Perfect every single time, this is the best zucchini bread we’ve ever had!
An extra moist quick bread recipe with a warm cinnamon flavor (and a handful of nuts if you’d like)!
The zucchini in this loaf keeps the bread moist and light while adding the perfect texture! Much like Banana Bread, this quick bread is even better on day 2!
Here’s Why We Can’t Get Enough
Zucchini is great for baking and can be added to brownies, cakes, muffins, or add it to pumpkin bread.
- Zucchini contains a lot of water keeping baked goods extra moist.
- Don’t worry, you can’t taste the zucchini in this recipe!
- This recipe freezes well and keeps for a few days.
- This zucchini bread recipe makes two loaves, so it’s perfect to make one to enjoy and one to give away (or freeze).
How to Prepare Zucchini for Bread
Most recipes call for grated zucchini, which is as simple as grabbing a cheese grater and getting to work!
To Peel or Not to Peel?
It is not necessary to peel zucchini when you’re making a zucchini loaf. Zucchini skin is thin and softens while baking and it is not noticeable in flavor or texture in the loaf. The skin also contains lots of vitamins and minerals.
To Grate Zucchini for Bread
Grate zucchini with the larger size of a box grater or food processor (don’t dice or chop it). You want shreds of moisture in every bite! Once grated, if can be added to the batter, do not squeeze the zucchini dry.
How to Make Zucchini Bread
Like most quick bread recipes, this is easy to make and requires just a few minutes to prep. I line my loaf pans with parchment paper to make the bread extra easy to remove.
- Grate Zucchini: Use the larger side of a box grater to shred zucchini.
- Prep Wet & Dry Ingredients: Combine wet ingredients & dry ingredients in separate bowls (per recipe below).
- Combine. Stir wet and dry ingredients just until moistened.
- Bake. Pour into prepared pans and bake.
Serve it with apple butter, icing, strawberry butter, jam, or honey butter.
Variations
- add chopped walnuts or pecans
- swap the cinnamon for other warm spices like pumpkin pie spice or add a pinch of nutmeg
- dried cranberries or raisins are a great addition
- swap out the walnuts for chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips
Tips for Great Bread
- Ensure ingredients are at room temperature.
- Combine the dry ingredients with a whisk, this acts a bit like sifting the flour
- Cooking times can vary slightly so be sure to check the bread early.
- Bake just until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Small to medium zucchinis (or even summer squash) work best, larger zucchini may need to be seeded (and peeled if the skin is tough).
To Freeze or Store
Keep zucchini bread on the counter for up to 2 days. It’s very moist so if you’ll be keeping it longer you’ll want to freeze it.
Freezer: Like most quick bread, you can freeze zucchini bread. Be sure to cool completely first. Freeze it in slices wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Freezing in slices makes it easy to thaw just as much as you’d like to eat.
More Zucchini Favorites
- Easy Baked Zucchini – Popular
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread
- Zucchini Brownies with 1 Minute Frosting – Chocolate fix fave!
- Easy Stuffed Zucchini Boats – Easy dinner!
- Grilled Zucchini – Quick side.
- Crispy Zucchini Fries (oven baked) – fave summer snack.
The Best Zucchini Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups zucchini grated/shredded
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Prepare two 8×4 loaf pans with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the zucchini, oil, and vanilla and mix together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Add the walnuts and mix till just combined.
- Divide evenly over the prepared pans and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, remove from the pan, and cool on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This recipe is amazing. Comes out perfectly every time. It’s full of flavor and very moist. Tastes even more amazing with chocolate chips.
Has anybody used a replacement for the eggs in this recipe and had success?
I made this recipe as listed except for one minor change. It was delicious. We do not eat much sugar in our house so I knew 1 cup would be plenty. The bread was so moist. I was slightly surprised that is didn’t rise much. It was very dense and delicious. I used very large zucchini and didn’t scoop the seeds out but thought maybe I should. Nobody said a word about it and I was glad I had a second loaf to freeze. The family is already begging me to make another loaf.
Made this in a bundt pan, added chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Turned out great!
This receipe sounds amazing! I have lots of zucchini from last summer’s garden in the freezer. Will frozen and thawed zucchini work?
Hi Suzy, if using frozen zucchini it should still be fine with the water squeezed out of it. If you find the defrosted zucchini overly watery you can even drain a little off before adding to the bread.
Love this recipe with its many variations. Delicious, like Mom use to make.
This is my go 2, no fail add dates, raisins, whatever.
Hi I am not a fan of vegetable oil, can I use coconut oil instead? would the quantity be the same?
thank you
You can use melted coconut oil and the quantity would be the same. The flavor might be a bit different but I think it would be delish!
Delicious! I made it with green tomatoes chopped in food processor. I added 2/3 c raisins and grated peel of 1 orange, and 1/2 c pistachios. Turned out great! New use for my unripened tomatoes at the end of the season.
Iam going to make the zucchini bread tomorrow and I will let you know how it turned out
Can you substitute butter for oil?
Hi Nancy, I have only tried this recipe as written so I can’t say for sure, but other readers have used butter in place of oil with great results!
I add apple sauce for oil.
Perfect every time. I Have made it at least 20 times. ❤️
Mhmmmm
I’ve made this twice, and it was perfect both times. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
followed the recipe to the t. I have never had a recipe fail so hard. They are super flat and super dry.
Sorry this recipe didn’t work out as expected, Taylor! Is your baking soda fresh? Usually that’s the culprit for quick breads that don’t fluff up. Over mixing the batter could have contributed as well.
Hey Taylor! I also followed this recipe and actually it turned out perfectly. Maybe you’re the problem?
Or maybe, just maybe you don’t know how to bake ♀️ Do you always become this rude when someone tries to help you? I’d say, stay out of the kitchen and let the professionals handle it, because obviously this recipe has had a lot of successes from people when they made it.
After making this bread I will never make any others. It is moist and I like that it is full of nuts. Thank you so much for so many good recipes.
This recipe looks great :) Can I make it in mini loaf pans? How long would I need to cook it?
Hi Donna, another reader has made 4 mini loaves with this recipe and baked for roughly 40 mins. I would watch the time and check for doneness with a toothpick. We would love to hear how it turns out for you!
No. It will not work in mini loaf pans. Sorry.
Other readers have made 4 mini loaves with this recipe and baked for roughly 40 mins with good results!
A little too sweet for my taste.
Then don’t eat it.
I am going to be making this over the holidays and was wondering if you had the weight measurements for the ingredients – as in the Zucchini – you say 2 cups, but is that exactly 16 oz.; are the cups packed or unpacked.
thank you
Hi Paula, we use 2 cups of shredded zucchini, unpacked.