This is a family-favorite recipe for homemade zucchini bread. One slice and you’ll taste why! It’s made with brown sugar, pure vanilla extract, cozy cinnamon spice, and summer’s favorite vegetable. See my recipe note for turning this batter into zucchini muffins, or try this similar zucchini muffins recipe.
Comes From An Award-Winning Zucchini Bread Recipe
This zucchini bread recipe is very slightly adapted from an award-winning family recipe. My husband grew up making this zucchini bread with his family, who entered it into the Maryland State Fair. And guess what? IT WON. You know a recipe is good if it’s winning state awards, right?
Now slightly scaled up to yield a taller 9×5-inch loaf (more zucchini, 1 extra egg, and a touch of applesauce for moisture), the quick bread is better than ever and ready to place 1st in your own kitchens too!
Here’s Why You’ll Love It:
- Batter comes together in less than 5 minutes
- Extra moist and flavorful
- Sneaks in veggies
- Can easily be doubled
- Welcomes add-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or blueberries
- Makes great muffins (or try these zucchini muffins which are heartier and slightly less sweet)
- Freezes beautifully
A beginner baker can easily make this quick bread, and it’s a wonderful recipe if you have eager young bakers ready to help!
Why Bake With Zucchini?
Zucchini is one of my favorite ingredients for baking and I have a lot of published zucchini recipes on my website. My recipes for chocolate zucchini bread and zucchini muffins are both incredibly popular with readers. We use an entire zucchini in my healthier greek yogurt zucchini bread and you’ll find a whopping 3 cups of it in my chocolate zucchini cake (you can’t taste it!).
It sounds odd to bake with a vegetable, but here’s why you should use it in your baking:
- There are only so many zucchini side dishes to make (looking at you, zucchini sweet potato fritters). Zucchini is abundant in the summer months, and it’s fun to incorporate this vegetable when baking, too.
- Zucchini adds flavorless moisture. We’re talking pure moisture with zero savory vegetable flavor. I don’t think I would bake a cake with a green vegetable if I could taste it. You bake carrot cake, right? It’s delicious, right? Well zucchini is even better! Hello, zucchini cake. It’s truly a magical ingredient in your baked goods and this includes zucchini oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, too!
Grab These Ingredients
One new addition is the applesauce. This, along with the oil, keeps the bread moist. You can use sour cream, Greek yogurt, or mashed banana in its place if needed. All you’re doing is whisking the dry and wet ingredients together separately, and then combining everything. Honestly, it’s as easy as pumpkin bread and uses a few of the same ingredients.
Success Tip: Shredding Zucchini
Today’s zucchini bread comes together in just 5 minutes with simple kitchen tools including a couple bowls, a whisk, and a 9×5-inch loaf pan. You also need a grater to shred the zucchini. If you’re looking for recommendations, I own and love this box grater because it’s easy to use, grates quickly, and has held up well with regular use. It’s what I use when making zucchini fritters, too.
- How much zucchini do I need? Zucchini can vary in size, but 1-2 medium zucchini are plenty for this recipe. You need 1 and 1/2 cups shredded, which is 180g.
- Do I need to peel the zucchini first? You can if you’d like, but I never do. There’s no taste or texture variance either way, but you’ll definitely have more flecks of green throughout the loaf if you keep the peel on. Pretty!
You do not need to blot the zucchini dry before using in the batter. (You want that moisture!)
Expect a thick batter:
What Does This Zucchini Bread Taste Like?
Zucchini is like a chameleon and takes on the flavor of whatever’s nearby. Have you ever tried this peanut chicken zucchini noodles dish? The zucchini is basically a vehicle for the delectable savory peanut sauce.
Today’s zucchini bread includes cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and brown sugar so expect a lot of cozy, comforting, sweet flavors. In terms of texture, it’s not quite as dense as banana bread but not as light as white cake either. It’s soft and moist and actually reminds me of apple cinnamon bread, which is a favorite during the fall months.
And let’s not forget optional add-ins like chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, or even blueberries. Some readers have turned it into dessert with vanilla icing or cream cheese frosting (I’d halve the cream cheese frosting recipe). Honestly, this quick bread welcomes a bounty of tasty extras!
Can I Reduce the Sugar or Oil in Zucchini Bread?
You can absolutely slightly reduce either or both, but understand that sugar and oil help produce a moist, tender loaf; altering the ingredients may have disappointing results. Or for an option without refined sugar, you may enjoy this Greek yogurt zucchini bread instead!
