I could eat zucchini bread year round but there’s something really special about it this time of year. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a huge excess of zucchinis around here at the moment, despite the fact that we didn’t even plant a garden this year.

This year I’m on a bit of a sunflower seed kick. My local health food store sells shelled sunflower seeds in bulk. I buy the raw sunflower seeds because roasted seeds tend to go rancid sooner and salted just aren’t as versatile. I’ve been throwing them in everything from cookies to pancakes so I thought I’d give them a try in my favorite zucchini bread recipe.

The verdict? It was absolutely delicous!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Lightly grease the sides of a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. I like to use a bit of coconut oil for this rather than butter or vegetable oil because it’s so much better for you.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir this up with a wire wisk or fork to be sure it’s completely blended.

In a second bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, shredded zucchini, and oil.

Add the zucchini mixture to the flour mixture and stir until it all the ingredients are moistened. You don’t want to over mix this.

Gently fold in the sunflower seeds and chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with sugar to give it a nice sugary crust.

Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The sunflower seeds give this a great crunch and a little something unexpected. Cool completely on a wire rack before eating.

What’s your favorite zucchini recipe?