This Zucchini Avocado Bread recipe is packed with delicious flavors and a whole lot of nutrients to boot. It has a lovely soft texture inside and a light crust outside.
Zucchini Avocado Bread is an unexpected healthy treat. It's healthy enough for breakfast, and sweet enough for dessert.
And of course, it's delicious enough for any time.
Avocados seem to turn up in all sorts of unexpected recipes: brownies, cakes and cookies, to name just a few.
I didn't know if I was really sold on this idea until I made my scrumptious Double Chocolate Avocado Cookies.
I've always been curious about avocado bread recipes, so I was inspired to make this one with zucchini. And my family and I really love it!
The Ingredients
- all-purpose flour - You can also use Cup4Cup Gluten-Free flour.
- baking powder - If you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure your baking powder is still good. To do so, pour a couple of tablespoons of boiling water over about ¼ teaspoon of the baking powder. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.
- baking soda - Like the baking powder, If you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure your baking soda is still good. To do so, pour a couple of tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice over about ¼ teaspoon of the baking soda. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.
- cinnamon
- allspice
- salt
- olive oil - Regular of extra virgin.
- avocado - For this recipe we want the avocado to be soft but not too soft. There should be just a little give when you press gently on the skin.
- zucchini - Choose firm zucchini with blemish-free, vibrant green skin.
- sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- eggs
(See recipe card below for quantities.)
Recipe Tips
- It's important that the avocado you use is ripe. It should be very soft, but not so soft that the interior is brown. It's best to mash it with a fork before adding it to the batter. It should be as smooth as possible. It will likely still have tiny lumps in it, which is okay.
- The recipe says the zucchini should be "drained." This means that after you grate it, you should squeeze it gently in your hands over the sink, and then add it to the batter. (The water content in zucchini is quite high.)
Substitutions
- As I mentioned above, you can substitute the regular all-purpose flour with Cup4Cup Gluten-Free flour.
Serving Suggestions
- While avocado bread is delicious at room temperature, I love to toast slices and butter them lightly.
- This is perfect for a quick breakfast, or on a brunch buffet table.
More Avocado and Zucchini Baking Recipes
- Double Chocolate Avocado Cookies
- Roasted Hatch Chile Zucchini Bread Recipe
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Avocado Brownies
Making it Ahead and Storing it
Yes, you can make this avocado bread ahead of time.
- Room temperature. In a tightly sealed container, the bread can be kept at room temperature for about two days.
- Refrigerator. In a tightly sealed container, the cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. (Note that it will not be as moist when stored in the fridge.)
- Freezer. Wrapped tightly, you can store it for about a month in the freezer. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator the day before you want to serve it.
Absolutely! I'm never opposed to adding chocolate chips to most baked goods, and I think they'd add beautifully to this recipe.
If you'd like to add nuts, I'd suggest toasted walnuts, pecans or pine nuts.
While the flavor of the avocado is almost indistinguishable, it makes baked goods rich and almost creamy.
Since avocado has fat (the good kind!), you can use it as a substitute for butter and oil — or use a combination of both. Less butter and/or oil, which takes away a few calories.
Zucchini is naturally moist and in many ways it's similar to oil in its baking characteristics, so it always makes for a moist luscious bread.
So you can imagine how amazingly moist this zucchini avocado bread recipe is!?
How to Make it
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, grease a 9-inch loaf pan with 1½ teaspoons of olive oil, and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt.
- Combine olive oil, sugar, mashed avocado, and vanilla. Use a whisk or a fork to mix it until it's very smooth. Add the eggs and mix until they are completely blended in. Fold in the grated, drained zucchini and combine.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir only long enough to combine.
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan.
- Bake until the top is golden brown, and beginning to crack, about 1 hour.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Use a dull knife to go around the edges of the bread to ensure it's loose, and then invert bread onto a cooling rack. Gently turn it over and continue to cool for about 15 more minutes before serving.
I hope you love every last crumb of this as much as my family and I do!
