Moist and delicious, this has been dubbed the best zucchini bread by so many people!
This zucchini bread recipe make two loaves that are extra moist with a warm cinnamon flavor (and a handful of nuts if you’d like)!
Here’s Why We Can’t Get Enough…
- Adding shredded zucchini to bread makes baking extra moist.
- It’s easy to make with ingredients you likely have on hand.
- This zucchini bread recipe freezes well or keeps for a few days on the counter.
- 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
Peeling zucchini: There is no need to peel medium or small zucchini as the skin is very thin and will not add noticeable flavor or texture. If you’re using an extra large zucchini from the garden, it can be peeled and the seeds should be removed by scraping with a spoon.
Grating zucchini: This recipe uses grated zucchini. Use the larger holes on a box grater or a food processor grater (don’t dice or chop it). Once grated, do not squeeze the zucchini dry, as the liquid keeps it moist.
How to Make Zucchini Bread
Like most quick bread recipes, this zucchini loaf is easy to make and requires just a few minutes of prep time. 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 and dry ingredients in separate bowls (recipe below).
- Combine: Stir wet and dry ingredients just until moistened.
- Bake: Pour into prepared pans and bake.
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 The Best Zucchini Bread
- Small to medium zucchinis (or even summer squash) work best.
- Ensure ingredients are at room temperature.
- Combine the dry ingredients with a whisk, this acts a bit like sifting the flour.
- Do not overmix.
- Cooking times can vary slightly, so be sure to check the bread early and bake just until a toothpick comes out clean.
Freezing and Storage
You can store zucchini bread on the counter for up to 2 days. It’s very moist, so if you’ll be keeping it longer than 2 days, refrigerate or freeze it.
Freezer: Like most quick bread, zucchini bread can be frozen. 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 Treats
Did you make this homemade Zucchini Bread? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
The Best Zucchini Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups grated zucchini about 2 small
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease two 8×4-inch loaf pans or line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt with a whisk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the grated zucchini, oil, and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients and the walnuts to the zucchini mixture. Gently stir just until combined.
- Divide the batter 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
- This recipe should be baked in 8×4-inch loaf pans (not 9×5-inch pans).
- Use the larger side of a box grater to shred the zucchini. There is no need to peel it first unless it is a very large garden zucchini with thick skin.
- If the zucchini is extra large (from the garden), you may need to scrape out some of the seeds with a spoon.
- Do not squeeze the zucchini dry, moisture is needed for this bread.
- Store zucchini bread at room temperature for up to 2 days. It’s very moist so if you’ll be keeping it longer you’ll want to refrigerate or freeze it.
- To freeze, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic, then place in zip freezer bag for up to a year.
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.
I have made about 12 loaves of this since discovering it, sharing with my neighbors and family!!
This recipe is aptly named-as it is THE BEST!!
Everyone who ate it absolutely raved about it!!
Thank you so much!!
Hi, Holly! Will this recipe still work if I choose to leave out the nuts? I love nuts, but the folks I’m baking for prefer none. Wanted to be sure the texture of the bread wouldn’t suffer without them. Thank you!
It should be fine without the nuts, Becky!
The recipe for one batch and two batches says divide among two pans and it changes every time you scroll so you don’t know if the recipe is for one or two or three batches. I’m waiting to see if this works but I hope it does.
Hi Staci, we divide this recipe over two loaf pans. I hope that helps!
Came out great! Loved it !
Where’s the recipe/ingredients to make the items???????????
Hi Emma, you can use the jump to recipe button at the top of the page or scroll towards the bottom of the post to find the full recipe and ingredients list. I hope that helps!
It’s amazing and a favourite of ours!! Although I double the cinnamon , only use 1 cup of sugar, and also make sure not to chop the walnuts too small . Thx so much for this fab recipe!!
I love this recipe. still I even used it in large muffin pans The only difference is cooking time about 22 minutes
found this Zucchini bread bread very good not too sweet but tasteful And moist. Great for reheating. The only thing I changed was I usedI Olive oil and half butter.
Wow! This is by far the bestZucchini Bread I have made! And I am always trying different recipes. I only used 3/4 cup of pecans and added same amount of raisins! Yummy!
Me an my wife love the Zucchini Bread recipe, but……
I am in the processes of freezing my shredded zucchini and all the instructions on freezing says that you need to squeeze out the water before freezing,
While the recipe says not to squeeze the water out of the shredded zucchini, what do you do about frozen shredded zucchini? Would you need to add extra water to frozen zucchini if it has been squeezed before freezing?
Hi John, 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.
Great zucchini bread recipe. Moist like advertised.
I tried other recipes and the center was always raw. This is a wonderful recipe and our family loved it! Thank you for sharing1
I used one larger pan and the time was more like 1hour 25 min. Delish.
Holly! First let me say, your site is a STAPLE in my house when I want to try new recipes! Everything I’ve made from here has been wildly successful and delicious.
I made this tonight and split it amongst four mini loaf pans. I subbed applesauce for the oil and made no other changes. The loaves came out rubbery/springy? If that makes sense. Very moist, delicious flavor…the texture was just super strange. I read through SO many comments and didn’t see this mentioned. I’m a pretty seasoned home baker/chef, so I’m curious if you’d have any idea why this would be? My first thought was too many eggs – but three seems pretty normal…hmmm.
I’m so glad you’ve loved the recipes Rachel!
By replacing all of the oil for applesauce, you’ve removed all of the fat from the recipe. Oil is fat while applesauce is mainly water since it’s made from pureed apples. If you do try this recipe again, I would suggest using the oil as listed in the recipe or replacing only a small part of the oil with applesauce. Hope that helps!
Could you add a banana to this recipe and make zucchini banana bread? Or would that cause too much problem with the rest of the ingredients?
Thank you
I haven’t personally added a banana to this recipe but other readers have with great results.
Can you use a Zucchini spiralizer?
We usually shred it for this recipe but that sounds like it would work well!
Made banana and zucchini bread this morning both are delicious. I will make again and again. Will try more recipes of yours. Thank you. My company will enjoy when they arrive.
I had to come here to share my experience with this bread. A sweet boy on my bus gave me a slice, wrappedin foil. It was hands down, without a doubt, the BEST bread I’ve ever had!! Not just best zucchini bread…. best bread period. Even topped the yummiest banana bread I’ve had. I messaged his mother and told her and asked her to share the recipe with me. When I learned it came from Spendwithpennies, a favorite site of mine,, it all made sence! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
That is such a sweet story. Thanks for sharing it with us, Dani!
This was delicious and very easy to make.
I had a very large zucchini from my garden so I had to seed it but I’m making a double batch today to use the remaining zucchini. Just my taste but I’m going to cut the sugar by just a bit a little sweet, my husband disagrees Thank you for a keeper recipe.
Wow! the best bread I have ever made..