Have you heard of using zucchini flour in your baking? It’s a versatile, gluten-free option that can make your favorite recipes healthier and more flavorful. You can use it to make everything from bread and muffins to chocolate desserts and fried treats. But what is zucchini flour, and how can you use it? Keep reading to learn more about this flour alternative.
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ToggleWhy I Love Zucchini Flour
If you’ve ever grown zucchini, you know that they are an abundant crop that seems to multiply endlessly. Gardeners often joke that during the harvest season, you should always lock your car doors or else someone will “gift” you a hefty portion of their harvest.
While we enjoy sharing with friends and neighbors, we have several clever ways to use up or preserve our zucchini. We love the classic zucchini cake and the lesser-known baked zucchini blossoms, and we even preserve zucchini with this easy zucchini pickles recipe.
Still, new ways to preserve and use zucchini are always welcomed, which led us to zucchini flour. I love baking with freshly milled flour, and using flour from a source that I grew in my garden is a wonderful way to increase self-sufficiency.
What Is Zucchini Flour
Zucchini flour is a gluten-free alternative to traditional wheat flour. It’s made by dehydrating or freeze drying fresh zucchini and then grinding it into a fine powder.
This flour is great for making a variety of baked goods, like breads, muffins, fruit cobbler, fudgy brownie mix, rhubarb breakfast cake, and cookies.
Zucchini flour is not as well-known as some other gluten-free flour, like coconut or almond. Coconut flour can taste strong, and almond flour can be heavy. But zucchini flour tastes neutral, which allows it to mix well with other ingredients.
Zucchini flour adds moisture to gluten-free foods and has fewer carbs and more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than regular wheat flour. This makes it a smart choice regardless if you are gluten-free, low-carb, or just want to make healthier baked goods.
There are other squash-based flours, too, like yellow squash or winter squash. Each has its own taste and nutritional benefits. But zucchini flour is a favorite because it’s versatile and has a flavor that goes well with both sweet and savory dishes.
Dehydrating vs. Freeze Drying Zucchini Flour
There are two main ways to make zucchini flour: freeze-drying and dehydrating. Understanding the difference between freeze-drying and dehydrating is important because each method has its own benefits, and your choice depends on what you prefer and the tools you have.
Freeze-Dried Method
Freeze-dried zucchini flour is great for those who want to retain as many nutrients as possible. It freezes the zucchini quickly and then removes moisture in a low-pressure setting. This produces fine, powdery flour.
Dehydrated Method
Dehydrating is easier and requires less special equipment. Hot air slowly removes moisture from the zucchini, making a slightly more coarse flour.
It’s not as good at keeping nutrients as freeze-drying, but it’s still a healthy choice. Dehydrated zucchini flour is perfect for home cooks who want a simpler method.
Zucchini Flour Yield
When making your own zucchini flour, the amount you get can change. This depends on the zucchini’s size and how moist it is. The exact amount you get may change for a few reasons:
- Size – Bigger zucchini gives you more flour than smaller ones.
- Moisture Content – Zucchini with more water will give you less flour.
- Drying Method – Freeze-drying usually gives you more flour than dehydrating.
Fresh Zucchini (lbs) | Estimated Zucchini Flour Yield (cups) |
1 | 1/2 – 1 |
2 | 1 – 2 |
3 | 1 1/2 – 3 |
How to Use Zucchini Flour
Zucchini flour is great in baked goods. It’s a fun spin as a keto-friendly, gluten-free, or low-carb flour option.
Start by replacing up to half of the regular wheat flour in your recipes with zucchini flour. This swap will add great texture and a subtle flavor to your baked goods. For instance, instead of using 1 cup of all-purpose flour, mix 1/2 cup of zucchini flour with 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour instead.
- Cakes – Zucchini flour is great for cakes. Try making your favorite recipe by swapping half of the normal flour with zucchini flour. Keep in mind, if you want to make a white cake, the zucchini flour will alter the color slightly. However, you won’t notice a color change in yellow or chocolate cakes.
- Crispy Coating – Zucchini flour is not just for baked goods. You can use it to make crispy, low-carb coatings for fried foods. Just replace 1/3 to 1/2 of the regular flour with zucchini flour when breading chicken, fish, or zucchini fries.
- Coconut Flour Substitute – Looking for an alternative to coconut flour in your Paleo recipes? Zucchini flour can be substituted 1:1 without the heavy coconut flavor!
Supplies Needed
You’ll need a few basic items if you want to make your own zucchini flour at home.
- Fresh Zucchini – Refer to the chart above to determine how many pounds of zucchini you need to yield the desired amount of flour.
- Sharp Knife – Practice knife sharpening basics to keep these kitchen tools in safe working order.
- Cheese Grater – For grating the zucchini prior to dehydrating or freeze drying. You can also use the shredder attachment on a food processor to make the prep go faster.
- Dehydrator or Freeze Dryer – I use the Excalibur dehydrator or the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer.
- Food Processor – A high-powered blender will work if you do not have a food processor.
- Mason Jar – We like to store our zucchini flour in glass Mason jars with an airtight lid.
- Lid – A two-piece Mason jar lid works best.
- Vacuum Sealer – Keeping your zucchini flour airtight is key. We like to use this vacuum sealer to easily reseal our jars after each time we dip into them.
- Oxygen Absorbers – It’s important to keep oxygen away from freeze dried foods. We get our oxygen absorbers from Freeze Drying Supplies.