Zucchini Avocado Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 2½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup ripe avocado, mashed
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups grated zucchini, drained
Instructions
- Set the oven and prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a pastry brush to grease a 9-inch loaf pan with 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the batter. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside.In another bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sugar, mashed avocado, and vanilla. Use a whisk or a fork to mix it until it's very smooth. Add the eggs and mix until they are completely blended in. Then fold in the grated, drained zucchini and combine. (To drain the zucchini, squeeze it gently in your hands over the sink.)Now add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir only long enough to combine.
- Bake. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake in the preheated 350°F oven until the top is golden brown, and beginning to crack, about 1 hour.
- Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Use a dull knife to go around the edges of the bread to ensure it's loose, and then invert bread onto a cooling rack. Gently turn it over and continue to cool for about 15 more minutes before serving.
Notes
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amee
thank you - I have 2 avocados sitting on the counter and i'm thinking what am i going to make with these. i am going to make this TODAY and post a comment when i'm done. thanks!!!
CCSuffolk
Fantastic!Will definitely give it a try.I'm sure the kids would love it:)
amee
Just made this last night. this was so yummy. Enjoying it this morning! You can really taste the avocado, which surprised me!
Jayme
It's fun to use ingredients in new ways. Regarding avocados, in Morocco they make avocado shakes with dates, milk and other fruit. My husband loves them but I can't wrap my head around drinking avocado! Baking with avocado should definitely add creaminess. The bread looks delicious!
valentina
Thanks Jayme! The shake sounds interesting! When in Morocco! 😉 xo
Quyen - Kitchen Runway
Valentina!! I love this idea and I can't wait to try it! I love how you think...broiler & butter!! The PERFECT way to have bread!! 🙂
megan @ whatmegansmaking
This bread looks so good. zucchini bread makes me think of late summer/fall- I'm so ready to spend cool fall days baking bread 🙂
valentina
Megan, I adore cool Fall days baking! Cool outside, and warm and aromatic in the kitchen! 🙂
Ha3rvey
I made this last night, and it's delicious! It's not too sweet, and the flavor's subtle and rich. I love fact that it's all "good" fats, too. I'll be making this again!
valentina
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
MImi Avocado
Just what I need! We have zucchini in the garden and 10,000 avocado trees! Perfect! Looking forward to meeting you at Camp Blogaway! And I hear you may be coming to our Avocado Sisters' Retreat too!
Adam @ Maki Zavelli
Oh yeah, gotta try this one!
Lentil Breakdown
Hi Valentina! I enjoyed this bread very much today, and now I am sold on the idea of avocados in baked goods and milkshakes!
JESSIE
How can i make this Gluten Free? I really want to try this! (:
Thanks.
valentina
Hi Jessie, I've never tested a gluten-free version of this bread -- but if you use an equal portion of Cup 4 Cup GF flour, it should be great!
Aubrey Tejada
Can I bake in muffin tins instead of loaf pans?
valentina
Hi Aubrey, Yes you can (lined with muffin papers)! Enjoy! 🙂
Chris
Can i use allons flour instead of all purpose flour?
valentina
Hi Chris. I'm so sorry, I'm not sure what "allons" is. Maybe you meant to say almond? Let me know and I'll get back to you.
Archana
Hi, I was wondering if I could mix oil, sugar, avocados and eggs in a blender and then add grate zucchini and other ingredients.
valentina
Hi there, Thanks so much for writing . . . I wouldn't use a blender because it's so powerful and I think will turn the oil into the wrong consistency. If you don't want to do it by hand (which I totally get!), I'd use an electric mixer on a low speed. Enjoy! 😀
Archana
Didn't think about oil getting messed up in a blender...I'm glad I check with you.. Thanks. I'm making it right now... Really excited.
angiesrecipes
The bread looks so moist and I do love to use avocado in baking. This is definitely a must for me.
valentina
Thanks, Angie. You're the queen baker from what I can tell, so that's a big compliment from you. 🙂 ~Valentina
Jeff the Chef
What a great idea! I love avocado and always have them on-hand. I love the idea of doing unusual things with them - like making chocolate pudding or brownies … and now a quick bread! But I usually wind up just eating them with a spoonful of bacon jam or even just a sprinkling of salt. I'm going to have to make sure to set a few aside for this bread, though, because it looks like a marvelous breakfast.
