Baking a loaf of delicious vegan zucchini bread is a must for the summer. This loaf is tender and delicious, infused with the goodness of fresh zucchini and whole wheat flour, and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar. It’s also low in fat.

Zucchini is one of summer’s delicious gifts and while it can sometimes overwhelm you with its generosity (if you’re growing some in your backyard you know what I’m talking about), it is so versatile, you don’t have to look far to find great uses for it.

One of my favorite zucchini recipes — one I look forward to each summer — is this extra-tasty and nutritious whole wheat vegan Zucchini Bread.

If you have kids, this is a great recipe to keep them happy and fed over the summer break. I use these months to wean Jay off all the junk he inevitably consumes during the school year, whether it’s from well-meaning teachers handing out bags of chips or candies as gifts, friends who share their snacks, or whatever other way he has of acquiring them, and he has plenty. When I make him delicious and healthy snacks at home, like this vegan zucchini bread, or vegan banana bread, he doesn’t miss the crappy snacks at all.

Squash is also very much in season in the summer and it’s usually easy to find locally grown varieties or grow it yourself — all great reasons to consume it. Besides, it is an easy veggie to love, with its dark green skin and tender white flesh and pleasantly bland taste that can adapt to almost any dish, sweet or savory. Like other summer squash, zucchini is rich in vitamin C and beta carotene and, of course, fiber, which makes it super-healthy eats too.

Why you’ll love this vegan zucchini bread

• It’s delicious. Whatever zucchini bread you are used to making, and however good it is, there is no turning back from this one when it comes to flavor.
• It’s all whole wheat.
• It’s packed with veggies.
• It has that amazing, nutty crunch from heart-friendly walnuts.
• It’s low-fat, with very little added fat.
• It’s naturally sweetened. Coconut sugar is a lower glycemic sweetener than sugar and a great one to use in richly flavored breads/cakes like this one. You can also use maple syrup or just use regular vegan cane sugar.

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or use half whole wheat flour and half all purpose or all purpose only)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tsp cinnamon (use cloves or ginger, or a mix, for a nice variation)
• 3 tbsp flaxmeal
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cups coconut sugar (or any sugar of your choice, or maple syrup)
• ¾ cup applesauce
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups zucchini (grated. About two medium zucchini)
• 1 cup walnuts (lightly toasted, then chopped. Pecans would work too)