These dairy-free zucchini bars are kid tested and approved. They have a lightly cakey consistency but are a touch richer and denser than your typical sheet cake. They’re also iced with a quick cinnamon frosting that you can make thick or drizzly for a sweet finish.
Dairy-Free Zucchini Bars Iced with a Drizzly Cinnamon Frosting
This recipe was originally shared in the Detroit News, and posted here way back in 2006. But we’ve made some recipe updates and have some ingredient notes and tips.
- Flour Options: If you don’t mind a slightly denser treat, you can substitute part or all whole wheat flour for the all-purpose. Whole wheat pastry flour is my preferred whole grain flour for this recipe. For gluten-free, see the Special Diet Notes below.
- Butter Alternatives: Dairy-free buttery sticks (sometimes marketed as plant butter) are best for creaming, which adds cakey-ness to the texture. But most buttery spreads will work well in these zucchini bars. You can also substitute shortening, like Spectrum. Oil should also work well as a 1:1 substitute for the butter alternative, but it won’t “cream.” With shortening or oil, I would add another 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
- Mix It Up: For a twist, you can substitute shredded carrot for half of the zucchini. Or substitute raisins or dried cranberries for the coconut.
- Add Spice: There is warm cinnamon in the icing, but you can also add some to the zucchini bars themselves if you like. Mix 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with the flour mixture, as desired. If adding more cinnamon, I would skip the coconut. But that’s personal taste.
Special Diet Notes: Zucchini Bars
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and vegetarian. Just be sure to choose the butter alternative, milk alternative, and add-ins that suit your dietary needs.
For egg-free and vegan options, see our egg substitute guide.
For gluten-free dairy-free zucchini bars, you can try your favorite gluten-free flour blend. But I would use eggs, not an egg substitute. We have not tested a gluten-free version of these zucchini bars yet. Let us know if you do!
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup dairy-free buttery spread or sticks
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, or more if needed
- 1½ tablespoons melted dairy-free buttery spread or sticks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2½ tablespoons dairy-free milk beverage, or as needed
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a mixing bowl, cream the butter alternative, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the vanilla.
- Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Fold in the zucchini, coconut (if using), and nuts (if using).
- Spread the mixture evenly in your prepared pan.
- Bake the cake bars for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out smooth.
- Let the bars cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. They will be more crumbly when warm.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the powdered sugar, butter alternative, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth.
- Gradually mix in the milk beverage, as needed, to get your desired consistency. If it becomes too thin, mix in more powdered sugar.
- Spread frosting over warm or cooled bars.
More Dairy-Free Sweet Baked Bar Recipes
Brownie Bars
Pumpkin Spice Cake Bars
Lemon Bars