valentina
Thanks, Jeff. So excited about your comment because I've never thought to have a jam with avocado, and it sounds delicious. Not sure why I haven't thought about it because I love them with fresh fruit. Hope you like the bread! Stay well. 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
I know I would love this, Valentina! It looks super flavourful and sounds healthy too! A big, thick slice of this would go over so well right now with my cuppa coffee 🙂 Have a great week ahead!
valentina
Yes! With your coffee for sure. Thanks for visiting, Dawn. Stay well! 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa
I love zucchini bread, but have never thought to add avocado. I bet it gives the bread such a luxurious texture!! So excited to try this!
valentina
It does. Thank you, Marissa. Enjoy and stay well! 🙂 ~Valentina
2pots2cook
So true ! We all need healthy and hearty food these days; good loaf of bread is really what we all need ! I hope everything is all right with you and your family dear ! Stay safe 🙂
valentina
Thank you, my friend. We're all hanging in there. I hope you and your family are as well. One thing is for sure, I can't keep out of the kitchen. And it's mostly for snacking! 😉 ~Valentina
Ros @ ZenHealth
I have tried zucchini bread before and it turned out beautifully! Will definitely try mixing in avocado in there too when I can get my hands on some. Keep well
valentina
Thanks, Ros. I hope you give it a try. Stay well! 🙂 ~Valentina
sippitysup
I'd slice it thick, toast it up and slather it with butter. GREG
valentina
Exactly, Greg. That's what I do. Perfect. Hope you are well! xo Valentina
priya
Avocado and zucchini! now this is the combination I have never tried yet. on my #quarantine food list now 🙂
valentina
I have a quarantine food list too. 😀 Thanks, Priya. ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
I love this - and that toasted slice with the butter? I could really use some now — it would go great with my cocoa! Happy weekend, and happy cooking on the weekend! ❤️
valentina
Cozy with with a cup of cocoa, David. Thank you. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced
What a fun idea to make zucchini bread using avocados! This sounds like a delicious snack, and we were just talking the other day about planting a zucchini plant in the garden this year. I'll have to hang on to this recipe for sure!
valentina
Zucchini are one of the few things I can successfully grown in the yard. 🙂 Thanks, David. Enjoy. ~Valentina
Dolores
Can the loaf pan be lined with parchment inboth directions with an overlap so it’s easier to remove from the pan?
valentina
Absolutely! I hope you love it, and thanks for checking out this recipe. 🙂 ~Valentina
Eha
Altho' I am not a baker for lack of time and often health issues . . . this one truly attracts and will be tried ! It is quite odd that almost all our beautiful avocados of so many different kinds are Australian-grown but our season begins in late autumn and goes thru' the winter . . . perchance generally warmer temperatures . . . we squirm when we get down to mid teens Centigrade in winter 😉 !!!
valentina
Hi Eha! If only we could combine our avocado seasons and have them be perfect all year. Thank you for visiting, enjoy and stay warm! 🙂 ~Valentina
Vicky Bond
I can't have all purpose flour, l have diverticulitis, can l substitute the flour with almond flour in these recipes? Thanks
Vicky
valentina
Hi Vicky. Thanks for writing in. You have a couple choices here . . . First, you can use a gluten-free all-purpose flour, like Cup4Cup. (It contains cornstarch, white & brown rice flour, milk powder, tapioca flour, potato starch & xanthan Gum.) This would be an even substitution and should work well. If you can't have that flour either, unfortunately a straight switch will not work with almond flour because it won't bind the ingredients. However, you can try it if you separate the eggs, and whip the whites to stiff peaks and fold them in just before adding the batter to the pan. This will add a lot of air which will help the bread rise. (I haven't tested the recipe this way, but I think it could work.) I have a couple of quick bread recipes which use this method that you might like, and looking at them will help you see how to do it. One is Almond Butter Bread, and the other is Macadamia Honey Bread. I hope this is helpful. I'd love to hear how it goes if you try it. Warmly, Valentina