Reading · Nest Wellness by Beth Bollinger

This week’s recipe is free for everyone, thanks to Pique’s sponsorship. Just so you know, I only ever partner with companies whose products I already use and love🧡

I truly love our paid subscriber chat. I know a lot of writers don’t offer this chat feature, but I really think they should! It is the place where we share ingredient swaps, celebrate health wins, struggles, recipe requests, and so much more. It was in this chat that readers started sharing they have an abundance of zucchini, so I've been sharing favorite zucchini recipes: these lentil zucchini patties, these pizza boats, and zucchini muffins. On Monday, I asked what else you wanted:

moist and yummy better for you zucchini cake

I always love a healthier-for-you cake, so I decided to tackle the zucchini olive oil cake with lemon glaze, inspired by Gina DePalma. My love of transforming cakes into healthier treats has a long history, and you can read about the evolution of my healthy carrot cake here.

This gluten-free, naturally sweetened cake delivers all the flavor of traditional zucchini cake while using more nutrient-dense ingredients. It's perfect for special occasions, a summer brunch, or as a wholesome treat!

This olive oil zucchini cake isn't just delicious—it's packed with nutrients that support your metabolic health. Take a look at the impressive nutritional profile of each ingredient: This cake leans on the same combination that makes every Nest Wellness recipe work: healthy fat, real fiber, and real protein, built right into the batter alongside the sweetness.

Almond flour is the backbone of this cake — rich in vitamin E, magnesium, and monounsaturated fat, with a real protein contribution and a naturally low glycemic impact. Coconut flour adds concentrated fiber to the mix, which is part of why this cake behaves so differently in your body than a traditional flour-based zucchini bread or cake would.

Eggs provide complete protein with all nine essential amino acids, plus choline for brain health. The pecans or walnuts add healthy fat, fiber, and — if you choose walnuts specifically — a real dose of plant-based omega-3s. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat and polyphenols, the same oil behind so much of the research on Mediterranean-diet heart health.

Zucchini brings genuine moisture and volume to this cake with very little impact on glucose, plus a contribution of potassium and vitamin C. And cinnamon isn’t just for flavor — there’s research suggesting it may support insulin sensitivity, which makes it a natural fit in a cake built around blood sugar stability.

There is maple syrup in this batter, and I still get a lovely, level glucose response from it — because of everything above. The healthy fat from the olive oil, nuts, and almond flour slows things down, the fiber from the coconut flour and zucchini blunts the curve, and the complete protein from the eggs steadies the whole thing. I tested this cake on my own CGM across all four rounds of development, and each time, the response was the same: a gentle, rolling rise rather than a sharp spike, with a smooth return to baseline. This is what I mean when I say a baked good can support your metabolic health because of how it’s built.

This recipe represents a metabolic upgrade from traditional zucchini cake by:

Replacing refined flour with nutrient-dense, lower-glycemic alternatives
Using natural sweeteners in moderate amounts
Incorporating healthy fats that slow sugar absorption and provide satiety
Nutrient dense whole food ingredients that provide vitamins and minerals often missing in conventional desserts

join me in my metabolic kitchen

Inspired by Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma

Gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free

Makes: One 9-inch round cake | Serves: 10

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45-50 minutes | Total Time: about 1 hour 10 minutes

Mixing bowls (2)
Measuring cups and spoons
Liquid measuring cup
9.45 inch round savarin pan (like a giant donut)
Food processor or blender (for chopping nuts)
Box grater or food processor (for shredding zucchini)
lemon juicer
pastry brush for glazing

1 cup (135g) chopped walnuts or pecans (toasting optional)
2 cups (205g) almond flour
1/2 cup (54g) coconut flour
2 tbsp (16g) arrowroot
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
4 eggs
2/3 cup (160ml) maple syrup
2/3 cup (160ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups (330g) grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)

