Joy the Baker

Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Zucchini Pistachio Bread

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Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Zucchini Pistachio Bread

First things first when moving into a new kitchen:  figure out where to put your silverware and your stand mixer.  Second things second when moving into a new kitchen:  make some sort of spiced quick-bread to make the whole house smell exactly like home.  

I’m a strong believer in this theory.  It’s important to make a house smell like a home, and no amount of banana bread scented candles will do the trick.  They would do the opposite of the trick.  

Last time I moved:  banana bread.  

This go’round:  zucchini bread two ways, gluten-free and waaay gluten-full.  Experiments and good smells all up in this new kitchen!

Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Zucchini Pistachio Bread

One big batch of zucchini bread with two different flours:  all-purpose flour (King Arthur Flour is always my jam) and a gluten-free flour blend I used Bob’s Red Mill) with a small bit of xanthan gum.  

I don’t have a lot of experience with gluten-free baking so I’m dipping my toes in the shallow end with an all-purpose baking flour. I’ve also used Cup4Cup with great success!  See:  Asparagus Quiche and Strawberry Ginger Pie.  

Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Zucchini Pistachio Bread

Eggs, oil, and vanilla extract are whisked together with granulated sugar and brown sugar.  The mixture will be glossy and syrupy.  

Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Zucchini Pistachio Bread

Fresh shredded zucchini plus coarsely chopped pistachios are stirred into the all-purpose flour mixture.  

Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Zucchini Pistachio Bread

Thick and just pourable, ribboned with moist zucchini bits and studded with pistachios.  Plenty of cinnamon, too! 

This batter is ready for the loaf pan! 

Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Zucchini Pistachio Bread

We mix up the gluten-free version in exactly the same way except for the addition of xanthan gum and gluten-free baking powder.  Same glossy sugar eggs, same ribbons of zucchini, same handful of pistachios!  

Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Zucchini Pistachio Bread

In the loaf pans and ready for the oven!  You can’t tell by looking which is gluten-free and which is gluten-full.  That’s a good sign! 

Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Zucchini Pistachio Bread

Look at these beautiful breads!  The bottom is gluten-free.  It’s moist, has an almost nutty flavor quality, and just a bit more crumbly than the gluten-full version.  Zucchini quick bread is more hearty and spiced, helping it pair very well with a more bean-forward gluten-free flour.  Bean-forward… not a phrase I say here very often.  

The all-purpose flour version of the zucchini bread is moist, sweet, and everything you’d want from a breakfast quick bread.  The best part?  Quick breads always make home smell like home! 

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Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Zucchini Pistachio Bread

This recipe makes both one gluten-free and one gluten-full loaf of zucchini bread. To make all gluten-free or all gluten-full, negate whichever flour you don’t need and double the measurement for the flour you will be using. No need to divide the remainder of the ingredients. Happy Baking!

  • Author: Joy the Baker

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large eggs, divided
  • 1 cup vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, divided
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour mixture
  • 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 11/2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups freshly shredded zucchini
  • 1 heaping cup coarsely chopped, roasted and salted shelled pistachios

Instructions

  1. We’re making two batches of the same… but different bread so we’re going to divide each ingredient in half to share amongst the two loaf batters in two different bowls.
  2. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9×5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper, and lightly spray the parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. Divide the eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla extract evenly between two medium bowls. 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract between the two bowls. Whisk well to combine until each is thick and glossy. Set aside.
  4. In another medium bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt and baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
  5. In another medium bowl whisk together all-purpose gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, 3/4 teaspoon salt and baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
  6. Add the wet ingredients to each bowl of flour and stir until just combined. Add 2 cups of grated zucchini to each batter and a divide the nuts between the two bowls (saving some of the nuts for topping).
  7. Spoon each batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle with remaining nuts and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of each loaf comes out mostly dry.
  8. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan to slice and serve warm. Bread will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to 4 days.

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Comments

  1. Claire

    I’ve made this several times (converting for full-gluten) and it’s always so good. However, the top middle part of the loaf always comes out raw. Even if I put in longer, the rest of the bread starts to dry out and the top stays batter-y. Is it because of the pistachios sprinkled on top? Is there anything I can do to get it to bake all the way through?

    Reply

  2. Tiffanie

    I knew I could count on you for a good zucchini bread recipe! Every other recipe kept trying to tell me to put walnuts in it. Eff that. Pistachios for the win.

