Honey-Sweetened Zucchini Bread

When you’re tiring of zucchini midway through the summer, a loaf of this honey-sweetened zucchini bread is a great way to make it disappear. Sweetened with raw local honey and made with a good amount of whole wheat, honey-sweetened zucchini bread is the prefect breakfast, snack, and dessert for you and your family. Feel free to swap out almost any summer squash for the zucchini in this recipe, simply making sure to peel off tough skin and scoop out large seeds.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, olive oil, or melted butter
• 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt (use applesauce for a dairy-free version)
• 1/2 cup raw local honey
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 cups grated summer squash
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour (spelt works well here)
• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1.5 cups mix-ins, such as chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit (optional)

Directions

1.  Grease a bread pan and preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil (or butter), yogurt, and honey until they are well combined.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk well.
4. Sprinkle the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt over the mixture and whisk to incorporate.
5. Using a spatula or large spoon, mix in the grated squash until it is evenly distributed.
6. Stir in the flours until there are no dry clumps left. If using mix-ins, stir them in now.
7. Scrape the batter into the prepared bread pan and smooth out the top so that it is even.
8. Bake the bread for 45-55 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time, until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool before slicing and serving. After a day, refrigerate or freeze the honey-sweetened zucchini bread to preserve it better.

Submitted by Shelby Thompson, adapted from Smitten Kitchen