This award-winning zucchini bread has plenty of brown sugar streusel, melty chocolate chips, and warm flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. It’s simple to make, extra moist, and full of flavor. I always make two loaves because 1 8×4 inch loaf disappears quickly!
This award-winning zucchini bread recipe is a family favorite. (You can also find it here: zucchini bread recipe, only without the streusel!)
When my husband was young, he entered this zucchini bread recipe into the Maryland State Fair. It won 1st place! If you make one zucchini bread recipe in your life, this has got to be it. It’s beyond simple, makes great leftovers, freezes well, and can easily be doubled or tripled to make multiple loaves. (Simply double or triple each ingredient.) Use your bounty of zucchini this summer! Try this recipe as muffins, too. For even more zucchini baking inspiration, you can browse my 20+ favorite zucchini recipes.
Not to fret, you can’t taste vegetables. Rather, you taste rich, vanilla, buttery, cinnamon, chocolate chip brown sugar bread. The bread is soft, the oat streusel is aplenty, and the chocolate chips are melty. It’s a classic recipe made even better.
Try a slice warm from the oven, cold from the refrigerator, with a smear of peanut butter or Nutella, slathered with melted butter, or even without the chocolate chips. Any way you try this award-winning recipe, I know you’ll be impressed.
PrintAward-Winning Zucchini Bread with Brown Sugar Streusel
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 1 loaf or 12 muffins
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This award-winning zucchini bread has plenty of brown sugar streusel, melty chocolate chips, and warm flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. It’s simple to make, extra moist, and full of flavor!
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Oat Streusel
- 2/3 cup (57g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats or quick oats
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, cold
- optional: 1 Tablespoon (10g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Zucchini Bread & Muffins
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- optional: 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chopped nuts, raisins, etc)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (130g) shredded zucchini (lightly blotted)*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8×4-inch loaf pan. See notes for muffins.
- Make the streusel: Combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter with two forks or a pastry cutter (preferred). Mix until the streusel resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
- Make the bread batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate chips (or nuts) together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, and zucchini together until combined. Pour into the dry ingredients. Gently whisk until *just* combined; do not overmix. Batter will be semi-thick.
- Spread the batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle streusel on top. Using the back of a spoon, gently press the streusel down into the top of the loaf. The reason you are adding it after 20 minutes is to prevent it from sinking to the bottom of the bread as it bakes. Return bread to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you notice the loaf is browning on top or on the edges too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil. Baking times vary so keep an eye on yours.
- Remove the bread from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
- Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Make the bread ahead of time by freezing it. Bake it, cool it, wrap it up in aluminum foil and freeze the loaf as a whole. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before slicing and serving. Freezes well up to 3 months.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8×4-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Pastry Cutter | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Box Grater (for zucchini)
- Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips are optional both in the streusel and in the bread. Feel free to leave out or replace with chopped pecans or walnuts or even raisins.
- Blot Zucchini: Very lightly blot the zucchini. Do not squeeze moisture out, just give it a light blot to rid some, especially if your zucchini is extra wet.
- Muffins: Grease a 12-count muffin pan or line with liners. Prepare streusel (step 2) and batter (step 3). Spoon the batter evenly into each liner, filling 3/4 full. Spoon a heaping spoonful of streusel on top of each and, using the back of a spoon, gently press down into the tops so the streusel can stick. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 13-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 18-21 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
I love this zucchini bread recipe. I’ve been making it for years and it’s the only recipe I’ll use. I always double the recipe and freeze a loaf for later! Thanks for sharing!
If I would make this, is this bread better then the original Zucchini Bread that’s on this website
Hi Christina! This zucchini bread and our other favorite Zucchini Bread recipe are actually the same – this one just includes the brown sugar streusel. Both are delicious!
I loved this recipe! I doubled it to make a dozen muffins and a loaf and it worked out pretty well. I’m not a big fan of nutmeg so even though I doubled the recipe I kept the amount of nutmeg the same. The streusel on top was my favorite part!
Made this weekend, sooo delicious! I’m out of zucchini now, but still have lots of apples. Could I sub shredded apple?
Hi Jamie, We are so happy you enjoyed this recipe! We haven’t tested it with apples but it should work. You may also enjoy this Apple Blueberry Bread (with or without the blueberries).
This is delicious! I used chopped pecans and soaked and drained raisins (so they were plumper and moister, can’t stand hard raisins!) Shared with friends and neighbors and they LOVED it…thanks for the recipe. maybe next time I’ll try it with the struesel topping.
LOVE THESE MUFFINS! I could eat this streusel plain all day!
How long would you bake these if using 4 mini loaf pans? Thank you.
Hi Janie! It depends on the size of the mini loaf pans. Keep your eye on them and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Super awesome. Now my fav zucchini bread
Can’t wait to try the chocolate version
For freezing this one, do you bake with the streusel and freeze?
Thanks!
Yes, you can definitely freeze this baked and cooled bread with the streusel on top– the streusel freezes just fine!
This is my go-to zucchini bread recipe! Have been using it for years and love it. I usually don’t end up using all of the streusel topping because it makes more than I need for one loaf, but sometimes I keep the extra to top oatmeal with. Thank you for sharing!
