This is my favorite zucchini bread recipe! It’s so tender and moist thanks to a pound of grated zucchini mixed into our perfectly sweetened batter. If anything can coax us to turn on our oven in the middle of summer, it’s this recipe!
I love baking with zucchini. Like carrots in carrot cake or bananas in banana bread, zucchini guarantees moist and tender baked goods. This zucchini bread uses one pound of shredded zucchini, and it’s so delicious.
I love spreading honey butter or homemade peanut butter on my zucchini bread. Save this recipe for when you have extra zucchini to use up. You’ll be so glad you did! For a chocolate version, see our chocolate zucchini bread recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Zucchini: My zucchini bread is incredibly moist, thanks to a whole pound of zucchini. I used green and yellow zucchini in my photos for a pretty look, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Butter and Oil: I love the flavor butter adds to this zucchini bread, just like in my banana bread recipe. I also add a little oil for extra moisture.
- Flour: I typically use all-purpose flour, but feel free to swap some or all of it for whole wheat flour if you prefer.
- Sugar: I use a combination of granulated and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds a bit more moisture and depth of flavor.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: The primary leavening agent in this recipe is baking soda, which reacts with the brown sugar. I also add a little baking powder for extra lift.
- Eggs add structure and flavor to the bread. If you don’t eat eggs, try substituting two flax eggs.
- Vanilla, Cinnamon, and Salt: These ingredients enhance the flavor of the bread and make it even more delicious!
- Almonds and Almond Extract: While optional, sliced almonds and almond extract add a lovely flavor and texture to the bread.
How to Make The Best Zucchini Bread
After baking zucchini bread using other recipes, I occasionally had a soggy patch of zucchini in the middle. So, I’ve added a simple step to my recipe to solve this issue.
Before preparing the batter, I grate the zucchini and toss it in a colander with a tablespoon of sugar.
The sugar helps draw out excess moisture from the zucchini, and giving it an extra squeeze before adding it to the batter removes even more. This additional step guarantees that my zucchini bread stays moist without soggy patches.
The batter comes together quickly and doesn’t require any special equipment. A whisk and spatula are all you need. Remember, zucchini bread is quick bread, so I treat it like muffins or pancakes, avoiding overmixing to prevent the bread from becoming dense and heavy.
I bake my zucchini bread in a 375ºF oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out with only a few small, moist crumbs. Then, I allow it to cool in the pan for a bit before transferring to a wire rack. I love this zucchini bread recipe, and I can’t wait for you to give it a try.
Easy Zucchini Bread
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I absolutely love this zucchini bread recipe! It’s light, moist, and incredibly tender. Thanks to my simple trick of tossing the zucchini with a bit of sugar beforehand, you’ll enjoy perfectly moist bread without any soggy spots. For this easy recipe, feel free to use green zucchini, yellow zucchini, or even summer squash.
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) zucchini (2 medium zucchini)
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for zucchini
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract, optional
2/3 cup (65g) sliced almonds, optional
Directions
1Center a rack in the oven and heat to 375ºF (190ºC). Butter an 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pan and dust it with flour. You can also butter and line it with parchment paper (leaving an inch or two hanging over two sides makes it easy to remove after baking).
2Trim the stem ends of the zucchini, then grate using the largest holes on a box grater or the largest grating disk from a food processor.
3Transfer the grated zucchini to a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon sugar. Rest the colander over a bowl to catch the excess liquid that drains from the zucchini. Set aside for 20 minutes.
4Melt the butter in a medium bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each egg. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
5Squeeze the zucchini by hand to thoroughly wring out any excess moisture, then fluff it up a little so it is not in big clumps. (Discard the liquid.) Stir the zucchini into the wet ingredients.
6Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
7Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring between each addition. Stir in almonds (I like to save a handful of almonds to sprinkle on the tops of the zucchini loaf before baking).
8Spoon the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Scatter the reserved almonds over the top, then bake until a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, 45 to 65 minutes.
9After 35 minutes in the oven, check the bread and almonds for color. If browning too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil.
10Cool the zucchini bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn it onto the rack to finish cooling.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Place into an airtight container and store at room temperature for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Baking tip: Place the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on top of two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other. This helps even baking and makes getting the loaf pan into and out of the oven easy.
- Make banana zucchini bread: Add 1 very ripe banana to the wet ingredients before mixing with the dry ingredients. Heavily speckled or even black bananas are best.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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I forgot the vegetable oil and it’s almost done. I do not see it in the directions or I just have missed it. I hope it turns out. I don’t really bake often. Thanks for the recipe!
Baked this bread last night. It is delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I always prefer muffins over loaves! Would they still turn out ok? If so what would be the baking time. Thanks!
Just made your zucchini spaghetti with sauce. The recipe was fast,easy and delicious. thank you
This is absolutely the best zucchini bread I’ve ever had. Loved the almond flavor. It’s not very sweet, though I might reduce the sugar a bit more. Thank you for sharing this with the world. =)
Hi Joanne, Possible to add a video to this fabulous recipe.
Hi Catherine, It’s on our list! Thanks so much for your support.
This bread is amazing! It was my first time making zucchini bread, and I followed the recipe exact, except I added some chocolate chips. Amazing! My kids love it too. Thank you!
I have this in my oven now, and it looks and smells fantastic! I put a few tbsp of chia seeds in with my zucchini after I wrung it out. The chia absorbs liquid and then gels, so I think it’ll help if my arthritic hands didn’t get enough liquid out. A few chocolate chips added for the grandkids, and I’m looking forward to enjoying this with them. Thank you for the recipe!
Chia seeds sound like a wonderful idea. Will try it next time.
Do you think i can use another kind of flour to make this zucchini bread gluten free?
Hi Andrea, While we have not tried it ourselves, you could try a gluten-free mix (I know King Arthur Flour has one).