PrintZucchini Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This zucchini bread recipe yields 1 9×5-inch loaf. With brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and a little applesauce for added moisture, the quick bread is flavorful, moist, and a great way to use summer’s favorite vegetable!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 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
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsweetened applesauce (or sour cream or Greek yogurt)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) shredded zucchini (no need to blot)
- optional: 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chopped nuts, raisins, etc)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. See notes for muffins.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla together until combined. Whisk in the zucchini. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir or whisk until *just* combined; do not overmix. Fold in any optional add-ins like chocolate chips or nuts. Batter is slightly thick.
- Spread the batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55-70 minutes. (I like to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent heavy browning on top.) Baking times vary so keep an eye on yours. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean with zero raw batter. Remove the bread from the oven and set on a wire rack. Cool in pan for 1 hour before removing from pan. You can slice the bread at this point, but it will still be warm in the center and may not slice neatly. For neat slices, continue cooling bread directly on a wire rack and then slice once cooled.
- 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): 9×5-Inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Box Grater | Cooling Rack
- Update in 2022: Based on reader feedback and a few disappointing loaves in my own kitchen recently, I revised 2 ingredients in May 2022 (egg & zucchini) so the batter yields more for a taller loaf and there’s more moisture. I also added 1/4 cup of applesauce for added moisture, as you can see in the recipe. Rave reviews from taste testers. The original recipe used 1 egg and 1 cup of zucchini with no applesauce.
- Can I reduce the sugar or oil? You can absolutely slightly reduce either or both, but understand that sugar and oil help produce a moist, tender loaf and the results may be disappointing. For the oil, feel free to swap *some* for more applesauce. Or for a healthier option without any refined sugar, you may enjoy this Greek yogurt zucchini bread instead.
- Muffins: Grease a 12-count muffin pan or line with liners. Prepare batter in step 2. Spoon the batter evenly into each liner, filling each all the way to the top. 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. Yields 1 dozen.
Keywords: zucchini bread
Really delicious! Maybe the best zucchini bread recipes I’ve tried.
★★★★★
Oh my God I just made these in the muffin version and these are perfect! Tender texture, moist not too sweet excellent
anyone try adding lemon to this recipe with a nice icing
Hi Catherine, you could try adding the lemon icing from our iced lemon pound cake. Let us know if you try it!
Perfect recipe ! Came out perfect and so much better the second day. I added a titch more cinnamon and nutmeg and used homemade apple sauce, but that was just because it was all i had at the time. 10/10, Would recommend ♡
★★★★★
This recipe was so delicious! I used King Arthur’s gluten free flour, sour cream (instead of the applesauce), and added chocolate chips. I will definitely use this again. Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
This was my first time making Zucchini bread. I grew my own Zucchini and had an abundance so I made this recipe as muffins and brought them to work. I put a few dark chocolate chips on top of each one and a bit of pumpkin and flax seed granola for some crunch. My co-workers are raving about them!
I made the bread for the first time and it came out so soft and moist. Everyone in the family loved it
★★★★★
This was so good my husband and I ate nearly the entire loaf in one sitting. I used sour cream instead of applesauce because that’s what I had on hand and it turned out moist and delicious. I added chopped pecans and that put it over the top. It was the perfect level of sweetness, with great overall flavor and texture. I have two more loaves in the oven now!
★★★★★
ugggg i making as i comment.I was looking at recipe as its in the oven, only to realize that i forgot the white sugar!!!! Ughhhhhhhh, everthing else is correct . It smells awesome hopefully it tastes just as good as it smells.
★★★★★
Made this recipe into muffins and they came out perfect. Light and moist. We also added chocolate chips in some and blueberries in a few. My 7 year old ate two straight out of the oven and my husband was shocked to hear there was zucchini in them! Always love a recipe that ends up as a family favorite!
★★★★★
We’ve made a lot of bad zucchini bread, and this one is perfect! We used coconut oil and yogurt and it’s so moist and full of flavor.
★★★★★
YUM! I love the addition of nutmeg! I used half whole wheat flour and fat free greek yogurt, and it was still so good! I think I’ll reduce the sugar a bit next time to see if anyone notices.
★★★★★
Love this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!
★★★★★
This was a beautifully moist and flavourful zucchini bread. We really loved it and I wouldn’t change a thing about your recipe or any of the ingredients. I also liked the hint about loosely covering the bread with aluminum foil halfway through!! It was brilliant and worked like a charm.
