 and a half medium zucchinis)
½ cup unpeeled, grated apple (about half of a medium apple)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup walnut halves, chopped
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325. In a small bowl, cover the chopped dates with the non-dairy milk and set aside to soften.
2. Dry ingredients: Grind the oats and millet into a flour using your blender (a high-speed blender will do a finer job) and place into a bowl. Add to this the soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
3. Wet ingredients: In another bowl, place the grated zucchini and apple, and vanilla. Using your blender again, blend the dates and the non-dairy milk until very smooth. Add the date mixture to the bowl of zucchini, apple and vanilla, and mix with a fork.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, adding in the chopped walnuts at the end. Pour into one standard size loaf pan OR two half-loaf pans (see above) lined with parchment paper (see photos of how to do this below), or use silicone bakeware. The batter will fill the pan about 3/4 of the way.
5. Bake 1 standard loaf for 65-70 minutes uncovered with your oven rack in the center position. If you are making two half loaves, bake both at the same time on one rack with some space between them for 40-45 minutes uncovered. The bread will be done when the top of the loaf is an even medium brown, it has started to pull away from the sides of the pan, and there are some cracks in the top of the loaf.
When you take the bread out to test for doneness, insert a toothpick far down, and if it comes out clean, it’s likely done. If the top of the loaf is brown but doesn’t pass the toothpick test, put it back in covered lightly with a piece of foil and cook for 5 more minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan to cool further on a cutting board. Cool for another 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Preparation: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 40-70 minutes
Makes: 1 standard loaf or two half loaves
NOTES
Sweetness: This bread is not overly sweet, but just sweet enough, according to my palate. But feel free to add 2-3 more dates if you prefer a sweeter bread.
Nuts: Any type of nut may be used; or they may be omitted altogether.
Raisins: A half cup of raisins would also be a nice addition, and would add additional sweetness.
Above: A close-up of a slice from the standard loaf. The crumb (the soft inner part of the bread) is moist yet not under-cooked. Adding the ground millet helps this since oat flour alone can sometimes result in a texture that is heavy and sticky.
Above: The half loaf is on the left and the standard loaf is on the right. The standard loaf was cooked a little longer, so it’s darker in color.
Above: This is the half loaf made with sliced almonds instead of walnuts. You can see the millet grains, which look like cornmeal, even when ground. If you were to grind the millet and oats in a Vitamix or other super high-speed blender, the texture would be finer (I used my small Tribest Blender to grind my grains). I like the grainier texture just as well.
HOW TO LINE A PAN WITH PARCHMENT PAPER
(1) Cut a piece of parchment paper larger than your pan, and set your pan on it. (2) Mark where the four corners are. (3) Cut from the corners into the marks, and also trim the long sides so that they are the approximate height of your baking pan. (4) Press the paper into the pan, pressing firmly into the corners so it will conform to the pan. Flatten the paper against the insides of the pan, and trim off any that rises above the top edge of the pan so it doesn’t burn. (5) This is what the finished project looks like (this is my “half” loaf pan).
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I can’t wait to try the recipe, Cathy. Just this past Saturday I bought a hearty amount of zucchini from our local organic Farmer’s Market. I’ll let you know how this turned out. The ingredients sound wonderful, and, of course, healthy. That’s what we want. Thank you!
Yes, please let me know how it goes, Joanne. No one else has made this besides me yet.
I’m always open to tips and suggestions.
Hi, Cathy! Made the loaf this afternoon. The taste is FABULOUS-sweet enough and the spice mix is wonderful. However, I didn’t have millet on hand, and used almond meal instead. The texture was soft in the middle, and didn’t rise as in the pic. I’ll make next time with millet. Wondering if grinding oats in Vita mixer had something to do with it. But in the final analysis, it’s a great recipe…..healthy, and very tasty. I’m signing off; going to enjoy my 2nd slice!
Have to add – hubby just ate some of the bread, and loved it!!! So tasty! Doesn’t have that oily, greasy feel of zucchini bread made the SAD way!
