Categories: Drafts

Hazelnut Zucchini Bread with Cardamom, Cherries and Dark Chocolate, Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free

It’s incredible the impact family recipes have on our traditions. When I texted my aunt that I was making her famed family zucchini bread (with a few lot of modifications to make it paleo friendly, vegan and gluten free) she told me she’d already made 9 this fall!

In fairness, there’s not much about her recipe I didn’t change, but the craving for this lovely quick bread each summer and fall remains rooted in family tradition.

At the onset of zucchini season, one of my favorite farmers/bloggers posted this recipe for Zucchini Bread with Cherries, Chocolate, and Cardamom. While the below recipe is all Earthly Kitchen, the flavors were completely inspired by Dishing Up the Dirt’s brilliant combinations. Though these flavors are a departure from my normal style (I’m not big into cherries), this was one of the most delicious confections I’ve baked in some time.

Enjoy toasted with a schmear of hazelnut butter, vegan buttery spread or plain as a mid-day snack.

This recipe is paleo and vegan friendly, replacing oil with hazelnut butter and sugar with maple syrup. It is completely gluten free. If avoiding nuts, sub the hazelnut flour with gluten free or wheat flour and the nut butter for oil or apple sauce.

To keep it paleo, use a paleo dark chocolate. I used Human Dark Chocolate bar that I chopped roughly.

This makes a perfect breakfast or snack and if you’re into quick breads for dessert, the melty chocolate will hit the spot.

Hazelnut Zucchini Bread with Cardamom, Cherries and Dark Chocolate

A delicious, seasonal, paleo quick bread with a hazelnut cardamom twist.

2 ¾ cup paleo baking flour mix (such as Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup hazelnut flour (or sub with almond flour)
3 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cardamom
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup maple syrup
2 flax eggs (or use eggs if not vegan)
⅓ cup hazelnut butter (or sub almond butter)
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk, unsweetened, original)
2 cup zucchini (shredded and drained)
½ cup cherries (pitted and halved, fresh or frozen)
½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
½ cup hazelnuts (chopped and toasted, optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 5 x 3" loaf tin.
In large mixer bowl, combine flours, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Add maple syrup, eggs, hazelnut butter and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
While mixer is on low, slowly drizzle almond milk until mixture has a thick batter consistency, not like dough. You may not use all of the almond milk.
Fold in zucchini, cherries, chocolate and nuts, if using.
Pour into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out mostly clean. Paleo baked goods are often more dense and moist then wheat flour counterparts, so a completely clean cake tester may mean it is overcooked.