Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (2024)

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posted by Jenniferon Mar 20, 202315 comments »

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Our best zucchini bread recipe is the ultimate comfort food, packed with the perfect blend of warm spices and zucchini.

This zucchini bread is a quick bread recipe that is made with grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, applesauce, orange juice, and cinnamon. It has a moist and tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor perfect for breakfast or even a healthier dessert.

So go ahead and indulge in a slice (or two) – you won’t be disappointed!

Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (1)

Table of contents

  • Best Zucchini Bread
  • Ingredients for Zucchini Bread
  • How To Make Zucchini Bread
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Storing and Freezing

Best Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread is a great way to use up all your zucchini from your garden and here is why everyone loves this bread.

  • It’s easy to make, you only need 1 large mixing bowl and 2 loaf pans. Also, if you don’t want to get your mixer out, you can just stir all the ingredients easily by hand.
  • I love that you can add nuts, and chocolate chips or make my pineapple zucchini bread for a delicious twist.
  • The zucchini and applesauce make this bread super moist and soft. And it’s one of those quick breads that are even better on the second day.
  • Just like other quick bread recipes like banana bread, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, and lemon poppyseed zucchini bread, this zucchini bread also freezes well so you can enjoy it year-round.
Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (2)

Ingredients for Zucchini Bread

  • Sugar: I like to use granulated sugar but you could also use brown sugar.
  • Vegetable Oil: I just use regular vegetable oil but you could use coconut oil, sunflower oil, or grapeseed oil. I wouldn’t use olive oil.
  • Eggs: I like to make sure my eggs are at room temperature before I start baking but if you forgot to get your eggs out of the fridge, no worries.
  • Vanilla extract: My all-time favorite vanilla extract is Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract, it’s the best of the best!
  • Zucchini: No need to peel the skin off the zucchini, just grate it using a box grater or food processor.
  • Applesauce: I used regular applesauce but you can use unsweetened or even cinnamon applesauce for extra cinnamon flavor.
  • Orange juice: This is my family’s “secret” ingredient and that’s why it’s truly the best zucchini bread recipe.
  • Dry ingredients: Simply whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Also, always make sure your dry ingredients are not expired. Using expired ingredients will result in the bread not baking properly.
  • Spices: A dash of nutmeg and cinnamon gives this bread an amazing flavor. But if you don’t like cinnamon and/or nutmeg, feel free to leave it out.
Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (3)

How To Make Zucchini Bread

  1. Mix. Using a mixer or a mixing spoon, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract together until combined.
  2. Add. Grated zucchini, applesauce, and orange juice and stir well.
  3. Whisk. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
  4. Combine. Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture and stir.
  5. Bake. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour.
Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (4)

Expert Tips

  • Medium zucchini. I like to use small or medium zucchini for this bread. If they are too big the skin is tougher and they would need to be seeded.
  • Add-ins: I love adding dried cranberries, raisins, and of course, chocolate chips.
  • Cooking times. They can vary slightly so make sure to check the bread often. If the top is starting to brown but the middle isn’t baked yet, just make a tin foil tent and place it on top of the bread to prevent the top from browning further.
Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (5)

Recipe FAQs

Do you peel zucchini before grating it for zucchini bread?

No need to peel. The zucchini skin is super thin and softens while baking. If you’re using a large zucchini, you will have to peel the skin because the skin is much tougher than small or medium-sized zucchini.

Do you squeeze out the liquid from zucchini for bread?

Don’t squeeze it. No need to squeeze the zucchini dry, it can be added to the batter once it’s grated.

Do you remove seeds from zucchini for bread?

If you are using small or medium-sized zucchini you will not have to remove the seeds. If you are using a large zucchini you will have to remove the seeds. Just scoop them out before grating the zucchini.

Do you grate or shred zucchini for bread?

The only way zucchini can be added to this bread is if it’s grated. Grate the zucchini with a box grater or food processor. Don’t chop or dice it.

Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (6)

Storing and Freezing

Store. I like to wrap my bread in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place it on the counter/pantry. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. If your house is humid, I would just place it in the refrigerator so it doesn’t get too moist, it’s already super moist.

Freeze. You can freeze zucchini bread, just make sure it is completely cooled first. To freeze, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-friendly ziploc bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (7)

For more bread recipes, check out my sweet cherry bread, blueberry banana bread, unicorn bread, and my delicious apple bread recipe!

More Zucchini Recipes

Zucchini Ranch Fries
Zucchini Bread with Pineapple
Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Bread

Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (11)

4.77 from 98 ratings

Leave a Review

Servings: 2 loaves

Zucchini Bread

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

This zucchini bread recipe is the best zucchini bread recipe EVER. I promise you that. This bread is so moist and yummy with a delicious hint of cinnamon. Not to mention, this zucchini bread is so simple to make. Pretty much just dump everything into a large bowl, mix and bake.

Print RecipePin Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray two9 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

  • In a large bowl,mix together sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat until well blended.

  • Add zucchini, applesauce and orange juice; stir well.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.

  • Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture and stir until combined.

  • Pour the batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

  • Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire rack.

Notes

  • Store. I like to wrap my bread in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place it on the counter/pantry. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. If your house is humid, I would just place it in the refrigerator so it doesn’t get too moist, it’s already super moist.
  • Freeze. You can freeze zucchini bread, just make sure it is completely cooled first. To freeze, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-friendly ziploc bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Nutrition. Calculated with each loaf sliced into 12.

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 216kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 206mg, Potassium: 64mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 59IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg

Cuisine: American

Course: Bread

Author: Jennifer

Tried this recipe?Mention @deliciouslysprinkled on Instagram or tag #deliciouslysprinkled.

