Superfood Lemon Zucchini Bread

When I get into something, I give it 100% or give up.  When I started (or re-started I guess) this blog, I gave it 100% and haven't looked back since.  I did take a little break while on vacation with my family, but other than that I've been posting and cooking/creating recipes on a regular basis.  This has sparked so much creativity and joy in me that I just can't stop.  Leftover zucchini?  Hmm I wonder what I could bake with that.  Well I have some lemons too so boom, here comes lemon zucchini bread.  It's delicious and a healthy-ish sweet treat for after dinner or just because.  Since I can't ever seem to follow a recipe, I made a few substitutions that I highly recommend.  

My first sub was that I used 1/3 cup maple syrup instead of 3/4 cup sugar.  I find that often times recipes call for WAY more sugar than necessary.  Especially when you're adding a sugar glaze on top, it's just not called for.  With this substitute, the bread wasn't overly sweet, but it was the perfect level of sweetness for me when combined with the sugar glaze.  Like things a little sweeter?  You could go up to 1/2 a cup of maple syrup or honey, but you really don't need to in my opinion.  Second, I added some vanilla extract because why not?  I added some chia and flax seeds too because they have a ton of great health benefits, which help you feel a little less guilty about eating an entire loaf of this bread over the course of 3 days.  Finally, the weirdest change that worked for me, but I didn't include in the recipe is that I used a mix of all purpose and almond flour.  I love baking with almond flour, but only had 1/2 cup left, so I used 1/2 cup almond flour and 1 cup AP flour.  It's a little strange, I know, but it worked.  Don't knock it till you try it. 😉

I'll be honest - this bread was amazing.  I found myself often times throughout the day thinking about eating it, but was able to resist and keep it for an after-dinner treat only.  It's light & citrusy with the perfect touch of sweetness.  Pair that with the healthy ingredients like zucchini, flax seeds & chia seeds and this is a guilt-free bread (that's really more like a cake if you ask me).

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 1 medium loaf

Ingredients:

For the bread:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

1 cup shredded zucchini

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg

2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs lemon zest

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs chia seeds

2 tbs flax seeds

For the glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, chia and flax seeds.
3. In a large bowl, combine maple syrup (or honey), zucchini, oil, egg, lemon juice & zest.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined.
5. Spoon the batter into a pre-greased or parchment lined loaf pan.
6. Bake for 50-55 minutes until just golden brown.
7. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan.
8. While the loaf is cooling, combine the glaze ingredients.
9. When the loaf is room temperature, drizzle the glaze over the top of the loaf and top with additional lemon zest.

Look at how beautiful that golden brown top is!  You should aim for your bread to be this color - it was perfectly moist throughout and stayed moist for the entire time it lasted (which unfortunately was only 3 days)

Drizzle generously with lemon sugar topping once the bread is cooled.

Slice & enjoy!