I love a good quick bread, like this gluten free and Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Almond Bread. Especially during cold weather or really any time that I need some comfort.
Although it seems that I need such comfort more often during the cold months of the year and I’m happy to turn on the oven and get baking at those times. A slice of quick bread with a cup of tea for me is one of my most enjoyable food moments.
![Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Almond Bread. So good and good for you, too! From Nourishing Meals. [featured on GlutenFreeEasily.com]](https://glutenfreeeasily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Gluten-Free-Chocolate-Chip-Zucchini-Almond-Bread-from-Nourishing-Meals.jpg "Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Almond Bread. So good and good for you, too! From Nourishing Meals. [featured on GlutenFreeEasily.com]")
Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Almond Bread
I’m not very good at waiting, especially when such a delicious quick bread is what I’m waiting for. Seeing a recipe that gets you excited and then having to wait several months to make it would be brutal, right?
Thankfully, you can go right out and pick up some zucchini to make this recipe. Then later when your zucchini or any local zucchini is available, you can make this bread again!
This gluten-free and Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Almond Bread recipe comes from Nourishing Meals: 365 Whole Foods, Allergy-Free Recipes for Healing Your Family One Meal at a Time. This gluten-free zucchini bread is a terrific option for taking a snack break, eating for breakfast, or even enjoying as a healthier dessert.
Quick breads are breads that can be made immediately after mixing the ingredients as opposed to yeast breads which require rising time before baking. Interestingly enough, even cakes and cookies are considered quick breads per the definition.
I find that both interesting and a bit amusing as I’ve sometimes speculated on whether a delicious quick bread was actually bread or cake.
As I stated, this recipe comes from the Nourishing Meals cookbook by my friend Ali Segersten. Specifically, it comes from the brand new version of their Nourishing Meals cookbook. You probably know Ali from her Nourishing Meals site.
If you happen to have the original version of Nourishing Meals, I’m sure you’re wondering how the new version differs. It actually has 30 new recipes and much of the content has been updated, while additional information has been added as well. New photos of recipes—over 50 of them—are also featured in this version.
This cookbook features 365 gluten-free whole-food recipes which are intended to nourish children and families.
There are functional medicine basics plus information on protecting your child’s microbiome (think gut health), tips for quick and nutritious breakfasts, tips for getting your kids to eat more veggies, tips for creating balanced family meals, and much more.
Nourishing Meals is divided into three main sections: Foundations of Health, Raising Healthy Children, The Recipes, and Preserving the Harvest. Within the first two sections, you’ll find discussions such as Why Whole Foods?, Why Gluten Free?, Why the Rise in Food Allergies and Sensitivities?, Nourishing Your Growing Child, and Packing a Healthy Lunchbox. Recipe sections include Smoothies; Breakfast; Breads and Muffins; Soups and Stews; Salads and Vegetables; Whole Grains and Noodles; Main Meals; Dressings, Dips, and Sauces; Wraps and Rolls; Snacks and Treats; Desserts; and Beverages.
Be sure to use Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature to check out more of the content in Nourishing Meals, especially the recipes. Those are the true delight in any good cookbook, of course. Be sure to page through all the way to the end of the excerpted content on Amazon because it’s there you’ll find Ali’s gorgeous photos of her recipes!
Flipping through Ali’s cookbook, I was drawn to so many recipes: Orange Creamsicle Smoothie, Buckwheat Cinnamon Rolls, Coconut Flour Biscuits, Hazelnut Banana Muffins, Everyday Sandwich Bread, Baby Arugula Salad with Zucchini-Lime Dressing, Apricot-Glazed Chicken, and Warm Chocolate Cake. Goodness! Those are just some of the ones that caught my eye.
With over 500 pages of content and 365 recipes, there’s really so much to choose from! But I quickly decided to make the Chocolate Chip Zucchini Almond Bread as my first recipe from Nourishing Meals.
