Healthy Zucchini Oatmeal Snack Cake

Yields: 16 square slices

This just might be my all-time favorite snack! This healthy snack cake is full of zucchini and cozy spices, and its supremely moist texture makes it even more irresistible. It’s perfect for breakfast or a not-too-sweet dessert as well! Leftovers will keep for at least four days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they freeze well too!

5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

1 ½ cups (150g) Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Oats (gluten-free if needed and measured like this)
1 ¼ cups (150g) Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour or Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (measured like this)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
2 large egg whites (room temperature)
2 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
6 tbsp (90mL) pure maple syrup
½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
2 cups (180g) freshly grated zucchini (see Notes!)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg whites, and vanilla. Add in Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps of yogurt remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Alternate between adding the oat mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the oat mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the oat mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently stir in the zucchini.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 28-32 minutes or until the center feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing and serving.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will dry out your cake and give it a crumbly texture — especially the oats! They act like little sponges and soak up moisture from your cake batter.

IMPORTANT MIXING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to make the batter. This results in a gummy, chewy, rubbery, or tough cake. Use a whisk where explicitly instructed, and use a fork for everything else. (See the “Use a fork” header in the "How to Make the Best Zucchini Oatmeal Snack Cake" section above for more info!)

IMPORTANT BAKING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s important to let the cake cool completely to room temperature before slicing and serving. This is because the cake’s structure hasn’t fully set until it has fully cooled. Do not cut the cake while it’s still warm!

IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This cake isn’t overly sweet — and that’s intentional! It’s meant to have the sweetness level of breakfast bread, scones, or muffins. (It's not as sweet as a true "dessert" cake!) If you’d prefer a sweeter cake, then substitute an additional 2-4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for an equal amount of milk. (For example, use an extra 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for a total of ½ cup, and reduce the milk to 6 tablespoons.)

IMPORTANT ZUCCHINI NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Measure the zucchini before patting it dry. You must thoroughly pat it dry to remove the excess moisture because that excess moisture will prevent the snack cake from fully baking and cause the snack cake to collapse while cooling. To pat the zucchini dry, lay a double-thick layer of paper towels onto a cutting board, and arrange the freshly grated zucchini on top. Place another double-thick layer of paper towels on the zucchini, and firmly press down until the top towel layer turns completely wet. Continue to repeat with a fresh set of double thick paper towels on top until you can’t press any more moisture out of the zucchini.

Do NOT add more zucchini! Just like not thoroughly drying your zucchini, additional zucchini will also prevent the snack cake from fully baking and cause the snack cake to collapse while cooling.

OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Quick cooking oats are also known as "instant oats" or "one-minute oats." They're smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats, and they only contain one ingredient: oats. (You’ll also use them in all of these oatmeal cookie recipes and these snack cake recipes of mine, too!)

In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a blender or food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.

EGG WHITES NOTE: You must use both egg whites. The protein in the egg whites helps prevent your cake from collapsing while cooling. If you didn’t use all of the egg whites, your cake would sink some, especially in the center, and turn out pretty dense and somewhat soggy in texture. (But the flavors will remain the same!) If you prefer to use whole eggs, then use 2 whole eggs, and decrease the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.

SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Do not substitute sugar free maple syrup! It’ll make the cake collapse while cooling and turn out overly dense.

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Quick Cooking Oats and Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. Measure both with a kitchen scale or like this.

HOW TO STORE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last for at least four days (if not longer!). I highly recommend reheating individual slices in the microwave briefly before eating. I love what it does to their taste and texture!

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.