I'm still trying to keep ahead of my bounty of zucchini. I had a few that I wasn't sure what to do with and decided to take our favorite zucchini quick bread recipe (this recipe minus the cinnamon swirl) and add a little cinnamon swirl to it. It turned out sooooo delicious! This bread is moist and flavorful as it is, so that extra layer of sugar and cinnamon just adds to the addictiveness of it. After the first loaf was a success I promptly made 4 more for the freezer.
We don't use a lot of refined sugar these days, preferring dates, maple syrup or honey, however, I do find myself reaching for it on the occasion that I want to make Cinnamon Swirl Yeast Bread, Cinnamon Buns, and now this.
The vegan option makes a quick bread that looks and tastes almost identical to the non-vegan version.
Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Quick Bread
makes: 1 loaf
Cinnamon Swirl:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
Bread:
1/3 cup oil (if using coconut, melted)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk (dairy or dairy-free)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs (regular or flax eggs - see below for flax egg info.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 cups flour (I used white whole wheat but white all-purpose or regular whole wheat works as well)
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, drained of any excess liquid
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Prepare a standard loaf pan by either spraying it with no-stick oil spray or lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, milk, vanilla, and eggs (regular or flax). Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour and whisk until incorporated. Fold in the zucchini with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Pour roughly half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth out the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl topping on top, as evenly as possible, reserving 2 tablespoons. Carefully plop the remaining batter on top of the cinnamon swirl, spreading it carefully to make it an even layer. Sprinkle reserved 2 tablespoons cinnamon swirl on top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until top is set.
Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. Allow to cool 10 minutes and then remove from the pan and allow to cool an additional 20 minutes before slicing.
This bread is very moist, so it will keep for just 2-3 days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, or in the freezer (whole bread or cut into slices) for up to 3 months.
**2 Flax Eggs: in a small bowl stir together 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed and 5 Tablespoons water. Allow to sit 5-7 minutes, until starting to gel, before adding to bread batter.**