I have made four batches of these today with GREAT results. One of these batches was made gluten free and dairy free [Substituted all purpose Gluten free flour for regular all purpose flour and used Nutiva butter flavored coconut oil in place of butter] and still had GREAT results. The whole family loves these and I am thrilled to have such a delicious treat to help me use up the zucchini!
I made this recipe and the double chocolate zucchini bread on the same day. My husband does not enjoy zucchini but he will eat zucchini bread so we did a zucchini bread challenge. He absolutely LOVED this one with the streusel topping! Everyone who tried this zucchini bread raved about it. This will replace my normal zucchini bread recipe from now on. Fantastic!
Very yummy! I am dairy free and was able to use vegan butter and allergy free chocolate chips and it still came out perfect! I did have to bake for maybe ten minutes longer than suggested, but that’s probably due to an old oven. I’ll definitely be saving this recipe!
I tried this recipe yesterday and the bread is already gone today:) my entire family enjoyed it. I loved the crunchy oat streusel on top… It’s definitely a recipe I would make again.
Sally, your recipes have really given me a baking addiction;) Thank you!
I am really in the mood to make some muffins but don’t have zucchini on hand. Can I substitute carrots for the zucchini???
Absolutely. Same amount.
They tasted amazing!
I made them with my two year old who loves baking, she loved eating them too.
I recommend changing the wording on step 5.
“If making muffins, fill 11-12 muffin cups all the way to the top. ”
I didn’t fill them all the way to the top because I worried they’d overflow and they did anyway haha, luckily they still looked ok. Next time I’ll give them even more space and have an extra muffin.
Will be making again for sure.
Just don’t fill them all the way to the top!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them, Matthew! Did you bake them with the first 5 minutes at the higher temperature? This should cause them to rise straight up without overflowing.
This was really good! I made a few substitutes of using half yogurt with the oil. And half the amount of honey for white sugar.
Have you had anyone ask about this bread falling in the center while cooling? I was pretty sure I followed the recipe very closely but the center of my loaf looked like a crater :I
Hi Lindsay! Sounds like the loaf was under baked, which is an easy fix for next time. All ovens are different and quick breads have a super varied bake time because they take so long to bake through. So just bake a few minutes longer if you decide to try it again.
This was the best zucchini bread I’ve ever made! Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe! I will definitely be making it again soon and a double batch next time.
Found this recipe after you posted your zucchini crumb cake recipe today- made it today and it’s AH-MAZING! You were right, the streusel totally makes it. Thanks for sharing!!
How do I adapt the recipe for jumbo muffins?
Hi Judy! Same bake time as the jumbo blueberry muffins (and the initial high temperature trick!) They’re so good extra large. It makes about 5 of them.
I’ve made these twice now as muffins. They taste awesome! But I have a problem with them not puffing up. Suggestions? I don’t have the same problem with the banana nut muffins I make from your site, and I made sure to pat dry the zucchini (1st time didn’t, this time I did). Made the banana muffins with agave instead of sugar from your site right before without any issue – high temp to puff then lower temp to finish. Just don’t get the puff with this recipe, and they sink and spill over the sides of pan. Thanks for all your great recipes and help!
This recipe was amaaaazing. People at work and loved ones alike loved it. Followed the recipe to a tee except I used half the oil and replaced with two nice and soft/brown bananas. Worked like a charm, made it a smidge healthier and didn’t change the texture in any noticeable way! Thanks for the recipe!
Made a double batch of this as muffins last night………..my they are divine! Was a little worried when the batter seemed thin. The only difference I made to the recipe was to use pampered chef cinnamon plus instead of the separate cinnamon and nutmeg in the muffin batter. Was a little tough to check doneness thru the struesel and chocolate chips, so they were in at least the 14 minutes if not a minute longer. I worried they’d be dry then, but they are great. 5 positive comments so far at work. A keeper for sure. Thanks for a great recipe!!
I make this loaf all the time, 2 loaves are in the oven right now. I love this recipe and tell others about it when I share my zucchinis with them. Every time I make it, I can’t help but wonder where your husband got the recipe. His Mom or Grandma? Or did a boy actually come up with this delicious recipe on his own? Having a husband and son myself, I can’t imagine them doing such a thing! No offence to the baking males out there:)
5/5 Stars
I loved this recipe! I made the muffins with one of the zucchinis from my garden. I put about a tablespoon less of butter for the streusal because it already got crumbly before adding it all. Because I don’t own measuring spoons, I overestimated the baking powder. The muffins spilled out over the cups, got wide and crispy on the top, and the streusal collapsed into the middle. It was a fabulous mistake!
Hi Sally! I just made this zucchini bread and it ended up being in the oven for 65 minutes at 350 and the center is still underbaked. I’ve actually had this problem the last 5 years with most quick breads (not your grapefruit one though!) in 3 different ovens. Do you have any suggestions? I don’t have a problem with muffins either. I have fresh baking soda and baking powder. I measure flour correctly and don’t over stir. I’m wondering if I could try the same trick with your muffins and start at a higher temperature and then lower it? I’m not sure what to try… thanks for any tips!
That is the strangest thing! Usually I would say the oven should be calibrated, but you’ve baked in several! I suggest lowering the oven rack to the lowest position. The bread will take longer to bake at this level. I always place a sheet of aluminum foil loosely on top of the bread. This prevents the top from getting too brown while the center keeps cooking.