Gluten Free Summer Squash Bread Recipe

While summer produce can be wonderful, it's entirely possible to have too much of a good thing, which is why even non-gardeners often find themselves receiving bags of surplus zucchini. Should you be the gifted such a thing, you can eat this versatile vegetable as a side dish or use it in an entree, such as zucchini boats, but one of the most enjoyable things to do with it is to make it into a dessert. 

This is the case with recipe developer Deniz Vergara's summer squash bread, which she describes as "unbelievably moist and tender," adding, "You'd never guess that it's gluten-free." It's also quite easy to make and, as Vergara points out, the recipe can be tweaked in several ways to better suit your preferences (more on that later). And, if you haven't been gifted with zucchini and aren't growing any of your own, it should be plentiful and inexpensive in the supermarket during the summer.

The base of this bread is made from gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar (both brown and white), eggs, oil, applesauce, and, of course, zucchini. When choosing your zukes, Vergara advises to "Always look for bright green skin with minimal markings." She says that a single medium zucchini should be sufficient to make this bread. The loaf then gets its flavor from vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg, while it also includes both raisins and chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk to combine the gluten-free flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In another medium-sized mixing bowl, add the eggs, sugars, oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract, and whisk vigorously until smooth and creamy, about 1–2 minutes.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, folding each batch gently with a rubber spatula until just combined before adding the next batch.

Fold in the zucchini, raisins, and chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake on the center rack for 55–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Slice, and serve.

As this is a gluten-free recipe, Vergara is, of course, calling for gluten-free flour, although she says that if gluten isn't a problem for you, you can use an equal amount of all-purpose flour for similar results. If you are going GF, however, she notes that you will need to make sure that your flour contains a binder. Binders are what give structure to the baked goods, a function normally served by gluten. Some ingredients that work as binders include guar gum, psyllium husk, and xanthan gum, and Vergara says that many types of commercial gluten-free flour contain such ingredients. 

If you go the DIY route by grinding almonds or oats to make your own gluten-free flour, or if you've purchased a binder-free brand, Vergara suggests that you add ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum 1 per cup of flour, which means that you'll need ¾ teaspoon for the 1 ½ cup flour called for here. The xanthan gum "prevent[s] baked goods from becoming crumbly ... [and] also gives [them] elasticity," Vergara says.

If you'd like to customize this quick bread, you could always use a different variety of summer squash. The straight-necked yellow kind, in particular, has a flavor and texture similar to that of zucchini, as well as a similar tendency to produce a more-than-bountiful harvest. Yellow zucchini (yes, this is a thing) could also be used in place of the green kind, as could the wacky-looking Italian summer squash called cucuzza.

Another ingredient swap you could make in this recipe is replacing the vanilla extract with a different flavoring agent. Vergara recommends almond extract, but lemon extract would also taste great. Vergara also suggests, "You can add mix-ins of your choice, such as nuts or other dried fruit," while seeds, such as pepitas, could work if you're nut-allergic but would still like a little crunch in your loaf. If you're not a raisin fan, you may feel free to omit these, but another option is to replace them with dried cranberries (a.k.a. craisins), which Vergara suggests would combine particularly well with white chocolate chips.