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
I added 1/2 cup of Miracle whip because I had no apple sauce. Tasted really good and has a tangy taste which I love
Can I use 8 x 8x 2” pan
Hi Therese, yes, that holds the same amount of batter; baking time will be shorter, use a toothpick to test for doneness. Enjoy!
This was excellent. Lovely soft texture and nice flavor. We used sour cream, and due to allergies did flax eggs. The family gobbled it up.
So glad it was a hit, Christina!
Made this recipe and used baking instructions for muffins (still too hot here to bake for 1 hr!) Moist, flavorful, marvelous!!
I had to sub some grated carrot, only because my zucchini wasn’t big enough. Still 2/3 zucchini — and the grated carrot cooked up soft.
I used Greek yogurt as suggested instead of applesauce.
Added 1/4 tsp allspice and heaped the measure of cinnamon.
Pecans were a good add!
My muffin tin is old, and maybe bigger than most — made 12 muffins but not really filled to the top. Using this high heat method they rose nicely, and were done within time recommended!
Extremely good, on the sweet side, doubt they’ll last very long!!!
Winner, winner!
How about avocado oil and coconut palm sugar?
Hi Lora, you could use avocado oil in place of the vegetable/coconut oil. We haven’t tested coconut palm sugar here, but if you do give it a try, the results will likely be a bit different. Let us know if you try it!
I’m nervous about how mine will turn out. You said the batter was thick, and mine was fairly thin. It’s in the oven now, hoping it turns out. I tripled the recipe because of all the great comments, and even triple checked the recipe, but still kind of thin.
This is fantastic! I followed the recipe and added about 1/2 cup semi-sweet chips! A keeper! The only zucchini bread recipe I need! Thank you!
Baked these as muffins this morning and they came out DELICIOUS! This is the first and only time I’ve successfully baked zucchini bread, so THANK YOU! I love that it uses the moisture of the zucchini instead of making me work to dry it out. This recipe is a keeper – will stay on my go-to list!
I’ve already squeezed the water from my zucchini after shredding. Can I still use it?
Hi Victoria, the extra moisture from the zucchini helps produce a moist loaf of bread here. You can certainly try it, but you might find the bread a little dry. You may find it better to use in a recipe that calls for zucchini that has been squeezed and drained, like these zucchini biscuits or zucchini fritters. Let us know what you try!
Best zucchini bread! So moist and flavorful. Boyfriend approved!
You are just so sweet. You make it look so easy.
This was the best zucchini bread I’ve ever had (don’t tell my mom!). I added homemade applesauce and it was gone in a couple hours!
I got some yellow squash from a friend whose garden grew an over abundance. Can I use that instead?
Hi Tammy, absolutely!
Hi. I played with another recipe I had and I used apples, sweet potatoes and, of course, zucchini. I didn’t change anything else and all were really good. You could even use part this and part that, it’s all good.
Made this today and love it! I added a handful of chocolate chips and went with Greek yogurt instead of applesauce. It is not too sweet, nice and moist, and I love that you don’t have to press the water out of the zucchini, that is a bonus
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.
bread turned out beautiful. so glad to use a recipe that doesn’t call for squeezing the zucchini 🙂
I enjoyed this recipe. The zucchini bread was moist, had a nice texture, and the combination of spices was suble and sweet. I used the yogurt rather than the applesauce.
It may be the best zucchini bread I’ve ever tasted! I made 2 of them and will be dropping the 2nd one off at our daughter’s apartment later today. Easy, light, and healthy! What more can one ask?
This is a great recipe! Now I want to convert to 3 smaller loaf pans. What is the adjusted baking time? Thanks in advance!
Hi Joy, you can use this recipe to make smaller loaves. Yield and exact bake time will depend on the size of your mini loaf pans. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
I just made this recipe, I used Sour cream and added the walnuts so delicious can’t wait to make more
This bread is consistently moist and delicious. I’ve subbed sour cream, yogurt and peach purée for the applesauce and it comes out great!!
Could I use pumpkin instead of applesauce? Thanks!
Hi Jess, that should work just fine here. Enjoy!
Absolutely delicious! I made these as muffins and followed the instructions exactly. My family loved them!! Definitely a keeper
Made your recipe. My daughter-in-law said this zucchini bread was “delectable”.
Grand-kids also devoured!! Followed recipe exactly. Next time I’ll make muffins.
Excellent recipe. Zucchini bread turned out light, fluffy and moist. Thank you.
can this recipe be used in mini loaf pans. if so how long to bake I assure it would about half the time of regualr size loaf pan..
Hi Lynn, you can use this recipe to make mini loaves. Yield and exact bake time will depend on the size of your mini loaf pans. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
This recipe is delicious! Was given a huge zucchini and decided to try this. I used plain Greek yogurt instead of applesauce. It came out of the oven at 12:30 p.m. and was gone by 4 p.m. Need I say more!
Makes me think of gingerbread, the spice blend is good.
The very best zucchini bread recipe! I had a very large zucchini that I neglected to see in my garden and used this. I didn’t use the inside just mostly the outside of the zucchini. This is absolutely the best bread ever..please make this one!
My loaf came out a little dry after baking the minimum amount of time, but I think it’s because I used a julienne peeler to shred only the outer, very firm parts of the zucchini and chop it into 1″ pieces, so my zucchini was actually pretty dry when I added it to the batter. I probably should have used the whole squash to leave more moisture in it. I’ll do that next time, or add a little more applesauce. I’d add a little more cinnamon next time too – can’t get enough of that spice! This recipe is a keeper.
Perfect recipe! Best Zuc Bread ever!!! Flavorful, moist, great texture. A keeper for sure!