Delicious Gluten-Free Lemon Zucchini Bread with Tangy Glaze
Experience the perfect blend of refreshing citrus and wholesome zucchini with this incredibly soft, moist, and utterly delicious Gluten-Free Lemon Zucchini Bread. Crowned with a bright, tangy lemon glaze, this quick bread is an absolute delight that you’ll want to make all season long. It’s an ideal companion for your morning coffee or afternoon tea, a light yet satisfying dessert, or a sweet snack to brighten up any summer day.
As summer unfolds and zucchini plants begin to generously produce, it’s the perfect opportunity to explore a variety of delicious zucchini recipes. While we adore classic preparations like Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake, comforting Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, traditional Zucchini Bread, and delightful Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins, our new gluten-free lemon zucchini bread recipe brings a vibrant, fresh twist that is absolutely essential for your baking rotation. This recipe isn’t just another zucchini bread; it’s a celebration of bright flavors and easy baking.
Why You’ll Adore This Easy Quick Bread
While it truly embodies the richness of a loaf cake more than a savory sandwich bread, this lemon zucchini bread recipe is a bright, sunny interpretation of the beloved classic. There’s so much to savor and appreciate about it!
Effortless Baking for Everyone
This recipe is designed for simplicity. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, you’ll find it incredibly easy to prepare. A bit of grating for the zucchini and some gentle stirring are essentially the only skills required to bring this delightful treat to life. Its straightforward nature makes it a perfect project for a relaxing afternoon in the kitchen.
A Burst of Lemon in Every Bite
Prepare your taste buds for an explosion of citrus! We’ve meticulously crafted this recipe to deliver a triple dose of irresistible lemon flavor. Fresh lemon zest is infused directly into the bread batter, complemented by a touch of high-quality lemon oil for a concentrated, authentic citrus punch. To top it all off, a zesty glaze made with fresh lemon juice coats the bread, ensuring that every single bite is filled with bright, tangy, and utterly lovely lemon goodness. It’s a truly harmonious blend that elevates the humble zucchini bread to a gourmet experience.
Expert Tips for Perfect Texture
Achieving the perfect texture is key to an exceptional quick bread. Remember these crucial tips for the best results:
- Squeeze Out Excess Zucchini Liquid: Zucchini contains a lot of water, and removing the extra liquid from the grated zucchini is vital to prevent your bread from becoming soggy or too dense. A simple squeeze with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel makes all the difference for a wonderfully moist yet light crumb.
- Measure Flour Accurately: Baking is a science, and precise measurements are paramount. Improperly measured flour can lead to a dry or crumbly texture. Follow our guide on how to measure flour correctly to ensure your bread has the ideal structure and tenderness.
Happy baking, and enjoy every lemony bite! xo, Emily
Gather Your Essential Ingredients
Crafting this delightful gluten-free lemon zucchini bread begins with a selection of readily available ingredients, plus one special addition that truly enhances the flavor profile. Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll need to create this culinary masterpiece:
- Fresh Zucchini: The star of the show! Shredded zucchini provides unparalleled moisture, keeping the bread tender and delightful. We recommend not peeling the zucchini before grating, as the green flecks add a beautiful visual appeal and a subtle, earthy flavor. However, if you prefer a lighter color and milder taste, you can certainly peel it. The choice is yours and won’t significantly impact the final texture once the excess liquid is squeezed out.
- Fresh Lemon Zest & Lemon Juice: These are crucial for the bread’s signature bright, vibrant lemon flavor. The zest, extracted from the outer peel of the lemon, contains aromatic oils that infuse the bread with intense citrus notes. The fresh lemon juice is then used to create our irresistible, tangy glaze, balancing the sweetness and adding a refreshing finish.
- Granulated Sugar: This ingredient does more than just sweeten the bread. It also contributes significantly to its moisture content and helps create that desirable tender crumb. Our recipe strikes a perfect balance, ensuring the bread is pleasantly sweet without being cloying – remember, it’s a quick bread, not a dense cake!
