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.
I originally published this recipe in 2019 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more helpful success tips. I’ve also made a few improvements to the recipe, which are reflected in the printable recipe below.
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!
One reader, Emma, commented: “Zucchini bread is my absolute favorite, so I’m quite picky about how one tastes, the amount of spices, etc. This recipe yields a very moist and super flavorful zucchini bread! 5 stars from me. Everyone else thought so too! Definitely a keeper. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Linda, commented: “This was delicious and oh-so moist. I made it exactly per your recipe, adding walnuts as an extra ingredient. This zucchini bread recipe is a keeper! ★★★★★“
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 here! Unlike when we make zucchini biscuits, where ridding of that moisture is key.)
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. Combine them both in this apple zucchini bread!
If you love peanut butter and chocolate, be sure to try my peanut butter chocolate chip zucchini bread, too!
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!
And if you’ve been itching to make some homemade honey butter, this zucchini bread is the perfect canvas to enjoy it on!
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!
Print
Zucchini 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I love this zucchini bread recipe! I use 2/3 the brown sugar it calls for and 1/2 the white sugar. (And Greek yogurt). And I’ve had success with that for a healthier option.
Love at first bite! Sally is my go-to for all recipes, I can always trust the outcome will be good and delicious. For my bread, I used melted coconut oil, chocolate chips and walnuts. Yum. I will be baking another one very soon with the rest of the zucchini.
Made double batches with huge zucchini from my garden. One in a loaf pan and 6 mini loafs with chocolate chips. Demolished. Friends have asked for this recipe once they get it.
If using Greek yogurt should it be room temperature before adding it to the recipe?
Hi Sophia, yes, it’s best if the Greek yogurt is at room temperature, too.
Love this recipe! Question – can I substitute ripe mashed banana for the apple sauce?
Hi Rebecca, we haven’t tried, but let us know how it turns out if you do! You can use sour cream or Greek yogurt instead as well.
Hi did you try the banana? how did it go if so
Is the old recipe listed anywhere? I loved it so much!
See notes after the recipe, Abigail!
Looking in on the loaf rising…looks amazing! I followed to tee with both chocolate chips and walnuts. I only have glass 9×5 and small convection to bake in. I most often cook rather than bake. As I watch it rise I’m wondering if I have to make any adjustments to the temp time cooking ?
Hi Alisha, all of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you are using convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake. Hope you enjoy!
I just put all the dry ingredients here together until I get to the store for applesauce or Greek yogurt….THEN I read where the sugar is used separately.
Is this a major problem and I have to throw out and start over ….or will it be forgiving?
I’m clueless when it comes to baking !!
Hi Treeva, because this recipe uses oil instead of butter, it should still turn out OK. It’s a bigger issue when a recipe calls for creaming butter and sugar together. Don’t throw it out–go ahead and bake it!
Love this zucchini bread recipe!! I’ve made it twice over this Labor Day weekend! I used the coconut oil melted and Greek yogurt variation and result was amazing! Didn’t even last 24 hours in my 3 person household! Will make it in cupcake form next and gift some to family and friends! Thank you!
Made Sally’s banana bread earlier this week. Wow. Really good. Trying zucchini bread since hubby ATE allll the banana bread!!! Suggestion for these breads: try different flavored chips, such as butterscotch or white chocolate.
I’m now a fan of Sally’s.
Lynne
Made a double batch(cut the granulated sugar in half), baked it in a 9×13 pan. When finished I put light spread of lemon curd over the top. It was perfect. Thank you!
Do you think I can use avocado oil in place of the vegetable oil? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Should work just fine, V!
Yum!! Delicious and moist made 2 loaves! Husband enjoyed it very much considering he is picky
This will be my go to recipe
Thanks, Sally
Best zucchini bread I’ve ever made and I’m over 80! Don’t change a thing.
Thanks, Sally!
Just made these and they turned out amazing! I made small muffins instead of a loaf. Cooked 30 minutes.
Hello. Can you double the recipe?
Hi Bev, for best results, we recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling. Enjoy!
I didn’t recommend the substitute for coconut oil. Lots of coconut oil was left sitting on the top of the bread and made it appear to have a fried top.
I’ve made this time and time again, its fabulous! As written as well as minor substitutions.
I just did a loaf with half and half (50g each) regular white sugar with coconut sugar instead of the full 100g of white it calls for, gives it a rustic taste. Sally never lets me down! 10/10
Delicious, everyone loved it from kids to adults and they said how moist it was. Followed exactly with optional add-ins of white chocolate chips and pecans. I only had a mini loaf quad pan so I reduced the time to 40 minutes in case you have that pan as well. Love Sally’s recipes!
I’m about to make this as written but was wondering if you have a pineapple zucchini bread recipe
Hi Charlotte, we don’t! Let us know if you try a pineapple version of this zucchini bread.
Just sliced into my loaf after letting it cool… absolute perfection! The texture is amazing and such an easy recipe to follow. Sally is my go to for any baked goods. I know I’ll be using this every week while my squash plants are going crazy in the garden.
I used crookneck summer squash instead of zucchini because that is what I have a bounty of, didn’t notice any difference at all! I also added a little dash of cardamom since that’s what I usually do for any kind of sweet bread. Other than that followed the recipe exactly as written.
I’ve never used cardamon in baking…would a dash be less or more of half of a teaspoon?
Hi! Could I use buttermilk in place of applesauce or sour cream? So excited to try this recipe!
Hi Sarah, we haven’t tested this bread with buttermilk, so are unsure of the result. If you decide to try it, please let us know how it goes!
My first time making and TASTING zucchini bread and it was way better than I expected! The loaf came out absolutely perfect and even my husband, who claims allergy to anything green, keeps coming back for more. I will definitely make this again, no need to search for another recipe, I found d the perfect one❣️
This is the first time I’ve finally been able to make a moist zucchini bread, I didn’t have apple sauce but the Greek yogurt substitution worked perfectly. I also didn’t have white sugar so used brown only- and turned out great. Covering with foil for the second half of baking helped with over browning. I did 55 for mine, and while the sides were browned a bit the inside was super moist- a perfect combo. It turned out soo good! Added dark choc chips and walnuts as well.
Can you use frozen shredded zuke? If so, should I drain it
In collander or squeeze out by hand?
Hi Melissa, We’d recommend thawing the frozen zucchini before using in the bread, and giving it a little blot since it will release excess moisture when thawing. Enjoy!
My bread spills over why
Hi Diana, happy to help troubleshoot. What size pan are you using?
Can I make it with whole wheat flour?
Hi Jo, 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. Hope you enjoy it!
What a great recipe!!! I love how easy it is, especially when i don’t have to squeeze the zucchini! Swapped extra virgin olive oil in for the vegetable oil and it worked well. Nutmeg was a delicious flavour. Sharing this recipe will friends and will make it again 🙂
First time making zucchini bread. This recipe was simple and turned out great. I substituted the apple sauce for apple butter and omitted the spices. I also added a full cup of brown sugar instead of both of the sugars.
Made this with King Arthur’s gluten free measure for measure. Plus I substituted honey for all the sugar. Cook time was probably closer to about 75 minutes. It is the most fantastic zucchini bread I’ve had in my life. I wanted to add Rhubarb but unfortunately I couldn’t find any local right now. Maybe next time.
Great recipe as is! I didn’t have a neutral oil, only olive oil, and that worked great! Perfect texture, great taste, not too sweet. I recommend this recipe to friends.