Delicious and Easy Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Bread is a great way to sneak some veggies into your snacking. This thick, moist bread comes together easily and is filled with warm spices and cinnamon flavor.
Zucchini Bread recipe is one of those dishes that doesn’t sound appealing, but once you’ve tried it, none of your initial concerns matter. Yes, it is filled with zucchini, but the flavor is all warm spices and comfort food.
The texture of zucchini bread is similar to that of banana bread or this Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting. Just like bananas, zucchini does the job of holding onto moisture as well as binding the ingredients to create a thick, moist bread with the perfect amount of chew.
Inspiration for This Recipe
This specific Zucchini Bread Recipe comes from my friend Emma’s late mother. As a way to honor her mom, Emma gave me her mom’s iconic recipe for Zucchini Bread so that I could share it with all of you (along with her recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Toast).
After a miswritten ingredient in the recipe led to some (ahem… 4) failed attempts, we FINALLY figured out the problem! The version here has some adjustments made from the original recipe to keep the center of the bread from sinking.
I have posted a photo of the original recipe as well so that anyone looking for the inspiration can try it as it was written (substituting 2 TEASPOONS of baking soda instead of tablespoons haha).
Now that we’ve finally perfected the recipe, I can’t wait for you to try it! You’re going to love it!
Why Make This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Zucchini Bread is a great choice for those who are newer to baking. The ingredients come together quickly and you don’t have to do any fancy kneading or rising. It’s a mix, dump and bake kind of recipe.
- Get Some Veggies: I’m not going to say this zucchini bread recipe is healthy but it is a great way to use up zucchini which tend to grow in excess during the summer months and if you’ve got a picky eater it’s a great way to sneak some vegetables into their diet.
- Customizable: This zucchini bread recipe is great on its own but it’s also easy to make it your own. Add blueberries, cranberries, chocolate chips (to make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread) or walnuts.
Ingredients for Zucchini Bread
- All Purpose Flour: You can substitute 1:1 Gluten Free flour if desired.
- Granulated Sugar
- Spices: Cinnamon & Nutmeg
- Eggs
- Grated Zucchini: You want to finely grate your zucchini. This recipe calls for 3 cups of grated zucchini and depending on the size of your zucchini that’s about 3 or 4 of them. You can make this same recipe with yellow summer squash, striped zucchini or yellow zucchini. Just be aware that other types of squash may have larger seeds that you would want to remove.
- Vegetable Oil
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice helps balance out the flavors
- Pecans: Pecans are optional in this recipe. You could leave them out completely or replace them with walnuts, chocolate chips or anything you like.
Tools
- Grater or Food Processor: You can grate zucchini easily by hand but if your food processor has a grating attachment it makes this job even faster.
- Two 9×5 Bread Pans
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Step Two: Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, zucchini, vegetable oil, and lemon juice.
Step Three: Combine and Bake
Use an electric hand mixer to combine the wet ingredients into the dry until well combined.
Use a wooden spoon to add in the (optional) nuts if desired.
Grease 2 (9”x5”x2”) glass loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.
Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on a cooling rack until room temperature, then turn the zucchini bread out of the pan. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- If your batter is too thick or you want a denser, moister bread, you can also add another grated zucchini into the batter. Some zucchini carry more water than others, which can affect the thickness of the batter.
- Try not to over mix. Over mixing the batter may make for a more dense bread.
- Give your zucchini bread recipe time to cool. The smell of warm cinnamon right out of the oven is very tempting but try to give your bread time to cool and solidify. If you try to cut into it too early it may fall apart and honestly it’s just not as enjoyable. As it cools the flavors become more pronounced.
FAQs
You can store zucchini bread recipe in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. You can also wrap it up in foil or plastic wrap.
Zucchini bread also freezes very well which makes it perfect for making ahead of time. Once cooled, wrap the zucchini in plastic wrap or foil and keep it in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.
You can enjoy a slice of zucchini bread recipe all by itself. It makes a great breakfast or afternoon snack when you want something a little sweet. You could also cover it in butter, jam, honey or your favorite nut butter.
If your zucchini bread recipe comes out a little bit gooey, you probably just didn’t cook it long enough. If you feel like the outside is cooking much faster than the inside, try covering the top with some tin foil and allowing it to cook a bit longer.
It is still possible to save your zucchini bread if you pulled it out before it was fully done. Heat your oven back to 350 and let your loaf cook for another 10 to 20 minutes. Be sure and check it every ten minutes for doneness with a toothpick test. If you insert a toothpick in the center of the loaf and it comes out with just a few moist crumbs, your bread is done.
You do not need to peel the zucchini before mixing into this batter. Zucchini skin is not tough and should bake just fine into the bread. It also leaves beautiful green flecks throughout the loaf!
- Brownie Recipe without Baking Powder
- No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
- Applesauce Cookies with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Easy and Delicious Zucchini Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Grater or Food Processor: You can grate zucchini easily by hand but if your food processor has a grating attachment it makes this job even faster.
- 2 9×5 Bread Pans
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups zucchini, finely grated
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup pecans, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, combine the 3 1/4 cup flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tsp nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl, combine 4 eggs, 3 cups zucchini, 1 cup vegetable oil, and 1 tsp lemon juice.
- Use an electric hand mixer to combine the wet ingredients into the dry until well combined.
- Use a wooden spoon to add in the (optional) nuts if desired.
- Grease 2 (9”x5”x2”) glass loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool on a cooling rack until room temperature, then turn the zucchini bread out of the pan. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If your batter is too thick or you want a denser, moister bread, you can also add another grated zucchini into the batter. Some zucchini carry more water than others, which can affect the thickness of the batter.
- All Purpose Flour: You can substitute 1:1 Gluten Free flour if desired.
- Grated Zucchini: You want to finely grate your zucchini. This recipe calls for 3 cups of grated zucchini and depending on the size of your zucchini that’s about 3 or 4 of them. You can make this same recipe with yellow summer squash, striped zucchini or yellow zucchini. Just be aware that other types of squash may have larger seeds that you would want to remove.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice helps balance out the flavors
- Pecans: Pecans are optional in this recipe. You could leave them out completely or replace them with walnuts, chocolate chips or anything you like.
- Try not to over mix. Over mixing the batter may make for a more dense bread.
- Give your bread time to cool. The smell of warm cinnamon right out of the oven is very tempting but try to give your bread time to cool and solidify. If you try to cut into it too early it may fall apart and honestly it’s just not as enjoyable. As it cools the flavors become more pronounced.