How to Make Zucchini Flour
Zucchini Prep:
- Start by washing and drying your fresh zucchini.
- Using a knife, cut open the zucchini and remove the seeds. Homesteading Hack: Seeds can take a lot of extra drying time. To avoid seeds that haven’t completely dried, we like to remove them first.
- Shred the zucchini with a cheese grater or shredder attachment on your food processor, and squeeze out excess liquid.
Dehydrator Method:
- Spread the shredded zucchini on dehydrator trays in a thin layer. This helps moisture evaporate well during drying.
- Dehydrate the zucchini at 135°F for 8-12 hours until it’s completely dry and crisp. This step is key to removing moisture and making fine zucchini flour.
- Once the zucchini is dry, put it in a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until you get a fine, consistent powder. You now have zucchini flour.
Freeze Dryer Method:
- Place the shredded zucchini on the freeze-dryer trays in a thin layer.
- Pre-freeze zucchini on trays for 24 hours.
- Once zucchini is completely frozen, place the freeze-dryer trays into the freeze-dryer and shut the door.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your freeze-dryer. If using a Harvest Right model, select Start > Liquid > Frozen> Continue.
- Depending on the moisture level and humidity, this process can take an average of 24 hours. Feel free to add an hour or two of drying time as needed.
- Once the zucchini is dry and feels brittle to the touch (it should not feel cold at all), remove it from the freezer and put it in a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until you get a fine, consistent flour.
And that’s it! You now have another way to preserve all that zucchini you grew in the garden this year!
Homesteading Hack: Storing your food in as close to its whole form as possible helps retain more nutrients. We like to freeze-dry our grated zucchini and store it in Mason jars until we’re ready to use it. Then, we blitz it in the food processor and have instant zucchini flour.
Did you make zucchini flour? If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. Then snap a photo of how you use your zucchini flour and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!
How to Store Zucchini Flour
Keeping your homemade zucchini flour in an airtight container will preserve its fresh and fluffy texture.
I like to use a clean glass jar with an oxygen absorber. Use a jar sealer to remove as much oxygen as possible for long-term storage. For dehydrated zucchini flour, store it for up to six months in a cool place away from light. For freeze-dried zucchini flour, store for up to 20+ years, remembering to reseal the jar after each time you open it.
FAQ
Zucchini flour is made by drying and grinding fresh zucchini into a fine powder. It’s a gluten-free flour perfect for baking. You can use it in many recipes, like breads, muffins, cakes, and cookies.
Zucchini flour tastes mild and slightly earthy. It doesn’t overpower other flavors, and you probably won’t notice a difference in your recipes. This makes it great for adding moisture and texture to baked goods.
Keep zucchini flour fresh by storing it correctly. Use an airtight container, like a Mason jar, add an oxygen absorber and vacuum seal the lid. This will help keep the zucchini flour fresh.
Zucchini flour is really versatile in baking. Use it in breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, and even fried foods. Substitute up to half of regular wheat flour or use it as the main flour for gluten-free, keto, or low-carb recipes.
The amount of zucchini flour from fresh zucchini depends on the size and moisture. Generally, 1 pound of zucchini makes about 1/2 to 1 cup of zucchini flour. Remember this when planning your recipes and gathering ingredients.
Zucchini flour stands out in gluten-free baking. It’s lighter in taste and texture than coconut or almond flour. It also adds moisture and nutrition to your recipes.
Other Articles You May Enjoy
- Delicious & Moist Zucchini Cake Recipe
- Zucchini Blossoms Recipe
- Quick & Easy Zucchini Pickles
- Baking with Freshly Milled Flour (Home Flour Milling)
- Best Flour for Gluten-Free Sourdough
- Best Gluten-Free Bread Recipe
Zucchini Flour
Equipment
- knife
- Cheese Grater Or food processor w/ shredder attachment
- Dehydrator or Freeze Dryer
- Food Processor Or high-powered blender
- Mason Jar & Lid
- Vacuum Sealer
- Oxygen Absorber
Ingredients
- zucchini amounts vary
Instructions
Zucchini Prep:
- Start by washing and drying your fresh zucchini.
- Using a knife, cut open the zucchini and remove the seeds. Homesteading Hack: Seeds can take a lot of extra drying time. To avoid seeds that haven’t completely dried, we like to remove them first.
- Shred the zucchini with a cheese grater or shredder attachment on your food processor, and squeeze out excess liquid.
Dehydrator Method:
- Spread the shredded zucchini on dehydrator trays in a thin layer. This helps moisture evaporate well during drying.
- Dehydrate the zucchini at 135°F for 8-12 hours until it’s completely dry and crisp. This step is key to removing moisture and making fine zucchini flour.
- Once the zucchini is dry, put it in a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until you get a fine, consistent powder. You now have zucchini flour.
Freeze Dryer Method:
- Place the shredded zucchini on the freeze-dryer trays in a thin layer.
- Pre-freeze zucchini on trays for 24 hours.
- Once zucchini is completely frozen, place the freeze-dryer trays into the freeze-dryer and shut the door.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your freeze-dryer. If using a Harvest Right model, select Start > Liquid > Frozen> Continue.
- Depending on the moisture level and humidity, this process can take an average of 24 hours. Feel free to add an hour or two of drying time as needed.
- Once the zucchini is dry and feels brittle to the touch (it should not feel cold at all), remove it from the freezer and put it in a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until you get a fine, consistent flour.