Protein Zucchini Bread

Meet my new obsession: protein zucchini bread made with peanut butter and sprinkled with mini chocolate chips.

This bread is the end product of a stress baking/cooking day. Some people deal with stress by going for a run, treating themselves to a massage, or drinking wine. I bake.

I’ve had mixed results with using zucchini in anything baked: breads, muffins, lasagnas, quiches, you name it. And that’s largely because zucchini holds a lot of water. But over the past year or so, I’ve gotten a technique down for using sliced zucchini: wrap in paper towels, place in a colander, squeeze the heck out of it and repeat. Yes, it may mean going through a few paper towels, but it’s so worth it to not end up with a liquidy final product.

When I saw this Grain Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread over at Ambitious Kitchen, it felt like a meant-to-be baking moment. As I mentioned in a recent post, I’ve been trying to up my protein intake lately, especially in snacks. And as much as I love my Greek yogurts and nutrition bars, I’m a sucker for quick breads and muffins. This zucchini bread is the perfect marriage of quick bread and healthy snack, as there’s plenty of healthy fats and filling protein going on. Oh, and there’s veggies. Can’t forget about that ;).

I adjusted the original recipe a bit based on my experiences with making protein bars and other quick breads. The most important difference is slowly adding in the protein powder. Different brands of protein powder absorb liquid very differently. As a result, I recommend mixing all the liquid ingredients first and then slowly adding in the protein powder, until the batter is thick but still liquidy. I used my vanilla Sun Warrior vegan protein powder, which really absorbs liquid. I found two leveled scoops to be perfect (56 grams). The other two differences are more minor: I added a pinch of salt to bring out the sweetness of the maple syrup more and used mini chocolate chips. Mini chips are perfect for baking as you can use a smaller amount but get more chocolate-filled bites.

If you aren’t a fan of baking with protein powder, but are still interested in a low-carb zucchini bread, be sure to check out the original post over at Ambitious Kitchen for ways to alter the recipe.

By the time you’re reading this post, Bry and I will be on a train going from Bergen to Oslo. It’ll also mark our trip being more than half way over :(. As sad as I’ll be to leave, I’ll be looking forward to sharing all my eats and adventures with you all next week!

Print Recipe

Protein Zucchini Bread

This high protein, low carb zucchini bread with peanut butter will become your newest snacking obsession.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: High Protein, Low-Carb, Zucchini Bread

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 195kcal

Author: Kelli

Ingredients

• 1 medium zucchini
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter drippy, microwave for a few seconds if too hard
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• Pinch salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 scoops about 56 g vegan vanilla protein powder (I used Sun Warrior)
• 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease a loaf pan.
• Cut ends off zucchini. Shred zucchini using either a food processor or cheese grater. Wrap shredded zucchini in paper towels and place in a colander. Squeeze liquid out of zucchini. Depending on how liquidy your zucchini is, you may need to do this two or three more times. Let sit in colander while you start the batter.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until lightly beaten. Add in peanut butter, vanilla extract, and maple syrup; stir until creamy. Gently stir in shredded zucchini and pinch of salt (if peanut butter unsalted).
• Next, stir in baking soda. Slowly add in protein powder until batter is thick but still liquidy. Fold in 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips, then pour batter into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp remaining chocolate chips on top.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until cooked through. Enjoy for up to 3 days! (Note: you can wrap slices in parchment paper and freeze for up to 3 months)