- Neutral Oil: Opt for a neutral-tasting oil, such as vegetable oil or canola oil. This choice ensures that the oil adds essential moisture without imparting any dominant flavors that would compete with the bright lemon and subtle zucchini. While you can use melted coconut oil, be aware that its distinct flavor might come through in the final product.
- Large Eggs: Eggs are vital binding agents in baking. They add structure, richness, and help with the overall rise of the bread, contributing to its light and airy texture. Always use large eggs for consistent results in this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla extract is a must! Its warm, sweet notes beautifully complement the zesty lemon, adding depth and complexity to the overall flavor profile. It’s a classic pairing for a reason.
- Lemon Oil: This is our secret weapon for an exceptionally vivid lemon flavor! If you can find food-grade lemon oil (which is a concentrated essential oil derived directly from lemons), we highly recommend using it over lemon extract. Lemon oil captures the true, fresh essence of lemon zest. If lemon extract is your only option, you’ll typically need to double the amount to achieve a comparable flavor intensity, as extracts are less concentrated.
- Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour: For this recipe, we specifically use King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blend. It’s crucial that if you choose another 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, it explicitly states it contains xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is essential for providing structure and elasticity in gluten-free baking, preventing your bread from becoming crumbly. Please do not substitute coconut flour, almond flour, or oat flour into this recipe, as they have vastly different properties and will not yield the correct results.
- Kosher Salt: A small amount of salt is indispensable in baking. It doesn’t just add a salty taste; it balances and enhances all the other flavors, making the sweet and citrus notes truly shine.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents work in harmony to give our zucchini bread its perfect rise and incredibly soft texture. Ensure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh and active for the best possible results.
- A Quick Lemon Glaze: Finally, to complete this exquisite bread, we’ll whip up a simple yet impactful lemon glaze. Made from powdered sugar, a hint of melted butter for richness, and vibrant fresh lemon juice, this glaze adds a gorgeous sheen, an extra layer of lemon flavor, and a delightful touch of sweetness.
How To Make Gluten-Free Lemon Zucchini Bread: A Step-by-Step Guide
For a comprehensive overview, including precise ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and additional expert tips, please refer to the recipe card conveniently located below.
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan: Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C). Line an 8×4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the longer sides to easily lift the bread out later. This also helps prevent sticking. Crucially, make sure you have already squeezed out any excess water from your grated zucchini using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. This step is non-negotiable for a perfectly moist (not soggy!) loaf.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together your gluten-free flour blend, kosher salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk thoroughly for about 30 seconds to ensure all the leavening agents and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour. This prevents pockets of unmixed ingredients and promotes an even rise.
- Infuse Sugar with Lemon Zest: In a large mixing bowl, combine the fresh lemon zest and granulated sugar. Use your fingertips to rub the lemon zest directly into the sugar. This releases the aromatic oils from the zest, infusing the sugar with intense lemon flavor and fragrance. Continue rubbing until the mixture is beautifully fragrant and the sugar takes on a subtle yellow tint from the zest.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: To the fragrant lemon sugar mixture, add the neutral oil, large eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon oil. Whisk these ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined and smooth. The mixture should be light yellow and emulsified, ready to be blended with the dry ingredients.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gently add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just a few dry, floury patches remain. Be careful not to overmix at this stage; overmixing can lead to a tough bread, especially with gluten-free flours.
- Fold in the Zucchini: Add the squeezed grated zucchini to the batter. Gently fold it in until the zucchini is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Some bakers find it easier to achieve an even mix using a fork at this stage. Again, avoid overmixing; just combine until uniform.
- Bake and Cool: Transfer the zucchini bread batter into your prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. The bread is done when it’s golden brown on top and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it (no wet batter!). Allow the zucchini bread to cool in the pan for 8-10 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling thoroughly is essential before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting off.
