Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Bread with Spelt Flour

Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Bread uses half all-purpose and half spelt flour for healthier, whole grain zucchini bread. Topped with a drizzle of lemon dressing, this is a quick bread you can feel good about devouring!

Why and How to Use Spelt Flour

Including a little whole grain flour in baked goods results in new and unique textures and flavors that will improve the overall taste of whatever you’re baking  – especially if you experiment with the proportions.

Spelt flour is an ancient whole grain flour that has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. It adds a nice touch to quick breads, pancakes and muffins. While it is not gluten-free, it is said to be easier to digest than wheat flours.

Whole grains provide a boost of protein as well as vitamins and minerals like magnesium, calcium, selenium, iron, manganese, zinc, vitamin E and B-complex vitamins to name a few.

Zucchini bread is an excellent candidate for incorporating whole grain flour because the moisture in zucchini keeps bread from getting too dry. Using lighter whole grain flours – like spelt – keeps your bread fluffier.

Have you ever seen spelt flakes?
They’re just like rolled oats, but have a nuttier flavor than plain oats!
Worth a try for sure!

Healthy Zucchini Bread with Spelt Flour

In this Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Bread I use half all-purpose flour and half spelt flour. This 50/50 ratio can vary depending on what you’re baking. Sometimes you’ll want to go lighter on the whole grain flour. 

When baking with whole grains, it is trickier to get a light and moist bake. My Whole Wheat Zucchini Walnut Bread recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour which is also less dense than traditional whole wheat and helps to keep bread soft & tender.

How to grate zucchini

Remember that zucchini is mostly water. If you have experience growing zucchini, you know the day after a rainstorm zucchini grows overnight into a monstrous size. It’s kind of like the Incredible Hulk!

Anyhow, you need to squeeze that water out so that you’re not adding too much liquid into the batter. A coarse, medium size grate is perfect for baked goods and will end up a lot smaller once baked.

To easily draw the moisture out, just place the zucchini shreds on a paper towel, fold up the sides and work your arm muscles! Squeeze it over the sink until it stops dripping. Place the shreds out on a dry paper towel until ready to use. 

Tips on How to Make Healthier Zucchini Bread 

1. Substitute whole grain flour for part of the recipe like I’ve done here.
2. Swap the canola oil for unsweetened applesauce in a 1-to-1 ratio.
3. Replace the eggs with flax eggs – 3 Tbs water + 1 Tbs ground flax = 1 flax egg
4. Opt out of the sugar glaze.

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Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Bread with Spelt Flour

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

This healthier zucchini bread recipe incorporates a touch of whole grain spelt flour. Drizzled with a lemony glaze it’s a quick bread that you can feel good about devouring!

Course: Bread, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: zucchini bread

Servings: 1 loaf, 16 slices

Calories: 230 kcal

Author: Emily Brees | OatandSesame

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup spelt flour
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbs lemon zest
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp Rodelle lemon extract
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs separated
• 1 cup packed shredded zucchini, squeezed dry (about 3/4 of a medium zucchini)

Glaze

• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Prep the Zucchini: grate the zucchini, wrap in a few paper towels and squeeze the liquid out. Lay out on a flat paper towel to dry further while you prep the other ingredients. You can reserve any extra zucchini for my Zucchini Bread Oatmeal!
2. Place all dry ingredients (flours through lemon zest) in a small mixing bowl – toss to combine.
3. In a large bowl, mix oil, sugar, lemon extract, yogurt and egg yolks. Using a hand mixer, blend until incorporated. Gently mix in zucchini.
4. Add bowl of dry ingredients to the wet. Mix by hand until just incorporated.
5. In another small bowl, beat the egg whites until white and foamy.
6. Fold the egg whites slowly + gently into the batter. This step helps keep the bread light & fluffy.
7. Bake at 350 in a well greased standard loaf pan (8.5″ x 4.5″) for 40-45 min.
8. A toothpick inserted in the middle should pull out moist crumbs.

Notes

*You can shred extra zucchini and make a healthy breakfast – Have you tried my Zucchini Bread Oatmeal?

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Bread with Spelt Flour

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 230

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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