Zucchini Bread
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Turn your zucchini bounty into tender, sweet zucchini bread—so perfectly delicious, even kids will beg for seconds!
Looking for a delicious way to use up all that zucchini? I’ve got you covered with over a dozen zucchini recipes, from zucchini muffins and zucchini fritters to wholesome zucchini soup. But the recipe that truly takes the cake—quite literally—is this classic zucchini bread (and its decadent cousin, chocolate zucchini bread). Despite the generous portion of shredded zucchini in the batter, it magically disappears during baking, leaving you with a delicious bread that tastes more like a snack cake. It’s incredibly easy to prepare, and if you have little ones around, it’s a fantastic way to sneak some veggies into their diet. Swap the nuts and currants for chocolate chips, and they’ll be none the wiser while happily asking for seconds!
“I have made zucchini bread for 50 years, using one recipe. Thank goodness I tried this one—we loved it and will never go back!”
What You’ll Need To Make Zucchini Bread
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure and forms the base of the bread.
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg: Warm, aromatic spice flavors that complement the zucchini.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Leavening agents that help the bread rise and become fluffy.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add moisture and richness.
- Sugar: Sweetens the bread and adds moisture.
- Zucchini: Adds moisture and texture (you’ll need two medium zucchinis; do not wring out the liquid).
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor (should be melted and slightly cooled).
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the bread.
- Walnuts, currants (or raisins), chocolate chips (optional): Add-ins to customize the flavor of the bread. Whatever combination you use, total add-ins should not exceed 1½ cups.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
In another large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until well combined.
Add the grated zucchini, melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to liquid mixture and mix well.
Add the nuts, currants, and/or chocolate chips. Stir just until combined.
Divide the batter into two greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-in loaf pans.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until tester comes out clean. Set the pans on wire rack and let cool about 10 minutes, then turn loaves out onto rack to cool completely.
How To Freeze Zucchini Bread
Zucchini bread can be frozen for up to three months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap, or place in a freezer bag. Thaw the bread overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Lightly toast individual slices for best results.
Video Tutorial
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Zucchini Bread
Turn your zucchini bounty into tender, sweet zucchini bread—so perfectly delicious, even kids will beg for seconds!
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups grated zucchini (you'll need two medium zucchinis; do not wring out the liquid)
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted if desired (optional; see note)
- ½ cup currants or raisins (optional; see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and set rack in middle position. Generously grease two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to mix well.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar. Add the grated zucchini, melted butter, and vanilla extract; using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to liquid ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the nuts and currants, then divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Set the pans on a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn the loaves out onto rack to cool completely.
- Note: You can also add chocolate chips to this bread. I typically use about 1 cup of chocolate chips instead of nuts and currants. Whatever combination you use, just be sure total add-ins (nuts, currants, chips) do not exceed 1½ cups.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Serving size: 1-inch slice
- Calories: 302
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Sugar: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 65mg
- Cholesterol: 252mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jenn is zucchini bread not as moist as banana bread? This was my first time having zucchini bread and I was just wondering if it’s supposed to be as moist as banana bread.
Generally, I would consider them to be equally moist, but I suspect it varies a bit based on the recipes of both.
Lovely recipe. Mine looked just like the photo. Tasted great. Didn’t have walnuts but toasted pecans were perfect.
Delicious!
This recipe is very good!
Hi Jenn,
Once again another delicious recipe. I made five mini loaves versus the two big loaves since it is just my husband and me. I will freeze four of them and take them out of freezer as needed. I liked this recipe so much with the walnuts etc. Will make one day with just the chocolate chips and use it more for a dessert. Some zucchini bread recipes have too much cinnamon and nutmeg. Yours was absolutely perfect. I baked the mini loaves about 40 mins. I checked several times until they were just perfect. LOVE YOUR RECIPES.
💕
In making your zucchini bread, is there a good substitute for the butter? I have high triglycerides and trt not to eat fat. Would applesauce or canola oil be a substitute and if so what amount? Thank you
Hi Mary, You can replace half the amount of butter in the recipe with applesauce; so in this case, use half a cup of butter and half a cup of applesauce. I’m not sure how coconut oil is in regard to triglycerides, but I believe you could successfully replace the butter with it. Hope that helps – please let me know how it turns out if you try the bread with either of these tweaks!
Jenn. so easy, so GOOD! The best zucchini bread I have ever made. Butter makes everything so much better. Used fresh grated nutmeg and chopped walnuts. Would have put in chocolate chips, but had none in the house. Fifty five minutes for two beautifully browned loaves. Am going to try it with some drained crushed pineapple. Would you say about 1/3 of a cup? Sending one to my granddaughter and the other is quickly disappearing.
Glad you like this Carol. 🙂 I think crushed pineapple would work here; just make sure it’s very well drained so it doesn’t add too much moisture to the batter. And I think 1/3 cup is perfect. I’d love to hear how it is with the pineapple!
Finally did it with crushed pineapple, well drained, lovely. However, while in the past 55 minutes has always been perfect, this time around, although it tested done, it needed another five minutes as there was just a little touch of wetness in the center , so little that we are eating around it. I am assuming it was because of the pineapple.
Yep, I assume that’s what it was. 🙂
Hi Jenn, I just made these loves tonight. My one zucchini made 2 cups grated; I reduced the sugar to 1 cup as I usually reduce sugar in most of my baking. I also used almond extract as I had no vanilla. I toasted 1 cup walnuts and used 1/2 cup chocolate chips. I gave one loaf to my girlfriend who had me over for dinner. It’s perfect, moist and full of flavour! Thank you, this is my new go-to zucchini bread recipe!
This is the best recipe I found used others and not as good my new favorite recipe.
Hello. I recently tried your pumpkin bread recipe and my kids ate it all it one day! I now wanted to try this one but I have pureed zucchini instead of grated. Would the recipe still work if I used the pureed instead?
Hi Samantha, Glad to hear everyone liked the pumpkin bread! 🙂 I haven’t tried this with pureed zucchini, but I suspect it should work. Please LMK how it turns out if you make it!
Hello Jenn – I did make this today but found I only had 2 cups of pureed zucchini and so I added 1 cup of pumpkin puree. As a result, I adjusted the cinnamon down to 1 tsp and added 1/2 tsp of cloves (looking back at your pumpkin bread recipe for inspiration). I left other ingredients the same and it came out wonderfully. I baked ~50 minutes in 4 mini-loaf pans (my kids LOVE mini versions of things) and within 2 hours out of the oven, 2 of the loaves were gobbled up. This zucchini pumpkin bread is one I’ll add to my recipe book. Thank you!