- Prepare the Tangy Lemon Glaze: While the bread cools, prepare the luscious lemon glaze. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of melted butter, 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is completely smooth and evenly blended. The ideal consistency for the glaze is opaque and relatively thick, but still pourable. If it’s too thick, add more lemon juice ½ teaspoon at a time. If it’s too thin, whisk in more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- Glaze, Slice & Store: Once the zucchini bread has completely cooled, generously pour the prepared lemon glaze over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides for a beautiful finish. Let the glaze set for at least 15-20 minutes (or longer if possible) before slicing into thick, indulgent pieces. Enjoy your homemade gluten-free lemon zucchini bread! Store any leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days to maintain its freshness and moisture.
Enhance Your Baking Skills with These Essential Tips
Even if you’re an experienced baker, a refresher on fundamental techniques can ensure perfect results every time. These baking tips will help you consistently achieve the best gluten-free lemon zucchini bread possible, ensuring it’s moist, flavorful, and beautifully risen.
- How to Grate Zucchini for Baking: The way you prepare your zucchini significantly impacts the final texture of your bread. Discover three effective methods for grating zucchini, along with professional tips to ensure your zucchini recipes are always at their absolute best. Learn how to manage its moisture content effectively.
- 5 Ways to Zest a Lemon: Zest is where the intense lemon flavor resides! This guide not only walks you through five different tools and techniques for zesting a lemon, but also provides valuable advice on how to maximize the yield and flavor from your lemon zest, avoiding the bitter white pith.
- How to Measure Flour Correctly: A common pitfall in baking is incorrectly measuring flour, which can lead to a dry, dense, or crumbly product. This detailed post will teach you the proper techniques for measuring flour, ensuring you get the exact amount needed for the perfect light and moist texture.
- How to Tell If Your Baking Soda & Baking Powder Are Fresh: Using expired or inactive leavening agents is a sure way to sabotage your baking. Learn quick and easy tests to check the freshness and potency of your baking soda and baking powder in mere seconds, guaranteeing your bread rises beautifully.
FAQ & Pro Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Lemon Zucchini Bread
Optimal Pan Size Matters! For the best results, we highly recommend using a standard 1-pound loaf pan, typically measuring 8.5 x 4.5 inches. This size ensures your bread achieves the ideal height and cooks evenly. If you opt for a larger 9×5 inch pan, be aware that your bread will likely turn out flatter and thinner, and will bake much faster, potentially leading to a drier texture. Adjust baking time accordingly if using a different sized pan.
Maximize Your Lemon Zest for Vibrant Flavor
When zesting your lemons, be meticulous! Aim to capture only the bright yellow outer layer, where all the fragrant oils reside. Carefully avoid the white pith underneath, as it can impart a bitter taste to your bread. For maximum lemon impact, really pack the zest into your measuring spoons. The more concentrated the zest, the more intense and delightful the citrus flavor in your finished bread will be.
Lemon Oil: The Secret to Superior Lemon Flavor
For an unparalleled, authentic lemon taste, we strongly advocate for using lemon oil rather than lemon extract. Lemon extracts often have a somewhat artificial or chemical undertone that can detract from the fresh flavor profile. Lemon oil, which is food-grade lemon essential oil, captures the exact vibrant, fresh essence you get from lemon zest, but in a highly concentrated form. It’s a game-changer for elevating the lemon flavor in this zucchini bread recipe, taking it to an entirely new level of deliciousness.
Mastering Zucchini Preparation for Perfect Moisture
If this is your first time working with zucchini in baking, fear not! Preparing zucchini correctly is key to a moist (not mushy) quick bread. While a food processor can grate zucchini quickly and efficiently, a standard box grater with large holes works perfectly well. After grating, it is absolutely essential to squeeze out any excess water from the zucchini. Use several layers of clean paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and press firmly. This step prevents your bread from becoming waterlogged, soggy, or overly dense, ensuring a light and tender crumb every time.
Can I Freeze Lemon Zucchini Bread?
Yes, absolutely! This gluten-free lemon zucchini bread freezes wonderfully. To freeze, ensure the bread is completely cooled and the glaze has fully set. Wrap the whole loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, or slice it and wrap individual slices. Store in an airtight freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy, or gently warm individual slices.
