As a kid, I had a serious issue with all things green and healthy. No matter how the vegetables were prepared, I could never seem to get with the program. My mother spent years serving me turnip, mustard and collard greens just for me to decide that I hated them all. And honestly, I still kinda do.
But, unfortunately, we all know how important greens are to a healthy, well-balanced diet. So, instead of forcing myself to eat icky, tasteless veggies, I’ve developed recipes that allow me to enjoy nourishing foods and eat my cake too. That folks, is how I discovered Zucchini Bread! Made with fresh grated zucchini and a few other simple ingredients, this recipe is destined to change your life for the better. Believe me, it changed mine!
WHAT IS ZUCCHINI BREAD?
If you’ve never had Zucchini Bread before it can seem quite strange. I mean, who wants bread filled with vegetables? Well, I do and you will too! This recipe is very similar to that of a banana bread except it uses zucchini for a earthier, fresher flavor profile. Zucchini is made up of 95% water; it adds an incredible amount of moisture to this bread.
Moist and lightly-spiced, Zucchini Bread makes for a deliciously simple breakfast, snack or even dessert!
HOW TO MAKE ZUCCHINI BREAD
There are a lot of things to love about this recipe but its best feature is its moistness. Soft and tender, this Zucchini Bread literally melts in your mouth! Each bite is reminiscent of a cake, but not quite the same. Once you’ve had a slice, there’s no going back.
This is all you’ll need:
- Grated Zucchini – zucchini has a mild, slightly-sweet yet slightly bitter flavor. When cooked, this rich, moist summer squash releases water and becomes sweeter. Look for 6-8 inch, relatively thin zucchini with dark green, smooth skin.
- Vegetable Oil– oil is responsible for that crisp top and that melt-in-your-mouth inner texture. Feel free to use any neutral-flavored oil.
- Sugar– this bread isn’t meant to be very sweet; if it’s too sweet, the zucchini can’t be tasted. Just a bit of sugar sweetens the bread while also drawing out zucchini’s natural sugar.
- Eggs– eggs provide structure and help bind the ingredients together. Eggs also act as an emulsifier that makes for a smoother batter.
- Baking Powder & Soda– both act together to leaven the bread and neutralize acid for a moister result.
- Salt– salt draws out moisture from the zucchini and balances out flavor.
- Ground Cinnamon– woodsy, earthy and warm, cinnamon is a perfect addition to this bread. Spice just adds that much-needed kick.
- All-Purpose Flour– flour is the base to any bread! Be sure to measure properly and you’re golden.
LEFTOVER STORAGE
This Zucchini Bread recipe should keep for at least 2-3 days at room temperature. Be sure to either wrap the loaf tightly or store it in an airtight container, so it doesn’t go stale. If your bread lasts longer than 3 days (it never does in my house), move it into the refrigerator for a couple extra days or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or let sit out at room temperature for about an hour.
BREAD RECIPES
And if you are looking for some more quick breads to try, here are a few of my favorites that can be thrown together quite quickly but taste amazing!
Brown Butter Honey Child Cornbread
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 /2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup grated zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare loaf pan with non-stick baking spray then add parchment paper with flaps to the side to easily remove loaf once baked.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, ground cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat egg and egg yolk on high speed then add in granulated sugar and beat for 4 minutes.
- Next slow down mixer to slow speed and add flour mixture then vegetable oil and grated zucchini. Mix until combined. The batter is super thick but this is ok.
- Add batter to loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Cool completely and serve.
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Sooo moist! I used yellow squash instead of zucchini because that’s what needed using up, and it’s analogous to a blondie! 🙂
This was a huge hit! Made 2 loaves and they were gone in a day or two! Best zucchini bread recipe I’ve found.
I made this cake a couple of days ago. It’s wonderful! Very light and refreshing. I used the parchment paper but I think I will just spray the pan next time.
It doesn’t say what size loaf pan. Will 9 by 5 work?
Yes thats just fine
It is zucchini season for sure! This bread came out nice and light. Thanks!
That is such a beautiful zucchini bread. Looks so moist and tender. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.
This bread turned out amazing! We love it here at the house! I will definitely be making this again! Can’t wait!
Absolutely delicious – this recipe is incredible. So flavoursome, simple to prepare and the texture of the bread is superb.
Zucchini bread is sooo underrated. I love how incredibly delicious this turned out to be! Thanks for the tip on leftover storage! Though leftovers never last long, it’s good to know just in case haha.
This bread is delicious! It is so moist and flavorful! I doubled it to get two days’ worth of breakfasts out of it. I will definitely be making this again!
I think I may add a bit more baking soda next time due to my oven. It did not rise as I expected. An easy to follow recipe.