I chose this recipe because of my love of quick bread, zucchini bread, and chocolate chips, and also because it was grain free and contained no refined sugar (or little refined sugar depending upon the chocolate chips used in the recipe).
I’ll confess that when I tried a slice soon after I pulled this bread out of the oven, I initially thought that it wasn’t quite sweet enough. However, after letting the bread sit for a while until it cooled completely (as directed) and sampling another slice the next day I decided that my first impression had been wrong. The sweetness factor in this bread is absolutely perfect. It’s just sweet enough after sitting, which allows the flavors to come together so nicely.
I made this recipe as a dessert for a gathering of gluten-free friends and they all agreed that the sweetness was just right. Eating fewer overly sweet foods and less refined sugar is always one of my aspirations and the recipes in this cookbook will definitely help anyone in that regard.
Because this recipe is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and refined sugar free, I’ve labeled it “paleo.” Ali’s cookbook is not a paleo cookbook, but because the recipes are all gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and refined sugar free, many also fit the paleo category.
If you’re not one for labels or have no other dietary restrictions than gluten, don’t be put off by what I call “more free” recipes. In the end, even though we’re talking about healthier recipes that work for more people, we’re still simply talking about recipes for good food.
That’s what brings everyone to the table. Start with this Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Almond Bread! Before you get to the recipe, here are several other quick bread recipes you will definitely enjoy.
Other Favorite Gluten-Free Quick Bread and Muffin Recipes
~ Pumpkin Sunrise Muffins (or Bread)
Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Almond Bread Recipe
![Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Almond Bread. So good and good for you, too! From Nourishing Meals. [featured on GlutenFreeEasily.com]](https://glutenfreeeasily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Paleo-Chocolate-Chip-Zucchini-Almond-Bread-Photo-GlutenFreeEasily.com_.jpg)
Ali says: "This moist and delicious bread is a great way to use the abundance of zucchini in season! Serve with green tea and poached eggs for breakfast." Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Almond Bread
Ingredients
Instructions
Bethany says
This bread looks so good! I can’t believe that it’s paleo!
Shirley Braden says
Hey Bethany–I can understand why you’d say that and you’d say it even more emphatically if you tasted a slice! 😉
Shirley
Charlotte Moore says
Looks deliciously moist. I like zucchini and chocolate chips in bread.
Tried to give it a 5 star but won’t work.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Charlotte–It is a wonderfully moist bread! 🙂 I’m not sure what you mean on trying to give the recipe 5 stars. I don’t have such a capability on my site—well, at least not that I’m aware of. Could you explain further please?
Shirley
Charlotte Moore says
After my name, email, then website blank there are 5 stars you can click on ever how many you want to rate. It is just above the post comment words. I will click them again and see if they show up on this comment. No, it didn’t work.
Shirley Braden says
I see that now, Charlotte! Goodness, that must have come with my last theme update. I don’t know how I haven’t noticed this “feature” before, but since it’s not working, I need to totally disable it. Thanks so much for all your help!
Shirley
Cassidy @ Cassidy's Craveable Creations says
This looks so yummy, I love chocolate chip zucchini bread! I have a very similar recipe for muffins, but there’s just something about an actual loaf of bread 🙂
-Cassidy
Shirley Braden says
Hi Cassidy–It is very yummy indeed. I know exactly what you mean about an actual loaf of bread. Plus, you know that I love muffins, but it’s a lot easier to give a loaf of delicious quick bread than it is a bunch of muffins. 😉
Shirley
Lisa says
My daughter and I made this today and it turned out fabulous! Thank you for the great recipe…AGAIN! 🙂 I hope you are well!!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Lisa–I so love hearing this news and your review, dear!! 🙂 I’m grateful to Ali for creating this terrific bread. It’s a recipe I wish I had created! 😉
All is well here … just got back from vacation this evening! 🙂 Thanks for asking. Hope all is well with you and yours. I know you all are eating well—hehe.
