This moist and tender zucchini bread recipe transforms garden-fresh vegetables into a delightful homemade treat. In just over an hour, you’ll create a perfectly sweet loaf that packs wholesome nutrition – including vitamins A and C – while keeping fat content surprisingly low at just 2g per serving.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or trying this classic for the first time, the 15-minute prep makes it an effortless choice for busy home cooks.
Ingredients for Perfect Zucchini Bread
- Sugars: 1 cup each of granulated and light brown sugar, creating perfect sweetness balance
- Oil: 1 cup vegetable or canola oil, ensures moisture-rich texture
- Eggs: 3 large eggs, room temperature recommended for better binding
- Zucchini: 2 cups grated, with peel for added nutrition
- Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons for wonderful aroma
- Dry Base: 3 cups all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder
- Spice: 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon for warm flavor
- Optional Mix-ins: 3/4 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep: Heat oven to 325°F and prepare two 8×4″ bread pans with parchment and light spray
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Combine sugars and oil, then blend in eggs and vanilla until smooth
- Zucchini Prep: Grate zucchini using light pressure, gently squeeze out excess moisture
- Combine: Mix dry ingredients separately, then fold into wet mixture until just combined
- Bake: Pour into pans and bake 50-60 minutes, test with toothpick for doneness
- Cool: Rest 10 minutes in pan, then transfer to cooling rack
Cooking Techniques
The secret to perfect zucchini bread lies in how you prep your zucchini! Keep the peel on while grating – it adds lovely green specks and extra nutrients. When you grate, use light pressure on your box grater’s large holes.
This creates perfect shreds that bake beautifully into your bread. After grating, pat the zucchini gently with paper towels – you want to remove some moisture, but not squeeze it completely dry. A little moisture helps keep your bread wonderfully soft!
Variations
This zucchini bread recipe welcomes so many tasty add-ins! While nuts or chocolate chips are classic choices, try these fun mix-ins:
- Dried cranberries and white chocolate chips
- Shredded coconut and chopped pecans
- Orange zest and dark chocolate chunks
- Raisins and walnuts
You can also make this recipe into muffins – just reduce the baking time to about 20-25 minutes.
Storage Tips
Your zucchini bread will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days when wrapped well in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. Want to keep it longer? Pop it in the fridge for up to a week! This bread also freezes beautifully – wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Let it thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy it again. For the freshest taste, warm each slice slightly before serving.
Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- 8×4 inch bread pans
- Box grater
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup oil vegetable or canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups grated zucchinis
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 8×4” bread pans a piece of parchment paper, and spray the pans lightly with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Grate the entire zucchini (peel on) on the large holes of a box grater, using light pressure. Use a paper towel to gently squeeze some of the moisture out, then lightly measure it into measuring cups (don’t pack down).
- In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 50 minutes to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. (If the loaves are browning too much on top during baking, tent a piece of foil over top until they’re finished baking).
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
