Always popular, zucchini bread is one of the easiest recipes you can make. No mixer required! Enjoy this moist, flavorful quick bread recipe any time of the day. Customize it with your favorite nuts, spices or dried fruit.
In this recipe
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Zucchini bread is a must
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No need for a blender
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How to cook zucchini
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How to store and keep
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Swaps and Substitutions
I still remember the first time I was introduced to zucchini bread as a teenager. I had a hard time grasping the concept. Back then, zucchini was something my mom gave me to eat, not something you would bake into something sweet.
Shredded zucchini makes the moistest bread
Luckily, the way into my naturally resistant teenage mind to new foods was already paved with carrot cake. Heck, if you could make something this good out of carrots, why not zucchini?
After one bite I was sold forever. Shredded zucchini mixed into the batter adds moisture and tender texture to what is essentially a spice cake.
VIDEO: How to make zucchini bread
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zucchini bread
No need for a blender
This is a popular tried and true zucchini bread recipe. It couldn’t be easier; You don’t need a mixer!
It’s basically our zucchini muffin recipe in loaf pan. It’s a standard quick bread recipe that starts with shredded zucchini, about 3 to 4 cups of it. It’s pretty forgiving. Using 4 cups will result in a juicier and denser bread.
CONTINUE READING:
How to cook zucchini for the best zucchini bread
Grate the zucchini on a standard box grater. No need to peel!
Note that different zucchini can really vary in their moisture content, depending on whether they were garden-picked in season or store-bought out of season.
A tip I learned from my grandmother, if I’m shredding zucchini and it’s on the dry side, sprinkle water over it and then drain in a colander.
After grating, place the shredded zucchini in a colander over a bowl to drain excess moisture while you prep the other ingredients.
Walnuts and pecans are particularly good for zucchini bread, as are dried fruits. I like raisins or dried cranberries, but feel free to add shredded coconut or a handful of mini chocolate chips. A bit of orange zest would also work, or grated apples or carrots.
For a mashed pineapple version, try my Zucchini Pineapple Bread recipe.
How to store and keep zucchini bread
This bread will keep for several days at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. If you want to freeze it, first let it cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap, then wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
Frozen zucchini bread tastes best when eaten within 3 months. Defrost on the countertop, still wrapped, or in a low oven. (More freezing and thawing advice in this post.)
5 More Quick Breads You’ll Love
- Cranberry Orange Nut Bread
- banana bread
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- orange bread
- Pumpkin bread with chocolate chips
Swaps and Substitutions
Our readers have shared a plethora of ways they tailored this recipe. While we haven’t tested these substitutions ourselves, we wanted to highlight a few here in case you want to try them.
- Flour Options: Instead of some or all of the all-purpose flour, try whole wheat flour, gluten-free flour, or oatmeal. A reader remarked that she used white spelled flour with great success.
- Butter alternatives: Some readers used Earth Balance (a vegan butter alternative) instead of butter. Some have swapped applesauce for a helping of butter. Others replaced some or all of the butter with coconut, olive, or canola oil. Note that when substituting oil for butter in a baking recipe, you are using 3/4 the amount of oil that you would use for butter. Since this recipe calls for 3/4 cup butter, you would substitute it with just over 1/2 cup oil.
- Sweet swap: Some readers have swapped brown sugar for some of the granulated sugar. Others have used applesauce and honey to reduce refined sugar.
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Easy zucchini bread
Place the shredded zucchini in a colander over a bowl to drain excess moisture while you prepare the other ingredients.
You can use between 3 cups and 4 cups of freshly grated zucchini for this recipe; 4 cups makes a slightly denser, moister zucchini bread.
Don’t put flour in the cup when you measure it, or your bread will be too dense. Shake up the flour, scoop it in with a measuring cup, and then smooth it out with a flat knife.
ingredients
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3 to 4 cups grated fresh zucchini (310G to 425G)
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3/4 cup (170G) unsalted buttermelted, plus more for greasing the pans
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3 cups (390G) all purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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2 teaspoon Cinammon
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1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
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1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1 1/3 cup (270G) sugar
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2 big eggs, beaten
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2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/4 teaspoon kosher Salt (omit if using salted butter)
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1 cup (100G) chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
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1 cup (120G) dried cranberries or raisins, optional
method
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Drain zucchini:
Place the shredded zucchini in a colander or colander over a bowl to drain excess moisture. If the grated zucchini seems too dry, sprinkle water over it as it is in the colander, then drain.
Simple tip!
Not all zucchini contain the same amount of moisture. Fresh home-grown zucchini tend to be wetter than store-bought ones.
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Prepare the oven and pans:
Preheat the oven to 175°C. Butter two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
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Combine the dry ingredients:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and ground nutmeg.
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Whisk together the wet ingredients:
In another large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt (omit salt if using salted butter). Stir in the drained grated zucchini and then the melted butter.
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Mix dough:
Add the flour mixture to the sugar-egg-zucchini mixture one-third at a time, stirring after each incorporation. Fold in the nuts and dried cranberries or raisins, if using.
Simple tip!
How do you know how much moisture is “right” for this recipe? Ideally, the batter is thick but not pasty, pourable but not thin. If it’s too thick, mix in enough water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the batter is fluffy.
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Baking bread:
Divide the batter evenly among the loaf pans. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 219 | calories |
| 9g | Fat |
| 33g | carbohydrates |
| 3g | protein |
