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
Made this with Greek yogurt and olive oil. I added chocolate chips to one and dried cranberries and orange zest to other. YUMMY to both! My daughter took to young adult church group and both were devoured.
I used Bundt pan and bread loaf pan. Bundt pan produced more even and quicker bake . Now I just use Bundt pans only. Really pretty on the serving plate!
Do you think I could substitute grated apple for zucchini? Gonna try it as it’s apple season and I’m in apple country. Hendersonville, NC!!!
Hi Kimberly, we’re so glad it was a hit! Apples should work here, but the texture may be slightly different as moisture can be a bit different from zucchini. You might also enjoy this apple zucchini bread or these healthy apple muffins that use shredded apples in the batter. Let us know if you try it!
We love this bread! Is there anything that can be substituted for the zucchini when it is not in season? We would enjoy making it all times of the year.
Hi Lauren, shredded carrots or apples can often work in place of zucchini, but the overall texture of the bread may change since they have varying levels of moistness. Here are all of our quick bread recipes, if you’d like to browse!
Hi Sally, I’ve made this before and I loved it! I thought it was moist even without the applesauce. Its another ingredient I don’t want to have to buy. Can you send me the old recipe? Also, in that recipe you suggested figs or dates and nuts…but which ones where they? I forget. Hoping to make it today :} Thank you in advance!
Hi Mer, The original recipe used 1 egg and 1 cup of zucchini with no applesauce (see the recipe notes for more details). You can add a total of one cup of add ins like chopped dates and/or nuts if you wish.
Hello, wanting to try this recipe but was wondering if the texture/moisture level would change if I added shredded carrots for a zucchini carrot bread? Thanks
Hi Maria! You can certainly try, carrots are a little less moist so we’re unsure if the texture will change. Let us know if you give it a go!
Could you use apple cider in this recipe?
Hi Brianne, we wouldn’t swap any of the ingredients here with apple cider. You might enjoy these apple cider muffins instead.
I just pulled everything out and then discovered that I only have ONE egg… What if I just went with it anyway…how much will it effect it is there something that I can substitute?
Hi Treeva, we actually updated this recipe in 2022, and our old recipe used to call for only 1 egg. You can see that older recipe in the recipe Notes. The loaf isn’t quite as tall and moist, but it will work!
Can I make these into mini loaves?
Love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one!
You can use this recipe to make smaller loaves, Karen! Yield and exact bake time will depend on the size of your mini loaf pans (they come in so many different sizes!).
This was terrific. It is nearing the end of growing season her in October, but I pulled a great zucchini that was a few pounds, and gathered up the frozen brown bananas from the freezer to thaw and incorporate as an equal portion to zuke. It ended up I had to multiply all 4.5 x 1 due to the volume of wet veg./fruit. This recipe held up great to all the multiplication. Three loaves, two with raisins and pecans, 1 loaf with raisins, pecans and chocolate chips and a dozen muffins with r/p/cc.
Smells amazing and great texture. When I check recipes online there are two places I trust, of those Sally’s is one I expect the best from and respect. Thank you very much. Zucchini season is nearly done her in the Southern Interior in British Colombia Canada, and it was an incredible year for our gardens in 2025. Thanks for helping me use the bounty into the winter with freezing incredible baking. cheers friends.
The perfect zucchini bread ❤️Fluffy soft you won’t regret doing it
Wow sooo yummy!! The only thing I changed was the amount of sugar. I used 1/4 c of brown sugar as don’t have a sweet tooth. Too got to use an individual serving of vanilla yogurt. Once it was cool enough to handle; I took it out the pan to cool on a wire rack. The taste is so addicting and cake like texture. Definitely will be making it again!!
Followed the exact recipe and it turned out perfect! Thank you!
What are the nutrition facts if made into 16 cupcake sized muffins?
Hi Desirae! 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
What temp should oven be set?
Hi Gary, see step 1! Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Can I make this refined sugar free?
I saw the Greek yogurt version but I don’t have any Greek yogurt
Hi Sam, we don’t recommend that swap here. Do you have sour cream? You could use that in place of the Greek yogurt in the Greek yogurt zucchini bread.
Great recipe, I used yogurt instead of apple sauce, because that’s all I had + some walnuts, a real hit with family and work colleagues, thanks
Best zucchini bread ever! Believe me, I’ve tried them all. This one is just the right texture and perfect blend of spices.
Love this. I did grate a pink lady apple with the zucchini and baked 30 mins in muffin tin. But even without the apple this recipe is really amazing.
My favorite cookie cookbook is Sally’s! A friend gave me a fresh Zucchini today so I googled a Zucchini Bread recipe and what popped up, but Sally’s. Just made the muffins today with the sour cream and walnuts. Oh my GOODNESS!
Can either GF or Almond Flour be substituted?
Thank you, Sally and Team
Absolutely delicious. I made the recipe exactly as described and added a cup of chocolate chips as well. We’re heathens in my house so I baked long enough for the outside to get crispy but not burnt, and it’s still incredibly moist and full of flavor.
ya, the best – so good. I made 3 small by doubling the recipe – i was told NOT to lost this recipe 🙂
I used Splenda brown and Splenda baking sugar, extra applesauce..no oil. Turn out great
Hi Sally! Thank you for the recipe.
About how long and at what temp do you recommend this for regular sized muffins?
See Notes after the recipe for muffins instructions!
Loved the zucchini bread. I used yogurt instead of applesauce, and added raisins. Turned out perfectly and is really moist and delicious.
This is the first recipe of yours that I have tried. Thank you Sally
Yummy, easy loaf with a perfect consistency. Might add a little more spices next time. Raisins would also taste great in this.
Hi Sally,
I’ve made this a lot & it’s always a hit! I’d like to try 2 cups of zucchini & change the sugar to 3/4 c brown & 1/4 c granulated. Would those changes work?
Hi Ruth, those changes to the sugar *should* work (keeping the total sugars to 1 cup), but we don’t recommend increasing the amount of zucchini. It would cause the batter to become too wet without additional tweaks to the recipe. We’re glad this is a favorite for you!
If I have two loaf pans, can I double the recipe and bake both at one?
Hi Kelly, for best results, we recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling. If you bake both at once, the bake time may be a little longer. And if your oven has hot spots, you may want to rotate the pans halfway through baking so they brown evenly. Hope this helps!
Would using pumpkin puree in place of the applesauce work?
Hi Sonia, yes, you can do that–enjoy!
My family enjoyed this zucchini bread soo much! Thank you for sharing such a wonderfully delicious treat.
HI Sally, I made this Zucchini Bread today and love it. I used vanilla yogurt, skipped added vanilla. I added 1/2 c chocolate chunks, 1/2 chopped walnuts, and 1 chopped peach, reserved a few slices for the top. Also, in addition to your cinnamon, nutmeg, I added a 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Easy and delicious. Wish I could send you a photo.
This is my go to recipe when I have an abundance of zucchini. I alternate using lemon, orange or lime rind for an added flavor punch. I cut both the brown & white sugar in half with no difference in consistency. Quick, easy & always delicious zucchini bread.
Love this
It’s not hype, it is a fact. Absolutely incredible taste and sponginess. First time making Z bread and I’m soo shocked at how delicious it is. Next time I’ll More zucchini. Perfection and my kids will love it.
Another 5 STAR recipe! Thank you Sally. Your recipes never disappoint.
Can I use yellow zucchini/squash instead of green
Hi Terry, absolutely! Enjoy!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. Always moist and flavourful. Consistently gets rave reviews and is requested by my 22 year old who doesn’t much care for zucchini and rarely makes specific food requests (with chocolate chips and walnuts, of course!).