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
I made this for the first time today and it turned out perfectly! I subbed cardamom for the cinnamon and cinnamon for the nutmeg and threw in the zest of one orange. It was fantastic and really easy!
★★★★★
I made 2 loaves-one with sour cream and one with Greek yogurt. Results: The bread with the yogurt was darker, higher (rose approximately 1/2 inch higher than the sour cream version), and very moist. I think it seemed to have a lighter, more airy texture. The sour cream bread was lighter in color and perhaps a bit more dense. It had a nice rich flavor. I do not think anyone could distinguish between the two if not eating them side by side.
Takeaway: Very nice recipe. I will make this again, but will add more cinnamon and a smidge more sugar. I did have sweetened cinnamon applesauce and thought about using that instead of the sour cream and yogurt, but was afraid that the sugar in the applesauce might drastically alter the recipe. Since I wouldn’t have minded a bit more sugar and cinnamon, perhaps that’s the way to go! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
★★★★
What are the nutritional values for this recipe . I can’t find them anywhere in your post.
Thanks
Hi Kim! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Hi Sally! I made this recipe as written a few days ago and it was delicious! What would you substitute for eggs to make this vegan? flaxeed, more apple sauce, pumkpin puree? Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Abby, we’re so glad you loved this zucchini bread! We haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes, so we’re unsure what might work best. If you decide to try anything, please do let us know how it goes!
I’ve tried many of your delicious recipes. Can this loaf be made with Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking flour?
We haven’t tested it, but many readers have reported success with that swap!
A neighbor gave me some zucchini, I have used your recipes before but this was the first time I have made your zucchini bread. Turned out perfect, and it is quite delicious! Definitely will use this recipe again – it was easy and I think the applesauce was a great addition.
★★★★★
Absolutely the best recipe!
I gave this a try and it was a hit on first try. I baked it into a cake first time around as I did not have a loaf pan. I have expanded since to muffin tins & loaf pans.
I love that the recipe is versatile with ease. I added two overripe bananas instead of apple sauce, added a bit of maple syrup instead of sugar. It turned out amazing.
It is fluffy, moist, flavorful and so easy to make! Thank you!
★★★★★
I’m excited to try this recipe!! One question, would i need to make any adjustments, if I wanted to use whole wheat flour?
Hi Parker, Whole wheat flour is a fine substitution, but the bread may taste a little dense. We recommend trying half white whole wheat flour and half all purpose for your first loaf and go from there.
I have been making Sally’s Zucchini Bread for years. My kids have always loved it as muffins. I decided to make the muffins today but don’t have access to my old printed version. When I got to this page and saw it had been updated, I was nervous. We loved it so much before, would I like the changes? BOY DO I!! First of all the recipe is easier because no blotting zucchini – yay! That also makes the baking time much more predictable. The total time used to vary quite a bit depending on how vigorous I’d been with the blotting that day. And the results could be inconsistent – sometimes they’d be dry, sometimes the tops would sink. Like I said, we still loved them and it didn’t bother us. I just made two double batches of this updated recipe – they’re all gorgeous with tall crowns, the crumb is to die for, and they’re so moist. I can’t wait to get them to my kiddos, who are both away at college now. They’re going to love them! Thanks Sally, as always, for such great recipes.
★★★★★
Hi Claire, we’re so glad you love the recipe even more now! Happy baking!
Always enjoy your recipes but today I have what may seem an unusual question. What is the type/brand of your countertop?
Thanks in advance,
Cindy
Hi Cindy! These photos were taken on a white marble photography backdrop.
★★★★★
This is truly the best zucchini bread I’ve ever made! I love it with chocolate chips! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
You suggest starting muffins at 425 for 5 min and then reducing to 350 for better spring. Why not the same for the Zucchini Bread. The muffins were great!
★★★★★
It tasted really good and it was super moist but it came out really dense but overall the taste is good
Awesome recipe , sooo moist.