★★★★★
I made the muffins with gluten free flour. Yummy. We frosted two with gluten free cream cheese frosting for a dessert cupcake. Will make again
★★★★★
Love this recipe! What are your thoughts on substituting the sugar with honey or maple syrup?
Hi Jo C! It’s best to stick with this recipe as written. For a honey-sweetened zucchini bread, you may love our Greek yogurt zucchini bread instead.
Grat recipe
★★★★★
Amazing and delicious Zucchini bread. I used the applesauce and it turned out so moist.
I have never met a recipe on your site that I didn’t love, and same goes for this recipe!
I just have one question for you–and I’m sorry if you already answered this somewhere else–if I was to divide this recipe into mini loaf pans, would I need to adjust the baking temp or time?
Thanks so much for sharing all of your awesome recipes and cooking/baking wisdom!
Hi Holly, thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes! You can absolutely make these in mini loaf pans. Same temperature, but baking time will be less and depend on the exact size of your pans. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Thanks again!
The zucchini bread is delicious! Moist and tender with great flavor.
★★★★★
I have never made Zucchini bread and thought I’d give this recipe a try. Loved it!
Question: This is the first non pizza I’ve ever baked in my life. Because I inherited a bunch of zucchini. Let’s say I wanted to cut the sugar in half. Can I just do that? Or does the less granulated sugar interfere with the baking chemistry of flour, baking soda, baking powder, etc.? Any less sugary substitutes you suggest? Add more cinnamon? Add more vanilla? Thanks!
Hi Rob! Sugar is used for moisture and texture in baked goods as well as taste. You can certainly try reducing the sugar, but the resulting texture will be different than intended. You may enjoy this Greek yogurt zucchini bread!
Great recipe, one issue. My first batch I forgot the oil and I ended up perfect, second time I used the oil and my bread took forever to cook and was way too wet when I finally had to take it out of the oven. Just needs a minor adjustment, but otherwise delicious!
Can you double this recipe or do things need to he adjusted?
Hi Diane! For best results (and to prevent over or under mixing), we recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling.
Can I double the recipe?
Hi Josie! For best results (and to prevent over or under mixing), we recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling.
I doubled the recipe and it came out perfect – I just baked one loaf pan and one batch of muffins. I will say it is an awfully sweet recipe, so I will try to reduce the sweetener next time.
★★★★
I made your zucchini bread better than ever then I decided I wanted streusel so used that part of this recipe but I noticed the zucchini bread recipe was different. So not sure if I should bake longer? Will let you know how it comes out.
Hi Anne, bake time will be about the same with a streusel topping. Enjoy!
OH! MY! So incredibly moist! A bit sweet; yet everyone in my Bible study group loved it and they all wanted the recipe! I added chopped walnuts, this time, making the chocolate zucchini bread with pecans (cuz that’s what I have).
I call you, My Gal Sal and your my fav food blogger. When I find a new recipe, I go to you to see if this is one of your masterpieces!!
Thank you!!
I have always liked the okd recipe. It was however dry if you are not very careful with baking time.
So this year I saw the revised addition and along with a bumper crop of zucchini I thought I would do a taste test.
I used the original, the revised Sally and Martha Stewart.
Martha lost big time.
Between the two versions of yours we both actually liked the flavor of the original. We even liked the crunchiness of the outside of the loaf. The revised one one on moisture.
I am thinking the reason that we didnt like the flavor as much is you actually decreased the cinnamon. The original had 2t and the revised had 1.5t. With the increased flour, zucchini and addition of the applesauce it just made the new recipe bland.
You are always my go too. This one is good but still needs some work.
★★★★
Best recipe for zucchini bread,great flavors, I used gluten free flour,very good
Could I add blueberries to the batter? Thank you!
Hi Ellen, you can add in a cup of blueberries. No other changes needed. Enjoy!
I’ve made this zucchini bread recipe 6 times so far this summer. It’s so good! I even subbed some Greek yogurt for the eggs (I just didn’t have any on hand) a couple of times and it came out beautifully. 10/10 will bake again and again.
★★★★★
Can I use self rising flour instead of the all purpose for this zucchini bread?
Hi Pam, we don’t recommend it. It’s not always a 1:1 swap with all-purpose flour and the leavening agents. It’s best to stick with all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda as written.