Name: Zucchini Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 3 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3 large eggs; 1 cup vegetable oil; 2 cups granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 2 cups grated zucchini, (packed); 2 cups chopped walnuts, (divided); 1/4 cup light brown sugar, (divided)

This Zucchini Bread recipe is a delicious quick bread that’s loaded with tender zucchini, walnuts, and cinnamon – you can add lemon or chocolate chips too!

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Zucchini Bread Recipe

Summer is now in full swing and I’m betting that if you have your own garden, the zucchini has started taking over, which is the perfect excuse to make several batches of this delicious Zucchini Bread Recipe!

Growing up, Zucchini Bread was one of my favorite summer treats! I loved that sweet bread laced with cinnamon and chock-full of walnuts and once you added some soft butter I could easily kill a whole loaf on my own!

Nowadays when I make it, as much as I would and still could eat a whole loaf myself, I know better and I love giving it away to share the sweet flavors of the season with friends and family!

I love making quick bread because not only are they delicious, but they’re super easy to make too! Quick Breads don’t require any proofing, all the work is done during the baking process in the oven!

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What is a Quick Bread?

A quick bread is a culinary term for a bread-like product that uses baking soda or baking powder, instead of yeast, to leaven it. The texture of a quick bread is very different from a yeast bread. A quick bread has more of a muffin-like texture.

Do you grate the whole zucchini for bread?

Yes, I like to cut off the rounded end so it’s easier to begin grating and I leave the step on as a sort of handle during the grating process (but don’t actually grate the stem)! There is no need to peel your zucchini before grating, the skin is perfectly safe and tasty to include!

How many zucchinis do you need for 2 cups shredded?

This really depends on the zucchini, I have seen baby ones and monstrous ones come out of people’s gardens. But if we’re talking about the medium sized ones you generally find at the grocery store, then two zucchinis should do the job.

Do I squeeze the water from the zucchini?

No! This is the key to a tender loaf of bread, you’ll need that water to add moisture to the bread and you’ll see the difference as soon as you add the grated zucchini to the batter mixture!

If excess water drips off into the bowl of grated zucchini before adding it to the mixture, you don’t need to add that to the batter, just the zucchini and whatever water it has retained.

Helpful Kitchen Tools:

How To Make Zucchini Bread:

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F and grease two 9×5-inch or 8×4-inch bread pans with non-stick spray.

2. Next, using a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla until combined.

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.

4. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 separate additions, mixing between each one. Then beat for 1 more minute making sure to push the sides down so everything is well combined. The mixture will appear dry and thick, this is normal.

5. Next, add in the grated zucchini and 1 cup of walnuts and beat for 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed.

6. Divide the batter between the two loaf pans and top each loaf with 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar.

7. Bake the bread for 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes clean from the center of the leaves.

8. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pans for 20 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely.

How Do You Make Healthy Zucchini Bread?

Many of you might want to enjoy a loaf of this but are worried about the calorie count or other nutritional numbers, I totally get it! Here are a few ideas for making this recipe a little healthier!

Walnuts can be omitted from the recipe.
Brown sugar topping can be omitted from the recipe.
Whole wheat flour may be used in place of all-purpose flour.
Substitute half of the vegetable oil for applesauce.
Reduce sugar to 1 cup.

Flavor Variations for this Zucchini Bread Recipe:

Golden Zucchini Bread – Use golden zucchini instead of green zucchini – golden zucchini and summer squash are NOT the same thing.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread – Add in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
Lemon Zucchini Bread – Add the zest of 2 lemons and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Top with a lemon glaze, if desired.
Brown Sugar Zucchini Bread – Substitute 1 cup of granulated sugar for 1 cup of light brown sugar for a deeper flavor.

More Delicious Bread Recipes:

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This post was originally published in July 2013, it was updated in July 2018 with new content and photos.

5 from 14 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Zucchini Bread