Shirley
Lynne Lopes says
Hi Shirley! Yep I’m still around. Thank you for all the yummy recipes. I will be sure to check out Ali & Tom’s new recipes etc. Do you have any idea of the carb count in a slice? Hubby is counting carbs. I think I will try this using a low carb sweetener. Thanks again…hope you are well!
Lynne L
Shirley Braden says
Hi Lynne–It’s really good to see you here at gfe again! 🙂 Yes, please do check out Ali’s new recipes and her and Tom’s new cookbook overall.
I have no idea of the carb count in this recipe, but there are lots of online sites (e.g., Calorie Counter) that can help you figure that out. I don’t have any experience using low-carb sweeteners myself, but you might take a look at my friend Stacey Crawford’s site, Beautyandthefoodie.com. She always shares a low-carb version of each recipe on her site as well as a paleo version. So you might be able to look at a recipe of hers that uses maple syrup as a sweetener and see how much low-carb sweetener she used in its place for the low-carb version.
Hope that info is helpful! All good here … just back from a lovely vacation for Mr. GFE’s birthday. 😉 Hope all is well with you, too!
Shirley
Judee says
Shirley,
I agree that there is nothing like a slice of quick bread with a cup of coffee or I really like it with a glass of almond milk. With vegetables available all year long, there is no reason not to make our favorites- whenever we want- like this zucchini quick bread. Thank for sharing about the updates in the Nourishing Meals Cookbook- It looks like a cookbook I would enjoy-
Shirley Braden says
Hi Judee–Oh, yes, a slice of quick bread with almond milk is also lovely. 🙂 I do believe in eating local and in season, but I am really grateful to have a wide assortment of vegetables and fruits at the stores all year long. I wonder how vegetarians and vegans even survived before there was such availability. I guess legumes, vegetables, and fruits that were dried, frozen, and canned were used. And, yes, I am sure that you would appreciate all the info and the recipes in Nourishing Meals.
Shirley
Angela Sommers says
If you say it’s good and feature it on your site I just know it must be good! And that picture! I want to grab myself a slice right through the computer screen. We’ll have guests over next weekend and I will be making this one (unless of course I get side tracked and end up with a version of Shirley cake 😉 )
Thanks for sharing!
Diane says
Looks delicious . I’d enjoy with a smear of butter & a cup of fresh hot coffee!
Instructions says “Grease and 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 glass …” – should it be “grease and flour” or “grease an…”?
Shirley Braden says
Hi Diane–Great question! It’s “grease an …” No flour is needed for the pan. Thanks so much for the heads up on this typo. I will update the recipe right away. 🙂
Shirley
Shaina says
What can be substituted for the arrowroot/tapioca? I can’t have tapioca and I don’t already have arrowroot and would rather not buy *another* GF baking product, I already have so many! This recipe looks really good and I would love to try it! Thanks!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Shaina–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 You could try substituting cornstarch if you use that. It’s not a one for one sub for either of those in most recipes, but it might work just fine in this bread. Good luck! Please let us know how it works out if you do try it.
Shirley
Rae says
Hello there,
Thecookbook that this recipe is from looks so intriguing, but I am wondering, do most of this gals baking recipes have coconut flour in it? I believe that I may have an allergy to it because the couple times that I tried to use coconut flour in a recipe, it made my throat scratchy. ?
Shirley Braden says
Hi Rae–Welcome to gfe! I took a quick look and saw some but not many that contain coconut flour. You can take a look yourself by going to Amazon and using the “Look Inside” feature. Once you click on “Look Inside” you can enter “coconut flour” in the search box and it will show you all the occurrences of coconut flour in this cookbook. Hope that helps! The “Look Inside” feature and this trick that allows you to search on what you wish to avoid (or the kind of recipes you desire) can always help you get a good feeling for a cookbook and what it actually contains. We all need to stay away from problematic foods, of course.
Shirley
Michele Morin says
Hooray for almonds and chocolate chips!
Shirley Braden says
They’re definitely a great combo in this recipe, Michele. 🙂
Shirley