Packed with the goodness of honey, zucchini, sunflower seeds, eggs, and whole wheat flour – and topped with a drippy sunflower butter glaze. This bread is a satisfying snack or a healthy way to start the day.
Do you know which state your food comes from?
The kids and I just finished driving the 1,300 miles from Montana where my parents live – to St. Louis area where we lived. All along the way, we were rewarded with seeing where lots of our food is grown: In Montana, we saw golden wheat that goes into our whole grain bread. There were fields of yellow-blooming canola – for canola oil – in South Dakota. We saw lots of beef cattle in Wyoming. But I think our favorite was driving past the bright yellow and green fields of sunflowers in South Dakota. I told the kids:
Look! That’s where those sunflower seeds came from that you like at snacktime.
They thought that was pretty cool. (However, truthfully, there was no jumping up and down – as they’d been sitting in the car for four long hours!)
Sunflowers growing in my garden!
When we got home – just for fun – I asked my 11-year-old if she could find the exact town where our package of sunflowers was produced: Clark, South Dakota.
And… I asked if she could find the sunflower seeds’ town of origin on a real paper map – you know the kind that unfolds.
My mom had given her the map to follow along as we drove cross-country. (I thought she’d lose interest; but she didn’t!) She actually followed along on the map as we drove from Billings, Montana to St. Louis.
Then she found Clark, South Dakota on the map – where our bag of sunflower seeds was grown. And she did think that was cool.
We decided to make something out of the sunflower seeds we’d seen growing – along with all the zucchini my dad packed into our car as we left Montana. Quick and delicious for back to school breakfasts: Sunflower Seed Zucchini Bread with Sunflower Butter Glaze via @TspCurry Click To Tweet
Here’s how I made this Sunflower Seed Zucchini Bread with Sunflower Butter Glaze a bit healthier than the typical oil- and sugar- laden zucchini bread:
- Whole wheat flour – To replace some of the all-purpose flour. I like the regular brown stuff for nutty taste.
- LOTS of zucchini – Most recipes contain only about 1 1/2 cups per loaf. This has 2 full cups.
- Sunflower seeds – Rich in vitamin E, magnesium, vitamin B-6 and folate, with trace amounts of iron.
- Less sugar and less oil – I cut the typical amount of sugar in HALF and the amount of oil by even more.
Sunflower Seed Zucchini Bread with Sunflower Butter Glaze
Packed with the goodness of honey, zucchini, sunflower seeds, eggs, and whole wheat flour – and topped with a drippy sunflower butter glaze. This bread is a satisfying snack or a healthy way to start the day.
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (or more cinnamon)
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 cups shredded zucchini (16 ounces)
- 1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds, divided
- 1/4 cup sunflower butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice; mix welll with a fork.
- In another large bowl, combine eggs, oil and vanilla; stir in sugar and honey until well mixed. Add zucchini; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Remove 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds and set aside; stir remaining sunflower seeds into batter.
- Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray and lined on the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
- To make glaze, stir reserved sunflower seeds into sunflower butter and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Warm sunflower butter in microwave for about 15 seconds on medium power – or until runny enough to drizzle over bread. Drizzle glaze over bread.
How do you like to use sunflower seeds? Did you see how any food was grown/produced on your summer vacation?
Love the flavor of sunflower seeds, and I bet they taste delicious in this bread!
I LOVE zucchini bread! Love that this is made with sun butter 🙂
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This was the cutest story…and great idea to help kids understand that food doesn’t come from a package!! I’m obsessed with sunflower seeds AND zucchini, so I can’t wait to try this bread – looks delish 🙂
I loved reading this! And that recipe… how have I never used sunflower seeds in zucchini bread before?!
I love this story, and that kids are still encouraged to read maps! It’s a lost art. 🙂 I also love the geography lesson…almost as much as I love the state of Montana itself, where, when I lived there, saw canola fields growing nearby. In keeping with my lovefest, I will confess I LOVE zucchini bread and can’t wait to try this version of it! 🙂
Mmmm! Love the ingredient list, the flavors sound delicious and nutritious!
What a fabulous trip and I love how you encouraged your kids to learn more about where their food comes from! We saw a lot of food growing {bananas, mango, cashew nuts-SO COOL!, and more} on our trip to St Lucia, but I’d love my kids to learn more about all the farms and agriculture here in Southern California. Having been to Montana this past winter to go skiing, I can’t wait to go back in the summer-it’s SO beautiful there!
Oh, yes! I’m a sunflower seed butter addict and have some sunflower seeds in my fridge now so I can make some of my own. I’ve got to try this recipe. I LOVE zucchini! 🙂
Definitely making this recipe…. sounds delicious. Taking a road trip later this summer and will make a point to scout out local fields along the way. Thanks, ladies!
I’m trying to cut down on meat and I’m in search for healthier protein alternatives. Reading up on sunflower seeds it seems they are an excellent way of adding both crunch, flavor and protein. This recipe is only one of the many wonderful recipes I have found today. Thanks 🙂
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