I have made this recipe probably 12 times the last month due to the ridiculously large zuc’s coming from the garden. I have given them to so many people. AnD EVERY ONE RAVES! Definately the best, and follow it to the letter – def use wet zuc noodles (if you drain or dry or let sit overnight in fridge the bread will not come out as well- and a smidge more apple sauce does not hurt. I have also used apple pie spice when I ran out of the nutmeg. THIS RECIPE IS THE BEST I HAVE EVER FOUND. I have probably printed to give out to at least 10 of those loaf recipients. I also love making the recipe with the square muffin tins. Like little breads. THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE IT IS LIFE CHANGING.
★★★★★
It came out dry and although I do like nutmeg, it really ruined this bread. It’s so overwhelming and I only used what was called for. I feel like it’s nutmeg bread, that and cinnamon is all I can taste. I will be trying someone else’s recipe. Hopefully they all aren’t full of cinnamon and nutmeg. There must be one somewhere since the one’s I ate at my friend’s house as a kid did not taste like this at all.
★
This was delicious! And thank you for putting the measurements in grams. I think that can make all of the difference in baking. Have already made the recipe twice, so this is a keeper!
★★★★★
The temperature change is genius. I made full size muffins and minis and was thrilled to see the The The increased temperature is genius! After years of flat muffins, I was very happy to see the domed tops. Delicious recipe. I made the recipe twice first as written and my second batch I increased the cinnamon and nutmeg.
★★★★★
Thank you! I follow this recipe and it never fails.
★★★★★
A few years ago I used one of your zucchini bread recipes that had applesauce in it and there was a coconut streusel topping – it was delicious. Is there another version?
Hi Cheryl, I’ve never added coconut to the topping of zucchini bread before. Are you thinking of this zucchini bread which has a brown sugar oat streusel on top?
Delicious zucchini bread. Made it today with the Greek yogurt vs. applesauce.
★★★★★
Next try sour cream. I’ve tried and you can’t really tell the difference from using yogurt.
★★★★★
My hubs said “Yum, I like this one, it’s got a good taste to it!” It’s delicious and moist. I added a cup of walnuts because I love your chocolate zucchini bread(cake) with the chocolate chips which is also scrumpdelicious!! I have made many of Sally’s recipes and none has been a failure. It’s my go to site for recipes!
Thanks for another great recipe!
★★★★★
My favorite zucchini bread recipe! Came out moist and delicious. I used melted coconut oil and mixed in chopped walnuts, mini semi sweet chocolate bits, and added a tiny bit of flaked sea salt to the top.
★★★★★
Excellent recipe! Worked perfectly so I made a 2nd one!!!
★★★★★
I had a bunch of zucchini to use up that our neighbor kindly brought over and wanted to gift loaves back to her and our other neighbors. I ended up doubling the recipe (by weight) and added 10 oz of mini choc chips. It ended up making 8 mini loaves (3.54″D x 6.29″W x 1.77″H), each pan filled about 2/3 of the way or 245g. Baked for 30 mins and then a little less the 2nd batch. Really great recipe.
Thank you for this recipe. It’s absolutely perfect. My great aunt made zucchini bread just like this and the recipe was lost with her years ago. Now my family has this wonderful recipe to pass down to our kids.
★★★★★
By far the best zucchini bread recipe I’ve ever made. I have a garden full of yellow crookneck squash (which I’m using instead of zucchini) and I’ve made 4 loaves of this already, with more to come! I’ve also baked 4 loaves of the double chocolate zucchini recipe which we also loved. It may be the slight nuttiness of the yellow squash but this recipe seems best suited. I used coconut oil and sour cream, and added about 1/8 tsp of ground ginger and this tastes just like a pumpkin spice cake. It’s so fluffy and moist. Just heavenly. Thank you for your incredible recipes!
★★★★★
I made 4 loaves of this yesterday for our church coffee hour and it is so good. Moist and amazing. I added raisens and cranberries to mine besides the applesauce – wonderful
I reread the ingredient list to make sure I made this correctly. The batter was quite runny butbi went ahead and baked it. The final result was tasty but it had the consistency of a pudding cake. It seemed to be fully baked but I wouldn’t say it was a bread. Interesting!
★★★