Gluten-Free Cheddar Chive Zucchini Bread

A tasty and healthy savory zucchini quick bread made with sharp cheddar and fresh chives. Perfect served with salads, soups and stews, or on its own! Gluten free and vegetarian. 

I have a self-proclaimed “savory tooth”. It’s just like people with a sweet tooth, only it’s for savory things!

Yes, I totally just made up that word but I guess it explain in parts why I’m obsessed with this cheddar chive zucchini bread and was so happy to eat a slice every day for lunch when I was working on this post.

And why I plan to make another loaf very soon. The combo of sharp cheddar cheese with fresh chives and the hint of cornmeal is just addictive!

Let me show you how to make this bread so you can try it ASAP too!

How to make this cheddar chive zucchini bread – step by step

In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients – oat flour, tapioca starch, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper (step 1)

Add the eggs, olive oil, chopped chives + parsley (step 2), and mix until batter starts to form (step 3)

Add grated zucchini and grated cheddar to the bowl (step 4), and mix until everything is well combined (step 5). 

Add the batter to a greased loaf pan (step 6) and bake for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown (photo below).

Let it cool completely before trying to take it out of the pan and slice it (be patient! :))

Now that we got the most important part out of the way, let’s dig a little bit deeper!

Is zucchini bread healthy?

Now, that’s a good and though question. As I was doing some research for this post, I realized that it’s a question a lot of people ask themselves. Zucchinis are a vegetable – healthy by essence – so people are wondering if a zucchini bread is healthy too.

The short answer is: it depends on the recipe.

Not every zucchini bread recipe is but I consider this cheddar chive zucchini bread healthy, yes.

But this is not your typical zucchini bread, because it has no white flour and no sugar (Can I get a high five?)

Instead of using plain white flour, I’m using a mix of oat flour (basically ground oats, super easy to make yourself), tapioca flour (or arrowroot) and cornmeal. In addition to making it gluten free, it also makes it more nutritious.

Everyone has a different definition of “healthy”. This bread is made with wholesome, real, non processed ingredients. It’s filling. I personally eat mostly dairy free, but a little cheese here and there never killed anyone. So yeah, it’s healthy in my book 🙂

What, no need to squeeze the zucchini?

Every single zucchini bread out there will tell you to squeeze out as much liquid as you possible can from the zucchini before adding them to the batter. The punishment if you don’t being a soggy bread that’ll never fully bake. Boo!

Honestly, I always thought this step was a pain in my… I mean, who wants to dirty a clean towel just for a couple cups of shredded zucchini? Not me.

But rejoice! You do NOT need to squeeze the liquid out of the zucks with this recipe. I repeat, you do NOT. The mix of flours will basically take care of all that moisture for you. So.much.easier, right?

And do not worry, this zucchini bread is still perfectly and deliciously moist! We do not settle for a dry zucchini bread here. Nope.

How to store zucchini bread? Can you freeze zucchini bread? 

• This cheddar chive zucchini bread freezes well! Slice it, place the slices in an airtight freezer friendly container, separating each slice with a piece of parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other. Reheat 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave when ready to eat.
• Store the zucchini bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It keeps well in the fridge – perfect if you meal prep or want to make it ahead.

If you tried this cheddar chive zucchini bread, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

5 from 7 votes

Print

Gluten-Free Cheddar Chive Zucchini Bread

A tasty and healthy savory zucchini quick bread made with sharp cheddar and fresh chives. Perfect served with salads, soups and stews! Gluten free and vegetarian.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cheddar chive zucchini bread, gluten free quick bread, gluten free zucchini bread

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 12 slices

Calories 227 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup oat flour see notes to easily make your own
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch or arrowroot
• 1/2 cup cornmeal fine grind, not polenta
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup minced chives
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 1 1/2 cup grated zucchini
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
• Flaky sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C) degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oat flour, tapioca starch, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. 

3. Stir in olive oil, eggs and herbs until batter begins to form. 

4. Fold in zucchini and cheddar.

5. Add batter to a greased 9x5 loaf pan in one even layer. Top with flaky sea salt. 

6. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until golden brown and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

7. Set aside to cool completely before slicing.

Recipe Notes

• How to make your own oat flour: simply add some oats (quick or rolled) in your food processor or blender and pulse until it's a fine powder.

 

• Freezing / Storing / Make ahead:
  • This cheddar chive zucchini bread freezes well! Slice it, place the slices in an airtight freezer friendly container, separating each slice with a piece of parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other. Reheat 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave when ready to eat.
  • Store the zucchini bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It keeps well in the fridge – perfect if you meal prep or want to make it ahead.

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Cheddar Chive Zucchini Bread

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 227 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 42mg14%

Sodium 343mg15%

Potassium 205mg6%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 420IU8%

Vitamin C 7.9mg10%

Calcium 134mg13%

Iron 1.2mg7%

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

More zucchini breads and other zucchini recipes:

• Paleo Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread
• Gluten Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Zucchini Lasagna (made with zucchini sheets instead of pasta!)
• Gluten Free Zucchini Feta Chive Muffins