Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

I'm a bread girl. I know, I know we don't live in the age where a bounty of bread brings to mind better health....necessarily. But, if you ask me, the issue of bread is solved very simply. Satisfyingly small portions, simply nourishing ingredients and soul savoring flavors.

What could be wrong with that?

I admit, each meal of mine does not consist of grains galore. I eat lots of other plant based, nutrient dense foods throughout the day including nuts, seeds, beans, fruits and vegetables. All kinds without discrimination! In the morning, though, my heart and I have to believe the cravings of my body, bring me to a table of tasty grains. There's nothing better than toasted whole grain English muffins with real pastured butter or slathered with raw almond butter. I love homemade muffins and other healthy and hearty bakery goods.

That's the key--healthy and hearty. I'm not searching for soggy or spongy. I want the real deal, the way the earth intended to give us our grains: whole and happy (just like us!).

My love (and slight obsession) with baking bread products appears over and over on this site. In fact, the recipe section may get a little unbalanced in favor of breads. But that's why the quality matters so much. Just as in any other living well lesson, we learn that REAL, INTENTIONAL and AUTHENTIC pursuits offer purpose and perseverance. That stands true in the pursuit of baking bread, too!

The fake stuff won't cut it for me....or YOU. Not if you want to live happily whole in how you nourish your body anyway.

So, let's break bread and give thanks! Real, nourishing, soul savoring breads with hearts filled with thanks for the earth and the hands that create it. Thank you, Lord, for You and everything you create is GOOD!

Your Happily Whole Bread Lover,

Katie

Oh, how I hope you find this bread as delightful as I do! I love it warmed in mini-muffin form or sliced and toasted when baked in a loaf. What's not to love really? Check out all the real, whole ingredients. Now get busy baking in the name of nourishment!

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour works well)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅔ cup non-dairy milk (I like vanilla unsweetened Almond milk for this)
⅓ cup real maple syrup (you can add more to your liking but I have found that ⅓ adds subtle sweetness and good moisture)
¼ cup oil coconut, melted (when you bake with coconut oil, be sure the ingredients you are mixing it with are at room temperature, not cold, so it does not solidify)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (you may omit and add another teaspoon vanilla)
1 ¼ cups grated zucchini
¼ cup golden raisens
¼ cup mini-chocolate chips
¼ cup hemp seeds (optional, adds protein, iron, and omega 3s) OR ¼ cup almond meal for a nuttier flavor

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C). In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the milk, syrup, oil, lemon juice, vanilla, and zucchini. Add to the dry mixture and stir gently to combine. Fold in the raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts, and hemp seeds.
Pour batter into a loaf pan* lined with parchment paper (or lightly oiled). Bake for 45-50 minutes, until lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

*Note: You can also bake this as muffins. Reduce baking time to approximately 20-25 minutes for regular sized muffins and to 12 minutes for mini-muffins