Zucchini Apple Buckwheat Bread
by Kelly Wolf
Welcome to the second recipe post of the Spring Ultra Kitchen. This next recipe showcases a seasonal ingredient, SUMMER ZUCCHINI SQUASH! This bread is both savory and sweet. It is vegan, gluten free, egg free, vegetable dense, and naturally sweetened. Zucchini is very low in calories and high in nutrients like vitamin C. Oats ground to flour make for a hearty base, along with buckwheat flour- complex flavor plus a great source of iron. Chia seeds bind the bread while adding Omega-3s. Rich maple syrup is balanced with the light sweetness of a crispy apple.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 4 tablespoons non-dairy milk (ex. oat or almond milk)
- 1 cups finely grated zucchini
- 1 cup coarsely grated zucchini
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups oats, ground to flour
- ½ cup buckwheat flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 small, sweet apple + 2 more tablespoons maple syrup, puréed
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Soak chia seeds in non-dairy milk
- Grate zucchini into large mixing bowl
- Add wet ingredients; syrup, oil, vanilla, vinegar, chia+milk
- Grind dry ingredients in food processor; oats, buckwheat, salt, cinnamon, baking powder/soda
- Stir dry into wet
- Puree apple & syrup in processor, mix into batter
- Pour into bread pan, toppings optional
- Bake 55-60 minutes (cool before serving)
Tips & Tricks
- In a small bowl or mug, combine chia seeds and nondairy milk. Stir and let sit for seeds to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Shred zucchini squash with a cheese grater.
- 2 small-medium zucchini makes about 2 cups grated. I like 1 cup finely grated and 1 cup coarsely grated for a texture difference. More the merrier- I've added up to 2.5 cups of grated zucchini. The more zucchini, the more moist the bread will be so bake for perhaps an extra 5 minutes.
- Squeeze water out of zucchini shreds with your hands. Keep this water in the bowl! Doing this helps the moisture incorporate into the bread but keeps the precious flavor and nutrients.
- Stir chia seed-nondairy milk combo well to make sure there are no clumps and stir into wet ingredients.
- Chop 1 small apple and puree in a food processor with 2 more tablespoons of maple syrup. Slight texture is okay, stir into batter (if no food processor, use 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce plus maple syrup).
- Top with toppings if desired such as: extra zucchini shreds & crumbled walnuts. Lightly press toppings into the top of the loaf.
Notes
You’ll need one bowl, a cheese grater for the zucchini, and a food processor/blender to grind oats to flour and to purée the apple. It takes 1 hour in the oven, just enough time to clean up the kitchen and get in that core routine!
This recipe is all about the Zucchini so pick some good ones! There’s nothing like homegrown garden vegetables, but the next best is finding some beauties from the local farmers market. It’s fun and so worth it to take advantage of the freshness of the seasons! Of course though, this recipe can be made with organic zucchini from the grocery store.
Feel free to add mix-ins like chopped nuts or dark chocolate chips. My favorite addition to this bread is crumbled walnuts on top, which get an amazing toasty flavor in the oven, adding texture and sustenance. Optional toppings/mix-ins such as chopped nuts or dark chocolate chips.