    Reply

  10. Hippie Butter

    I will be baking your bread recipe over the weekend and spreading hemp seed butter on it for an extra kick of healthy. Thank you for taking the time to post this wonderful recipe. The photo looks great on Pinterest.

    Reply

  11. Natalie

    Joy, thank you so much for posting this recipe! We are moving this weekend and of course I was checking out your website for recipes to break in the new oven. Especially excited about the gluten free option as I have celiac. You are the best!

    Reply

  12. HP

    Joy, I just moved in December and my second thing in my new kitchen was batch after batch of your oatmeal cookie granola. (https://joythebaker.com/2014/09/oatmeal-cookie-granola/) It helped me to determine inefficiencies in my placement of baking supplies and utensils, and gave me a stack of little jars full of granola to give my guests when they came over to see the new house.
    Major win.

    Reply

  13. Yanica

    Thank you so much for branching out a little and including the gluten free version! I have been mourning the loss of regular gluten baking since I had to go GF. This recipe looks awesome, and I even have some of the Bob’s flour on hand!

    Reply

  16. gringalicioustori

    Love your side by side comparion here. Zucchini bread is something that I don’t make often enough. Thanks for the reminder of how good it is!

    Reply

  22. Ellen

    I adore that you have a gluten-full loaf! Sometimes when I have visited home, where my mom avoids gluten I’ll split batches of cookies in two and do one half gluten-free and one full for my gluten-hungry father and I…

    Reply

  24. anna4t2014

    Mmmm…you’re right, nothing makes a new place smell like home, like some fresh baked goodies! :) I absolutely love this zucchini bread, and I love even more that I can make it gluten free! Just delish!

    Reply

  25. KC

    hey joy! i work in a test kitchen and right now we are comparing gluten free flours. while I really like bob’s GF mix for savory stuff, the king arthur blend has a finer grind and less of an earthy taste (bob’s is made if primarily bean flours, KA’s rice). just a heads up for future GF baked goods, you might give KA a try! we aren’t affiliated with either brand, it’s just something i’ve observed. i’ve read your site forever and i’m a big fan :) congrats on the move!

    Reply

  26. lizaslocalkitchen

    Joy, love quick breads for the reasons you mention, and I do play with other flours when baking gluten free because the store bought mixes lack nutrition and often include corn starch which is a GMO product. I have great success mixing some quinoa flour, oat flour and garbanzo- fava flour. Plus, I usually prefer the flavor over traditional white flour.
    Happy baking.
    Liza

    Lizaslocalkitchen.wordpress.com

    Reply

  27. A Little Coffee

    Bonnie I found it confusing too but I think just halve all the ingredients, (since this is enough for 2 loaves), skip the xantham gum and gluten-free flour (since it’s only used in the GF loaf) and omit step #5.

    Joy – I love this idea, but it is a little confusing to follow. Perhaps next time you could just list 1 set of instructions for a regular loaf and 1 set of instructions for GF, so it’s easier to follow?

    Reply

  33. emmajeanne16

    You cannot even tell them apart so the gluten free must be a winner. I am with you on the smelling like home and lots of cinnamon for zucchini bread!

    Reply

  36. Gabriella

    Hey Joy! Thanks for thinking to include a GF version – your celiac-afflicted fans appreciate it! I wanted to mention that you might look info using quinoa flour in baking for GF purposes – I have successfully used it one to one for AP in many cookie/cake/muffin recipes and it works perfectly. Its INCREDIBLY moist and eliminates the crumbly problem common to GF baking. (My mom and I use it in her banana cake recipe in place of the original AP and it actually tastes better and more moist than the original.) Also it’s WAY more nutritious than GF AP if that’s your bag. Give it a shot! :) cheers.

    Reply

  39. Meg Bollenback

    Question for you. If I were to move somewhere later this year (which may happen), would you be willing to come to my house and bake either this zucchini bread, the gluten-full version’s ok w/ me, or the banana bread to make it feel like home? Because that would be awesome.

    In all honestly, though, this looks incredible and very homey – just what you needed, I’m sure! Congrats on the move and getting your kitchen squared away.

    Reply

  40. Cath

    Looks great–and I love the word gluten-full! We use the term “gluten-infested” around my place, which is a bit more threatening…

    I love your blog–it lightens my day and gives me great inspiration. Hope the new place feels like home soon!

    Reply

  45. Bonnie

    If you just want to make “regular” leave out the xanthan gum and make it all all-purpose?
    sounds and looks really yummy!

    Reply

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