Hi Joanne! Nice to hear from you!
I’m so glad the bread went over so well with hubby! Per your other comment, yeah, I think the millet really helps it with “lift.” There are so many factors, like the Vitamix vs. another blender. Yes, it’s nice to have zucchini bread that isn’t an oil sponge. 
It’s in the oven, rising…….
Yay Bob!
Let me know how it turns out!
Perfect – ummmmm!
…………looks as good as it tastes too.
Yay!
Made this last night with a few changes. My dates didn’t make it home from the store so used a 1/4 c agave nectar instead and used spelt in place of millet. Tastes super delicious but took a long time to firm up. I think the nectar made it a little too soupy. The bf really liked it too!
Hi, thanks for posting such a healthy zucchini bread recipe! I really appreciate it. I like the flavor and texture. Mine didn’t rise really at all, though, and I followed the recipe. Any ideas? (The batter seemed very soupy–it was a really juicy apple. Maybe that’s it?) Thanks again.
Hi Heidi, did you grind the oats and millet, or did you use store-bought flour? That might make a difference. What kind of milk did you use?
I ground the oats and happened to have millet flour on hand (and no millet), so that was the one thing I guesstimated on–put in a little less flour than the…and now I see my problem. I was reading on my phone and misread it as 1/4 c millet!! My oops, not yours. I’ll try it again. Thanks!!
Ah! If you make it again let me know how it turns out.
Tried again today with closer to the correct amount of millet (still only have already-made millet flour). I added a few extra dates for a little more sweetness, and used nuts and raisins. The texture and flavor is excellent. However, I still didn’t get much rise, and it’s super crumbly/not sliceable. I’m not saying this to complain as I really love the healthy recipe. I’ll keep trying and will get some millet to grind next time. Maybe that’s somehow it? Also I had a super juicy apple–likely things like that matter too.
Science question: is it the baking soda or powder that makes it rise? Should I experiment with more of one or the other? Also wondering about using a flax egg as binder.
I really, really appreciate the recipe!
Hi Heidi, yes, the baking soda and powder make it rise. You could try adding more, but I try to keep it low because you can start to taste it if it’s too much. You could try flax eggs too. What kind of pan are you using?
I have made this nearly every other day since finding it. So yummy and healthy! I add 2 t of ground flax and increase baking soda/powder to 1.5 t. It raises maybe a titch more and maybe holds together a bit better. Today’s version has raisins and candied ginger:-)
Delicious! For some reason, the millet didn’t ground up and I didn’t notice until it was already mixed with the other ingredients. I even used a Vitamix.
Next time I’ll need to cook it a bit longer. It was a little under cooked even though It passed the toothpick test.
Again, sooo delicious!! Thumbs up from the whole family! This will be a regular recipe for me.
Cathy, would you’d be okay if I shared the zucchini bread recipe in my upcoming newsletter, AND, of course sing your praises and promote your site? Let me know. Thanks. Joanne
Hi Joanne, Sure! You can use the pix too if you like.
Thanks, Cathy. Made the bread again today, used the millet, it rose beautifully; I baked a bit longer and, walla, fabulous. Thanks for this healthy treat!
I’m so glad to hear that Joanne! Woo hoo!
YUM!!!! I made this bread over the weekend and loved it! Mine didn’t rise much (ground the millet and oats in my vitamix) but that didn’t bother me at all. I love a nice dense bread! I’m going to make it again but shape the dough into individual scones, just for fun!
Hi Gina, I think this recipe would make great scones, as it has a bit of a crumbly texture like scones usually do. I don’t think zucchini breads do rise very much, generally since they are a heavier quick bread. As long as it’s not gooey inside though.
I ground the millet and the oats in a Krups coffee grinder that I use only for nuts, seeds, and grains. It worked beautifully. I didn’t change any quantities or ingredients in the recipe; I often don’t the first time I prepare a recipe. The bread turned out great and was just the right amount of sweetness, IMO. Thanks again, Cathy.
