This Zucchini Bread is moist, light, and fluffy. It’s loaded with real zucchini — but you wouldn’t even know it because you can’t taste it! It adds moisture and nutrients to this delicious snack. Plus, this veggie loaf is quick and easy to make in just 10 minutes of prep.
It’s my favorite way to use up all that zucchini from my vegetable garden. Plus, you can easily double or triple the recipe to make multiple loaves and freeze them to enjoy for months to come.
Why You’ll Love Zucchini Bread
- Loaded with zucchini. This loaf cake is a great way to sneak in some veggies — a whopping 2 cups of zucchini. After all, zucchini is a superfood that adds vitamins A, B, K, and C, protein, potassium, folate, and fiber to this loaf. All these nutrients promotes heart health, lowers high blood pressure, and helps manage cholesterol.
- It’s an end of summer go-to. If you grow your own vegetable garden, or if you keep an eye on seasonal produce, then you know how abundant zucchini is. Every year we get a ridiculous amount of zucchini from our garden and we love using it in our baking like in Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins and Chocolate Zucchini Cake.
- It’s moist and delicious. If you’re a fan of baking, you know that fresh vegetables like zucchini, pumpkin, or carrots have the potential to transform the texture and moisture of baked goods (like in Pumpkin Bread and Spiced Carrot Muffins). Grated zucchini adds a nice density and moisture without sacrificing fluffiness or texture. It’s the best!
- Great for meal prep. Zucchini bread is a great to meal prep to set you up for the week with breakfast on-the-go, healthy snacks for your kid's lunchbox, or as a dessert to enjoy after a light summer dinner.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this easy Zucchini Bread, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- zucchini - I recommend using smaller zucchini versus larger ones because they have more moisture. Also, if the zucchini has seeds, remove them first. The seeds can make the muffins slightly bitter. Then, grate or shred the zucchini using a box grater or food processor and use a paper towel to lightly blot them to dry a little.
- nuts - chopped walnuts or pecans go really well in this loaf cake. But you can leave them out if you want.
- all-purpose flour - when measuring the flour, use a spoon to fill the measuring cup and then use a flat spatula or the back of a butter knife to level it. I actually recommend using a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurements.
- sugar - feel free to substitute with brown sugar.
- baking powder + soda
- ground cinnamon
- salt
- vegetable oil - you can use any vegetable oil such as avocado oil or melted coconut oil. You can use melted butter instead of for a more buttery flavor.
- milk
- eggs
- vanilla extract
You can also customize this zucchini bread by adding in up to 1 cup of chocolate chips or dried cranberries.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, and a 9x5-inch loaf pan (1 pound loaf pan).
How to Make the Best Zucchini Bread
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients including flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together until evenly distributed.
- Add zucchini. Add zucchini and walnuts and mix well until evenly combined.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients including oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk well until smooth.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and use a spatula to mix together until just combined and no dry ingredients are visible. Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing will make the bread denser and firmer.
- Pour into pan. Lightly grease a 9x5-inch pan (1 pound loaf pan) with some cooking oil or butter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake. Bake in a 350F preheated oven for 55-60 minutes on the middle rack until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Rest and serve. Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then invert to remove the loaf. Place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.
How to Serve
Serve zucchini bread is delicious served warm, at room temperature, or cold. I like serving it with tea or coffee. Try it with:
Storing Instructions
- How to store: Zucchini bread is best kept at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil for up to 2-3 days. This will keep it fresh and moist. You can also store zucchini bread longer in the refrigerator. Allow it to cool to room temperature first, then cover tightly with plastic cling wrap to retain moisture. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- How to freeze: Once cooled to room temperature, wrap the whole zucchini bread (or individual slices) in plastic cling wrap and place into a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw frozen zucchini bread by transferring it into the refrigerator overnight.
- How to reheat: If you’d like to reheat your zucchini bread, place the slices you want into the microwave and heat in 20 second increments until warmed through.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Zucchini Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Zucchini Bites
- Zucchini Fritters
- Baked Zucchini with Marinara
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
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Recipe
Zucchini Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This easy Zucchini Bread is moist, light, and fluffy. It’s loaded with real zucchini — but you wouldn’t even know it because you can’t taste it! So good.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded zucchini (about 300 grams)
- ½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
- ½ cup vegetable oil (about 100 grams)
- ⅓ cup milk, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Lightly grease a 9x5-inch pan (1 lb. loaf pan) with some cooking oil or butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients including flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together until evenly distributed.
- Add zucchini and walnuts and mix well until evenly combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients including oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk well until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and use a spatula to mix together until just combined and no dry ingredients are visible. Do not overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes on the middle rack until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then invert to remove the loaf. Place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
How to store: Zucchini bread is best kept at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil for up to 2-3 days. This will keep it fresh and moist. You can also store zucchini bread longer in the refrigerator. Allow it to cool to room temperature first, then cover tightly with plastic cling wrap to retain moisture. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
How to freeze: Once cooled to room temperature, wrap the whole zucchini bread (or individual slices) in plastic cling wrap and place into a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw frozen zucchini bread by transferring it into the refrigerator overnight.
How to reheat: If you’d like to reheat your zucchini bread, place the slices you want into the microwave and heat in 20 second increments until warmed through.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Cake
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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