The downsides are fairly blatant—I don’t get to eat or drink anything.
I’ve heard many health-enthusiast say that if you stop eating sugar your body won’t crave it anymore. Well I’ve found that nugget of wisdom to be completely false. All I think about is sweets. If there were a written transcript of the thoughts going through my head right now it would look something like this….cheesecake, cheesecake with blueberries, cheesecake swirled with blueberry sauce, chocolate, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, rocky road bars, the baby’s awake, God, Dora the Explorer is annoying, banana bread.
I need cake. Warm, straight-from the oven tea bread and maybe a couple Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups.
I have been scouring the web for dessert recipes I can actually eat, you know ones that don’t contain dairy or gluten or eggs or nuts or chocolate or soy or corn. I am eternally grateful to those blessed individuals who experiment and develop these recipes so I don’t have to, because I would have no idea how much xanthan gum to add—I had to Google xanthan gum just to find out what it was (a polysaccharide derived from bacteria used as a thickener and stabilizer, for anyone that is interested).
I have made this zucchini bread recipe a few times now and it is not bad considering it has nothing in it. It is a little gummy, but I’ve found that to be hard to get around in gluten-free baking. It seems you can reduce this undesired characteristic by beating the batter pretty vigorously with a stand mixer and using as little liquid as possible. The dough will seem pretty stiff, but it will bake up fluffier in the oven if you don’t add too much liquid.

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan Zucchini Bread
Adapted from Gluten-Free Goddess
Ingredients
- 1 rounded cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup sorghum flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 teaspoons egg replacer mixed with 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch loaf pan. Place zucchini in a clean tea towel and squeeze out any excess moisture.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the sorghum flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and cinnamon. Add in the brown sugar and mix (breaking it up with your hands is easiest). Add the oil, lemon juice, egg replacer and coconut milk and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed for two minutes, or until batter is smooth and sticky. The batter will be very thick and almost stringy, it is better to beat it a little longer if necessary. Remember, this recipe is gluten-free, so there is no risk of making the bread tough by beating it too long.
- Beat in the zucchini then scrape the batter into the loaf pan. Bake in the center of the oven until golden and firm, it should feel slightly springy when touched with your finger, about 50-60 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 344mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 2g