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
Love this recipe. So easy to make and delicious.
Could you double the recipe and bake it in a Bundt pan?
Hi Elaine, We have not tested this recipe in a Bundt pan but you would likely need 1.5 times the batter. You can read all about the capacity of different size pans in our post Cake Pan Sizes and Conversions. Same oven temperature, we’re unsure of the bake time.
This was my first time making zucchini bread. This recipe made it easy to do. Plus I had my twin grandsons helping me.
Made this the other day. I used plain greek yogurt, mini chocolate chips and walnuts and it turned out fantastic. Couldn’t stop eating it
This recipie by far is the best i have tried, i added about a cup of shredded carrotts to it too, came out so good!
I can’t wait to put this recipe to use today
Pinterest won’t let me search for this recipe it thinks I am going to self harm the only worry is me trying not to eat all this delicious bread
I loved the zucchini cake. I wondered when you measure grated zucchini DO YOU PACK it firm? Or lightly? in measuring cups?
Hi Denise, pack it in lightly. Measuring with weight guarantees the most accurate measurement!
Doing the.zuchini bread with real apples. Yum!
Big hit!! Definitely an upgrade from the old recipe I’ve been using for years! Thank you so much!
Great recipe. My family loves it. I have baked about a couple hundred muffins this summer and have a few in the freezer. I have to be quick or they disappear off the counter before they are cool. I now have the recipe memorized and will be in my baking rotation. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely divine!!! A perfectly yummy loaf. I followed the recipe exactly.
I just made two loaves using Cucuzzi (edible gord) and this recipe with the sour cream option. Turned out great! Thanks for this keeper recipe!
Pretty good
This was the first recipe that popped up when I searched Google and I’m happy I tried it out! It’s perfectly sweet and moist. Thanks for the recipe! I will be making this again
I used more applesauce, 1 banana and less oil and sugar. It was excellent!
So excited to try this…how high do I fill the bread pan with the mix?
Hi Carol, if using a 9×5 pan, you will use all the batter. It will be about 1/2 way to 2/3 full.
I have made several loaves of this zucchini bread. EVERYONE loves it saying it’s the best they ever had.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I would like to know how long to bake the zucchini bread in mini loaf pans? And at what temperature? Thank you
They’re size 5 3/4 IN. X 3 1/4 IN. X 2IN.
Hi Joanne! You can absolutely make these in mini loaf pans. Same temperature, but we’re unsure of the exact time needed. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. So glad it’s a hit!
Hi! Can I use melted butter instead of oil? Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Andrea, melted butter will work in a pinch, but we strongly recommend sticking with oil. It makes for a supremely moist loaf of bread!
This is the best recipe! Generally speaking I didn’t like zucchini bread at all. It tends to be too dense or too dry, but this is superb! Moist and delicious. Do you think substituting some whole wheat flour would effect the taste too much? Like maybe 1/2 or 3/4 of a cup?
Hi Kaeleigh, we’re so glad you enjoyed this zucchini bread! You can certainly try swapping some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. The bread may taste a bit more dense.
Zucchini bread is delicious. Allergic to apples so I used honey vanilla yogurt and walnuts. Definitely a keeper. Thanks.
Wow, this was such a great recipe! Fluffy, moist, and the eighth amount of sweet. I halved the recipe and added a tiny dash of apple cider vinegar, chocolate chunks, & walnuts.
Would l have to alter the recipe if using mini loaf pans
Hi Ronnie, You can absolutely make these in mini loaf pans. Same temperature, but baking time will be less and depend on the exact size of your pans. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Thanks again!
My family is very picky, and I have tried many, many zucchini bread recipes. No need to look any further! This is the one – a keeper. I used chocolate chips and walnuts.
Delicious! Used yogurt instead of applesauce and added chocolate chips for the kiddos! Absolutely fantastic!
Incredible recipe! I’ve made 6 loaves so far! I had a bit of leftover batter and tried making pancakes. Now my husband wants those every week!
The best zucchini bread I have ever baked. It’s delicious.
I liked the original recipe better, but I hadn’t printed it. Was it the same except for the extra egg and zucchini, and minus the applesauce?
Thank you!
Hi Cherry, you can find the original recipe in the recipe Notes section. Hope this helps!
I made this recipe , added chopped walnuts . It is THE BEST Zucchini Bread that I have ever made . This recipe is a keeper . THANK YOU
I made this last night to have with our morning coffee. I used monk fruit sweetner along with the brown sugar. Delicious! Definitely a keeper recipe!
I doubled the recipe and made muffins and a loaf. Delicious. My toddler devoured his.