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for recommending my favorite products at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Deliciously Sprinkled.

Breakfast Holiday Thanksgiving

published on Mar 20, 2023

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15 comments on “Best Zucchini Bread Recipe”

  1. Jamie Reply

    Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (12)
    Loved this zucchini bread! Added mini chocolate chips and the kids gobbled it right up!

  2. Jessica Reply

    Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (13)
    The name says it all!!! It really was the best! Super easy and when warm, with a little butter… hard to resist!

  3. Jeanne Reply

    This smells so delicious, I’m beside myself with giddy anticipation. Made a double batch (4 loaf pans) and left 2 plain and one with blueberries, the other with chocolate chips. Great way to use up those plentiful zuks!

  4. Sherry Jensen Reply

    I made this with whole wheat flour. I only had 1 loaf pan so I made 1 loaf and 24 mini muffins! The mini muffins were done in 30 minutes! I don’t think there will be any left by the time the loaf is done because they are sooooo yummy!!! Thanks for the recipe!

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Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What causes zucchini bread not to rise? ›

The most common reason for zucchini breadand other quick breads (and cakes) to collapse as they cool is the ingredients are too vigorously or quickly mixed, which incorporates lots of less stable air bubbles into the batter.

Do you squeeze out the liquid from zucchini for bread? ›

Yes! I simply squeeze the water out of the zucchini over the sink before using in this recipe. Sometimes, I squeeze the zucchini twice to make sure the excess water is removed. Some zucchini are very wet when grated and others relatively dry; squeezing out the excess water helps to regulate ingredients in the recipe.

What causes my zucchini bread to fall in the middle? ›

Adding too much or insufficient leavening agents: Adding too much leaveners will cause your quick bread to sink in the middle. Baking at a high altitude: Adjust the amount of leaveners depending on your location.

Do you leave the skin on zucchini when making bread? ›

Do you peel zucchini before making bread? You do not need to peel zucchini when making zucchini brad. Wash it off well first and then grate it.

What happens if you put too much baking powder in zucchini bread? ›

Using too much baking soda or baking powder can really mess up a recipe, causing it to rise uncontrollably and taste terrible.

How can I get my bread to rise more? ›

But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.

How many zucchinis does it take to make 2 cups grated? ›

You need 2 cups of grated zucchini for the recipe, so you will need about 3 small zucchini, 2 medium zucchini, or 1 large zucchini.

Should zucchini bread be cool before removing from pan? ›

Don't leave the loaf in the pan too long – Once you remove the bread from the oven, let it sit for 10 to15 minutes. But after that, it should be turned out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. Otherwise, the edges can get a little too done in the still-hot pan.

Why is my zucchini bread not fluffy? ›

It can look perfect coming out of the oven, but soon starts to deflate… The main issue here is that the bread just isn't cooked through. Zucchini bread batter is thick, and loaf pans are narrow and tall, so there is a lot of batter in a relatively small pan.

Where is the best place to store zucchini bread? ›

Yes, it's advisable to refrigerate zucchini bread to extend its shelf life. Zucchini bread contains moisture from ingredients like zucchini, and moisture can promote the growth of mold and bacteria at room temperature. Refrigeration helps slow down these processes, keeping the bread fresher for a more extended period.

Why does my zucchini bread taste weird? ›

When they are larger, zucchinis tend to contain more water, which leads to excess moisture in the batter. Additionally, larger zucchinis don't taste as good, with a more bitter flavor. They can also have larger seeds. These large seeds can throw off the texture of your zucchini bread.

Can you put undercooked zucchini bread back in the oven? ›

It is pretty simple to salvage an undercooked bread and create a decent loaf. Heat the oven to 350 F, return the bread to the oven, and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes. This will work even if the loaf has cooled, which is similar to par-baking bread.

How many zucchini for 1 cup grated? ›

When sliced, 1 medium zucchiniyielded about 1 to 1.25 cups and if grated, you end up with about 2/3 cup of tamped down zucchini. If you need 1 cup of cooked sliced zucchini, due to shrinkage while heated it will take about 3 medium zucchini, sliced, to hit the mark.

How to grade zucchini for zucchini bread? ›

Grate, don't chop.

Here's how to grate a zucchini: Cut off the ends of the zucchini and rub it against the shredder side of a box grater to make a pile of squash that's perfectly sized for baking zucchini bread. You can also use the shredder blade in your food processor to quickly shred zucchini.

Why doesn't my bread seem to be rising? ›

To fix dough that won't rise, try placing the dough on the lowest rack in your oven along with a baking pan filled with boiling water. Close the oven door and let the dough rise. Increasing the temperature and moisture can help activate the yeast in the dough so it rises. You can also try adding more yeast.

Why is my bread suddenly not rising? ›

Yeast is too hot Yeast may have been dissolved in water that was too hot, or the liquid ingredients in the recipe may be too hot, causing the yeast to die. Yeast needs to be warm - not too hot, not too cold. Yeast is too cold If the other ingredients are too cold, it could cause some of the yeast to die.

What did I do wrong if my bread didn't rise? ›

To avoid future flops, check out these reasons your bread might not be rising.
  • The Yeast Is Too Old. TMB studio. ...
  • The Water Is Too Hot. TMB studio. ...
  • It's Too Cold. TMB studio. ...
  • Too Much Salt. TMB studio. ...
  • Too Much Sugar. TMB studio. ...
  • Too Much Flour. TMB studio. ...
  • Using Whole Grains. TMB studio. ...
  • The Exterior Is Too Dry. TMB studio.
Feb 19, 2021

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