Easy Zucchini Bread Recipe
This easy zucchini bread recipe is super soft, ultra moist, and simply spiced with cinnamon. Makes two loaves. Eat one now and freeze one for later.
Zucchini Recipes
Chances are if you’re looking for a zucchini bread recipe, you’ve got a lot of zucchini on your hands. Or maybe you’re just excited to make some classic zucchini bread, which I am happy to share the recipe for today.
Growing up my mom only ever made chocolate zucchini cake. Everyone loves chocolate cake, and the cocoa masked the green specks of zucchini impeccably. We never really knew it was in there until our mom told us — my youngest brother was not happy about that.
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I’ve adapted that family recipe to make chocolate zucchini muffins, studded with chocolate chips, for an easy grab-and-go option.
Another favorite zucchini recipe is my lemon zucchini bread with sour cream. So tangy, moist, and delicious!
On the flip-side, if you are wanting something savory, shredded zucchini and carrots make a wonderful veggie side dish that is similar to a noodle or rice. It’s nice to have options when you’ve got lots of zucchini.
Easy Zucchini Bread Recipe
This easy zucchini bread recipe is a classic. Spiced with cinnamon and packed with zucchini. Everyone has their favorite version, but this is the simple, no-frills, tried and true recipe. It’s super kid-friendly too.
This recipe makes two loaves and freezes well. You can even turn the batter into muffins, if you want to.
All you need to make this zucchini bread recipe is two of your best loaf pans and these ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Ground Cinnamon
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar (or half granulated sugar + half brown sugar)
- Eggs
- Canola/Vegetable Oil (or half oil + half applesauce)
- Vanilla Extract
- Shredded Zucchini
How to Make Zucchini Bread
No need for a mixer.
- Sift the dry ingredients. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until combined well.
- Stir in the shredded zucchini.
- Fold in the dry ingredients, until just incorporated. Do not over-mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between two loaf pans that have been greased and floured.
- Bake at 350˚F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
- When done baking, cool zucchini bread in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.
NOTE: Mini loaves will take 35-40 minutes and muffins will take 18-20 minutes.
Zucchini Bread tastes even better the next day after the flavors meld together.
OPTION – Dust pans with cinnamon-sugar (instead of flour) and sprinkle some extra cinnamon-sugar on top of the batter before baking the zucchini bread for a crisp, flavorful crust.
Storing and Freezing
Wrap zucchini bread loaves in plastic wrap or place sliced bread into a zip-top bag. Store at room temperature up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator up to 7-10 days.
To freeze, double wrap loaves with plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature while still wrapped.
Do you peel the zucchini for zucchini bread?
No. You do not need to peel the zucchini for zucchini bread. Unless you are trying really hard to hide it from your kids, it’s simply not necessary.
What does zucchini do in bread?
Zucchini boosts moisture in bread, just like bananas or applesauce. Since it is mild in flavor, it pairs well many things, like cinnamon or chocolate.
Should you squeeze water out of zucchini for bread?
That depends. The water in zucchini helps moisten the cake, but too much can make the bread mushy and hard to bake through in the middle. If you shred the zucchini and water pools at the bottom, it’s best to drain it.
NOTE: Store-bought zucchinis tend to be more more dry, whereas freshly picked zucchinis from the garden will have lots of moisture. For a juicy zucchini, place the shredded zucchini in a sieve or colander over a bowl to drain any excess water. For a dry zucchini, splash some water on it and drain any excess with a colander or sieve.
How to Grate Zucchini
- Wash the zucchini and pat dry.
- Trim off each end.
- Using the largest holes of a box grater, grate the zucchini. (Alternatively use a food processor with the shredding disk.)
NOTE: Over-grown garden zucchinis need to be peeled and have the seeds removed. Peel the outside first. Slice off the ends, cut the zucchini in half vertically and scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Then proceed to shred.
How many zucchinis is 2 cups grated?
This zucchini bread recipe uses 2 cups of shredded zucchini. One to two medium/small zucchinis will be enough for 2 cups. Keep in mind if the zucchini is extra watery, you may lose volume after draining any excess liquid.
NOTE: One store-bought zucchini about 8 to 9-inches long and 1 1/2 to 2-inches in diameter was exactly 2 cups for me.
Easy Zucchini Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon, & level)
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar*
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (237 ml) oil*, (canola/vegetable)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260 g) shredded zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 8×4-inch loaf pans. Set aside.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until combined well. Stir in the shredded zucchini.
- Fold in the dry ingredients, until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.
- Bake at 350˚F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
- When done baking, cool zucchini bread in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Wrap loaves in plastic wrap or place sliced bread into a zip-top bag. Store the zucchini bread at room temperature up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator up to 7-10 days.
Notes
- SUGAR – May use half granulated sugar and half brown sugar.
- OIL – May use half oil and half applesauce.
- ZUCCHINI – You will need 1-2 small/medium zucchinis to equal 2 cups shredded/grated. If zucchini is juicy, place it in a sieve or colander to drain excess water before using. If using over-grown zucchini, peel the skin and remove seeds before shredding.
- MINI LOAVES – Bake at 350˚F for 35-40 minutes.
- MUFFINS – Bake at 350˚F for 18-20 minutes.
- TO FREEZE – Double wrap loaves with plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature while still wrapped.
Nutrition
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