What to Do with 8.5 lbs. of Blueberries

The first time I made this gluten free blueberry zucchini bread was in in 2013. I was recovering from an injury that August, which seems to be right on schedule for me. I had fallen down the stairs at my church and severely sprained my ankle.

As I hate crutches, I convinced my husband to bring up my rolling desk chair, which was in the basement. It became my personal scooter/wheelchair. It’s handy for when you want to do the dishes and make lunch.

Or make gluten-free blueberry zucchini bread because you recently picked 8.5 lbs of blueberries and you’re bored out of your mind.

What’s that you say? Your zucchini crop is starting to come in gangbusters? Yep, this gluten-free blueberry zucchini bread is definitely a necessity. (P.S. – The rolling chair also makes your dog look at you funny as he’s wondering WHAT on earth you’re doing.)

Inspiration for this Blueberry Zucchini Bread

I found this blueberry zucchini bread recipe on AllRecipes.com. For my loaf, I made many substitutions, including cutting the recipe in half. I used one of my new go-to gluten-free flours, King Arthur Baking Measure for Measure Flour.

I also substituted the oil with a 1/2 applesauce, 1/2 oil combo, just like in my applesauce bundt cake. The recipe appeared overly sweet, therefore I used half white sugar and half brown sugar, but less than the total amount listed in the original recipe.

Because I subbed some of the oil for applesauce, I also used fewer eggs than called for in the recipe. In many vegan recipes, applesauce is substituted for eggs.

Shredding & Squeezing Your Zucchini

I recently purchased a Hamilton Beach food processor, and it made mixing this recipe a breeze. I’ve never seen zucchini shred so easily!

However, if you don’t have one, you can shred your zucchini by hand with a box grater. (Just watch your knuckles and your finger tips!) I used almost a pound of fresh zucchini (one large), to equal the one cup, squeezed, needed for this recipe.

To make this gluten-free blueberry zucchini bread turn our perfectly, you want to squeeze the excess water out of it. (Just like in my cauliflower pizza.)

I shredded the zucchini first, then placed it in a clean kitchen towel, and squeezed out the excess water. I also rolled my blueberries in a little bit of cornstarch. This prevents your blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.

Streusel or Glaze- Yay or Nay?

Quite a few people suggested coating the top with a streusel mixture of flour, sugar and cinnamon. However, I think this gluten free blueberry zucchini bread is absolutely perfect on its own.

If you’d like to make these more portable, you could easily bake these as muffins. Just follow the guidelines I shared from King Arthur Flour in my Gluten-Free Banana Cinnamon Chip Muffins

If you’d like, you can make a quick glaze for this bread using 1/2 c. powdered sugar and 1 tbsp of milk. Did you know you can make your own powdered sugar? Simply put granulated sugar in a spice blender, and grind until powdered! I like it so much better than store bought, which can sometimes have a funny after taste.

Can I Make This Recipe Dairy Free? Egg Free?

As written, this recipe contains no dairy. It does contain one egg. While I have not tried it, a flax egg (1 tbsp + 3 tbsp water) should work. You could also use an egg replacer such as Bob’s Red Mill. Or try this vegan zucchini bread from Rhian’s Recipes. Looking for a grain free recipe? Try this Paleo Zucchini Bread recipe from Downshiftology.

Other Gluten Free Blueberry Recipes

Picking blueberries has become quite the tradition for us. Therefore I have lots of blueberry themed recipes on my site. From Grain Free Blueberry Pie, to Blueberry Pancake Casserole, and Blueberry Hand Pies, there’s bound to be something you like! My gluten free cream cheese stuffed, Blueberry French Toast Casserole is a favorite even among gluten eaters!

More Gluten Free Quick Bread Recipes

Looking for other quick bread recipes? My gluten free Peanut Butter Bread is quick and easy. What the Fork is the queen of quick bread, and she has a great gluten free zucchini bread recipe. Her Gluten Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread sounds fantastic, too!  Needing an egg free recipe? Try this Gluten Free Vegan Zucchini Bread recipe from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free.

Print

Gluten Free Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Equipment

• King Arthur, Measure for Measure Flour 3 Pounds
• Wilton Medium Loaf Baking Pan – 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″
• Hamilton Beach Food Processor

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour I used King Arthur Measure for Measure
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice or cinnamon
• 1 cup shredded and squeezed zucchini
• 1 cup blueberries tossed in 1 tbsp corn starch

Wet Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. lemon extract or vanilla
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c white sugar
• 1/4 c oil
• 1/4 c applesauce
• 1 tbsp lemon zest optional

Instructions

• Shred zucchini in a food processor or with a box grater. Transfer zucchini to a bowl lined with cheesecloth or a towel. Gather fabric around zucchini and squeeze out excess water. Return to bowl and allow to dry further.
• In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda and powder, and spices. Add shredded zucchini and toss to coat. Then set aside. 
• In a small bowl combine egg, lemon (or vanilla) extract, sugars, oil and applesauce. If using dried lemon zest, add to wet ingredients and allow to rehydrate for 10-15 minutes. 
• Next, coat blueberries in one tablespoon of cornstarch to prevent them from sinking as they bake. The cornstarch also acts as a drying and binding agent to counteract some of the moisture released by the blueberries as it bakes. 
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. 
• Gently fold blueberries into the batter.
• Allow batter to rest for 30 minutes. This helps the flour to fully absorb the moisture and fat. Don't skip this step. It will allow for a better and more uniform rise to your bread. While the batter is resting, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 9×5 pan and gently transfer the batter to the loaf pan.
• Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. (I usually check it 30 minutes and rotate the pan 180 degrees.) Remove from the oven to cool, in pan, for 15 minutes, on its side. Then, remove loaf from pan to cool completely for 2-3 hours. (Or overnight.)

What’s your favorite type of quick bread? And what are your favorite ways to use zucchini? My friends keep dropping them off!

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Originally Published August 2013

The post Gluten Free Blueberry Zucchini Bread appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.