What are some variations I can try?
While this recipe is perfect as is, you can certainly experiment with variations. Consider adding a half cup of poppy seeds to the batter for a lemon poppy seed zucchini bread. You could also fold in some white chocolate chips for an extra touch of sweetness, or a sprinkle of chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts for added texture. For an extra herbal note, a tiny bit of fresh rosemary or thyme could be interesting, though use sparingly!
Explore More Zucchini Recipes
Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Soft Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
🌟 Did You Make This Recipe?
We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Lemon Zucchini Bread recipe. Your feedback helps us and other bakers. We can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!
Gluten-Free Lemon Zucchini Bread
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars from 1 vote
Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
Summary: This easy Gluten-Free Lemon Zucchini Bread is soft, moist and delicious, topped with a tangy lemon glaze you’ll LOVE. It’s perfect with a cup of tea, or enjoyed as a light dessert or a satisfying sweet snack in the summer months.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Cooling Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
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Servings: 1 Loaf (10-12 slices)
Ingredients
For The Lemon Zucchini Bread
- 1-1 ½ cups grated zucchini (Extra liquid squeezed out!)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest (from 2-3 lemons – really pack it in!)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon oil
- 1 â…“ cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (160 grams) weighed or scooped and leveled
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For The Lemon Glaze
- 1 Tablespoon butter, melted
- 2-3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120 grams)
Instructions
First, Make The Zucchini Bread
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175°C) and line an 8×4 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a small bowl, combine gluten-free flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk till evenly blended.
- Rub Zest Into Sugar. In a large mixing bowl, combine lemon zest and granulated sugar and rub the zest into the sugar until the mixture is fragrant and the sugar has a slight lemon tint to it.
- Combine Wet Ingredients. Add oil, eggs, vanilla, and lemon oil to the lemon sugar mixture and whisk to combine.
- Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients and stir until just a few dry floury patches remain.
- Mix In Zucchini. Add grated zucchini to the bowl and stir until the zucchini is evenly distributed. (Some people find this easier with a fork!)
- Bake & Cool. Transfer the zucchini bread batter to the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. (no wet batter!) Let the zucchini bread cool in the pan for 8-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Next, Make The Lemon Glaze:
- Combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 Tablespoon melted butter, 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth and evenly blended. Ideally the glaze should be opaque and pretty thick, but still pourable.
- Adjust Texture, As Needed. If the glaze is too thick, add more lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon at a time, if needed to thin the glaze out. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- Pour Glaze Over Cooled Zucchini Bread and let the glaze set before slicing.
- Serve & Store. Cut into thick slices and enjoy! Store leftover zucchini bread in an airtight container 2-3 days at room temperature.
Notes
- Zucchini. You can use up to 1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini in this bread. Keep in mind that using more zucchini will result in a more prominent zucchini flavor. When serving to children or those sensitive to zucchini flavor, 1 cup is often preferred. Always ensure excess liquid is squeezed out.
- Gluten-Free Flour. Our recipe specifies King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blend. If you opt for a different 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, it is absolutely essential that it contains xanthan gum. This ingredient is critical for providing the necessary structure and preventing your bread from falling apart or being too crumbly. Coconut flour, almond flour, or oat flour are not suitable substitutes for this recipe, as they require significant adjustments to liquid and other ingredients.
- Lemon Oil. For the purest and most vibrant lemon flavor, we highly recommend using food-grade lemon oil over lemon extract. Lemon oil is a concentrated form of natural lemon essence, mirroring the fresh taste of lemon zest. If lemon oil is unavailable and you must use lemon extract, you will need to double the quantity specified in the recipe to achieve a comparable flavor intensity, as extracts are generally less potent.
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Course: Cake, Dessert, Quick Bread
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Keywords: gluten-free zucchini bread, lemon zucchini bread, zucchini bread, zucchini cake
Find the recipe: sweetsandthankyou.com/gluten-free-lemon-zucchini-bread/