6 tbsp (50g) powdered monk fruit sweetener
2 tbsp (30ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9.45-inch tube cake pan or savarin mold with butter, dust with coconut flour, then tap out any excess. Alternatively, bake in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

what the chopped nuts should look like, my buttered and coconut flour dusted savarin pan
Pulse the nuts in a food processor until finely chopped, stopping before they turn to flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the eggs, maple syrup, and olive oil together until light and fluffy. Stop and scrape down the sides, then add the vanilla.
Mix in the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides to make sure everything is well combined.
Stir in the chopped nuts and zucchini. I don’t squeeze my zucchini, but if yours seems particularly wet, use a clean dish towel to squeeze out any extra moisture.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, the cake is golden brown, and it has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan. Do not underbake this cake.
During the last few minutes of baking, make the glaze by whisking together the lemon juice and powdered monk fruit sweetener.
Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack or cake stand. Brush the glaze over the cake with a pastry brush, or pour it evenly, letting it drip down the sides. Tastes great served warm, or room temperature!

the baked cake comes just over the top of the pan

Pack the measuring cups when measuring grated zucchini - they add essential moisture. I did not squeeze the moisture out of my zucchini, but if yours is wet, squeeze dry using a clean kitchen towel.
Grease the pan well — this is the step most likely to determine whether your cake comes out cleanly. A non-stick pan still benefits from a butter-and-flour coating.
Don’t underbake. Look for all three signs together: a clean toothpick, golden color, and the cake beginning to pull away from the pan’s edges.
Invert carefully: lay the cooling rack or cake stand directly over the pan, hold both together, and flip in one motion. Wear oven mitts if the pan is still hot.
Cake can be made ahead and frozen unfrosted for up to 3 months
Glaze the cake while it’s still warm — this helps the glaze soak in slightly rather than just sitting on top.
The glazed, finished cake will stay moist and tasty, wrapped and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days (we have been enjoying zucchini cake for breakfast with a dish of yogurt + No Oats all week!)

My breakfast this week: Greek yogurt, No Oats, a scoop of goat whey and a slice of zucchini cake. Always a matcha with creatine and collagen.

Pecans or walnuts → for a nut-free version, swap in pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, pulsed the same way
Almond flour → cashew flour, pumpkin seed flour, sunflower seed flour
Coconut flour → plain or vanilla protein powder
Arrowroot → tapioca starch or cornstarch
Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg → swap all three for 3 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, if you have it on hand
Eggs → I haven’t tested this one egg-free, but based on how my other grain-free cakes behave, expect a denser, more pudding-like result rather than a light crumb if you use “flax” eggs
Maple syrup → monk fruit syrup or allulose syrup, to keep this lower carb and suitable for keto
Extra virgin olive oil → melted coconut oil or avocado oil both work beautifully here
Vanilla → almond extract, for a slightly different but lovely flavor note
Zucchini → yellow summer squash works just as well, prepared the same way
Powdered monk fruit sweetener (glaze) → powdered allulose will be runnier and will not dry white but also keeps the carb count low and blood sugar steady
Lemon juice (glaze) → fresh orange juice, for a warmer, less tart glaze
Tube or savarin pan → a standard loaf pan

This week’s recipe is free for everyone, thanks to Pique’s sponsorship🧡 I don’t get much of an afternoon energy dip myself, and I don’t drink coffee — but I know a lot of you do reach for that second cup around 2 or 3pm, so when Pique asked me to try their brand-new X·E Fountain, I was curious for a different reason: real hydration. It’s a caffeine-free electrolyte built with a Vitamin B complex, magnesium malate and taurate, and a genuine hydration blend — not just flavored water. I’ve been reaching for it on hot days, before workouts, and while traveling, and the cucumber, celery, and lime flavor is wonderfully crisp and refreshing. If afternoon energy is something you struggle with, this is caffeine-free support worth knowing about. Pique is offering 15% off, plus a 90-day money-back guarantee.

15% off for life

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