SUGAR - FREE ZUCCHINI BREAD

 Zucchini bread is one of my favorite quick breads to enjoy in the summer. I think the first zucchini bread I ever ate was made by our first neighbors in CA. Robin had her favorite recipe and made endless loaves that we had the fortune to enjoy. I guess the good thing was back then I didn't really give the amount of sugar in a recipe much thought. Actually if I am honest - no thought. Now though is a different story.

I'm thirty years older and I know too much sugar is not healthy for you. Back then I didn't think anything about making a recipe that had equal amounts of sugar and flour, but now I will just pass it by. A friend on Facebook shared a recipe the other day for some no-cook chocolate "cookies". I looked at the recipe and commented that I loved those cookies when I was younger, but today I just can't make something that has two cups of sugar in it. 

Whenever I can today, I will reduce the sugar in a recipe or use a sugar/blend (sugar plus a sugar substitute) or sugar substitute. My favorite sugar substitute is stevia leaf extract. I have found several different brands of stevia and erythritol, but a week or so ago I ordered just erythritol. It isn't as sweet as erythritol and stevia. In fact the package says it has about 70% the sweetness as sugar and if you want things lightly sweet use 1 cup of it in place of 1 cup sugar. If you want the same sweetness to use 1-1/3 cups of the erythritol in place of 1 cup sugar. 

Pillsbury (I am not being paid by Pillsbury to recommend their product) makes a sugar-free yellow cake mix, a Devil's Food cake mix, and brownies mix that are all very good. They are sweetened with Splenda. They cost more than regular cake mixes, but if I am making something mainly for us that calls for a cake mix, I will use the sugar-free one. They also make the prepared frosting that is sugar-free. I substitute the sugar-free cake mixes often and the recipes have always turned out fine.

When I saw this recipe for a zucchini bread that used a yellow cake mix as its base, I knew immediately I had to try it and use one of my sugar-free yellow cake mixes. I'm glad I did because an occasion came up that I wanted to share one of the mini loaves with a friend from church who is diabetic. She was quite surprised and pleased. Of course the cake mix gives it a different texture, but it is still a delicious zucchini quick bread and I can enjoy it without stressing over 2 cups of sugar that the recipe would have called for. I think the bread would taste delicious using a spice cake mix, but it wouldn't be sugar-free then as I have never seen a spice cake mix that was sugar-free.

SUGAR-FREE ZUCCHINI BREAD

1     box yellow cake mix (without the pudding) Use a sugar-free yellow cake mix for sugar-free bread.  

1     tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2  cup oil

1/4  cup milk or water

3     eggs

2     cups coarsely shredded zucchini (about 2 medium)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub bottoms only of two 8 - 4 inch loaf pans or four mini loaf pans with shortening.

I made four mini loaves.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cake mix and cinnamon and

then add the oil, milk, and eggs until well blended.

Add the zucchini and

mix well.

Divide batter evenly between the loaf pans.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (I cooked my four mini loaves 45 minutes.) Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack.

Run a knife around the inside edges and remove from pans and finish cooling on wire rack. When cooled, wrap in foil. Can freeze extra loaves or give to friends.