Awesome! Thanks Linda!
I don’t have any millet on hand, can I substitute whole wheat flour? If so, would I use the same amount? thanks!
Hi Janie, you could give it a try, with either wheat or more of the oats. The millet seems to “lift and lighten” so using another flour might make it a bit more dense; but I’m sure it will still taste great.
Hi Cathy, I made this bread last night and think it is one of the best treats I have made so far. Thanks for the receipe. I baked it in a silicone loaf pan and found the recipe quick and easy. Everyone in the house loves it. Thanks for posting the recipe.
Hi Wanda, great to hear that! I still have yet to try silicone baking pans, but it’s on the list.
Wound up here thanks to the FB post by the Engine 2 Diet! Just wanted to clarify (because I’m a nerd)…I should measure the oats and millet and THEN grind them?
Hi Beth, yes, that is right.
Soooo have to make this!!!!! I’m drooling!
Hi Cathy – this recipe sounds awesome. Can I substitute figs for the dates? I happen to have a lot of figs on hand right now.
Hi Lori, I haven’t tried that but I can see that working. It may not be quite as sweet, since dates are extra sweet, but give it a go and let me know how it goes.
Will do! Thank you.
Making this again. I put it into muffin tins because my kids go crazy over muffins. Made the oat flour from whole oat groats instead of rolled, so I hope the measurements will be right.
Thanks Carrie! Did it work as well with the groats??
This was a big hit in our family!! Love the denseness of the bread. So nutritious and tasty. Husband loved it as is. Added a very small amount of non dairy choc chips for a kid friendly version which went over very big with the younger set. Thank you so much for designing a baked good recipe that didn’t need any oil but still tasted moist and yummy!!
I love to hear when the husbands love it!
You’re so welcome.
Hi Cathy!
I made this last Friday and I loved it. Took it to my parents place for coffee, but they thought it wasnt sweet enough… well, more for my hubby and me! Do you think one could sub Banana for the Zucchini? I miss Banana bread!
Hi Christina, I think you could but not sure of the measurements. I had the same thought, of using the zuch recipes and just using bananas to make banana bread. I’m going to try that.
I’m in heaven looking at this recipe. I can’t wait to try it. GF and vegan and I never make myself “treats”…which I’d classify this as one! Love, love zucchini bread too but the traditional is always way too sweet and oily. You’re a genius!
Marty, you love kitties and you say I’m a genius, so you’re my new best friend.
Welcome!
It turned out perfect and the house smells so good. I was so excited to have a healthy recipe turn out so well!!! Thanks Cathy!!!
Yay!!
LOVE your Carrot Cake Donute recipe and this one looks like it will be fantastic as well, I’m printing it out for future use. Thanks for the Parchment tutorial, I’ve always struggled with that and it’s so simple!!
Hi, great blog! I have oat flour I’d like to use up and wonder if that’s the same as measuring the oats then grinding?
I’ve not tried it, but I think it would work fine. Let me know!
This bread turned out great! I used one cup of pre-ground oat flour to the 1 1/4 cup of oats and it was perfect. I love the addition of ground millet–awesome texture and crumb. Thank you for this recipe! I also like that it’s not oily or too sweet—this way I can spread no-sugar added apple butter on it—yum.
Hi Jen, yay! Thanks for the comment. Yes, the millet adds such a nice texture.
Is it possible for the bread to lift if I don’t use the baking powder and baking soda, but only use the millet? And how much amount of the millet should I use? Thanks.
I don’t think it would lift enough and would be gooey. Or maybe make it in a 8×8″ pan instead so it’s not so thick and just cook for less time.
Thanks Cathy, it’s now on the oven! hope it would lift (:
I have two zucchini and a granny smith sitting in my fridge. Now I know what to do with them. Still McDoogling.
Thanks Sherry! Awesome that you continue to McDougall on!
I just made this, and it was so yummy. Thanks for the recipe.