Egg-Free Pineapple Zucchini Bread

When I was a toddler, I at some point had both scrambled eggs for breakfast and a deviled egg off a party tray. On both occasions they made me very sick. Since my parents knew I was allergic to peanuts and nuts already, they obviously avoided feeding me anything that contained eggs. Growing up, I learned to make tasty, good quality baked goods without using them. I still had a fabulous birthday cake made by my aunt and you would never know it was egg less. Although I know I will never outgrow my nut and peanut allergy, (I carry an Epipen) there is a chance that I may have outgrown the egg or be able to eat it baked into something. My allergist says that he suspects that is probably the case, but the only way to know is for me to come to the office and eat something containing them. Since I was at some point allergic, the "prick test", as they call it, will always yield a positive (allergic) result. To be honest, however, even if I do eventually decide to do that and I find the allergy to have diminished, I probably wouldn't change the way I cook and bake. It would be nice to know, but I have lived that way my whole life and have been able to make delicious food the whole time. Cooking is for the most part easy without eggs but it takes practice to be able to bake without them. Now, I have baked muffins and other items without eggs without anyone noticing a difference.

So that brings me to this recipe...

I will start off by saying that I love zucchini. We grow it in our garden in the summer, and I still purchase organic zucchini in winter. Obviously not as good as the summer stuff I grow myself but it really is one of my favorites so I still get it. When we have an abundance of zucchini in our garden or whenever someone is craving a slice, I make zucchini bread. I actually have various recipes for it; all of them being very good but slightly different from one another. I put this recipe together when I wanted zucchini bread myself, but since my brother was interested too, I had to replace the applesauce I used for mine with crushed pineapple.Why you ask? He is allergic to apples. Granted, it seems to be just the raw stuff, but I really don't want the boy getting sick after eating something I baked. So with that adjustment and a few other chances, this recipe was created. Keep in mind that the pineapple is not the predominant flavor in this bread. Its the spices that truly stand out just as they are supposed to in zucchini bread. My brother eats a big slice and everyone else usually grabs some too. 

Please follow the directions when making this! The baking powder mixture helps to ensure the bread turns out successful as it is one of the "stand ins for" egg. Even if you are not allergic to eggs or are not necessarily avoiding them, this is still a good recipe to have in your file for zucchini bread. It is also make with oil rather than butter so it is dairy free as well. Your vegan friends will like it too.

Egg-Free Pineapple Zucchini Bread

1 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
1 Cup sugar
1/4 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp Ground allspice
Dash of ground cloves
Dash of salt
1/3 Cup crushed pineapple (undrained)
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 TBSP Canola oil
3 TBSP Water
1 Cup grated fresh zucchini
Extra splash of water if needed (this will depend on the water content of your zucchini and how much juice came with the crushed pineapple)

*If you'd like, add a pinch of nutmeg

BAKING POWDER MIXTURE

3 TBSP Water
1 TBSP Canola oil
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and a pinch of salt. In another bowl, stir together the pineapple, vanilla, oil, water, and zucchini.

In a separate small bowl, stir together the ingredients for the baking powder mixture. It should begin to bubble. Let it sit for a few seconds just until the foam recedes a bit and dies down.

 Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients, add all wet ingredients; including the baking powder mixture. Stir until just moistened adding an extra splash of water if needed. Depending on the moisture content of the zucchini, you may or may not need it. The batter will be slightly thick just as most other quick breads are. Stir just until combined.

 Pour into a greased 9-in by 5-in loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until done. The top should be lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in into the center should come out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely. Best served slightly warm (in my opinion)