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)!
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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!
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.
good recipe. I added an extra egg to ensure a monster bread. thanks
I love zucchini bread, but is there any way of cutting back the sugar in your recipe as I have just been informed by my doctor that my blood sugar level has risen to the point that she wants me to cut back!
I haven’t tried this recipe with less sugar so I can’t say for sure. Sugar adds sweetness but it also keeps the loaf moist and tender. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
I used just a cup of sugar but I did half cane and half dark brown sugar and it was perfect. I’m diabetic so I am always looking for ways to reduce the sugar. I’m planning on making another batch but adding unsweetened applesauce and reducing the sugar to 3/4 a cup. lol I’m always tweaking great recipes that I find
My favorite recipe! I do tweak it though and use 1 cup of brown sugar and half cup of white and I add drained crushed pineapple.. Yummy
Yum! That sounds delicious, Michelle.
I love this, but I added a tablespoon of baking powder and two tablespoons of cocoa powder. It is the best bread ever!
I made 2 different recipes, I went through the recipes on Google they where basically all the same, so I made my first 2 loaves like that. It was dry not so good, too much cinnamon. I made spend with Pennies, I was happy with less sugar than the other ones, And this one was so much more moist. I will be baking and cooking with Penny. Penny thank you
after reading all of the reviews I decided I really needed to give this recipe a try with a few adjustments. I subbed out the vegetable oil for melted coconut oil. I used one cup of maple syrup instead of sugar. The batter was a little runny because of the extra liquid from the maple syrup so I added one tablespoon of Chia seeds, two tablespoons of flaxseed meal, and three tablespoons of coconut flour. I used mini loaf pans instead of a regular loaf pan and it made six mini loaves. They all rose perfectly fine and the outcome was fantastic. They are absolutely delicious.
Really moist and nice flavor. I doubled the recipe and made loaves and muffins.
I also substituted coconut oil for vegetable oil because that’s all I had on hand.
It came out great.
Love this recipe! I added nutmeg, dried cranberries & raisins….delicious! We have a ton of zucchini from our garden & this is a wonderful recipe, everyone has enjoyed so far!
I just tripled this recipe for a mega zucchini bread bake and it’s delicious. Funny though is that mine came out so flat and dense (yet still absolutely moist and delicious) and I just noticed that I forgot to put in the baking soda (in my defense I was making these with 3 small kids). So will definitely use this recipe again and add the baking soda. My first loaf I added all the sugar it called for and felt it was too much (although my kids would disagree) so reduced to only a cup and came out great. Loved the simplicity of it and made with all items that were in my pantry and a nice way to use up the giant zucchini that was missed in the garden. Now if only there was a way to fit in more zuchinni into the loaf as I have a box of zucchini left.
I added dried cranberries and that added an extra touch.
I never get tired of making this zucchini bread, especially when my garden gives me so many zucchinis. Thanks.
I love it too! It’s such a delicious way to use garden zucchini.
This recipe is wonderful!!! So moist and so very tasty..I added some walnuts, chopped prunes..Didn’t have vanilla extract so I used maple syrup instead..A real keeper!
Please share this recipe for 1 loaf of the zucchini bread, I do not need to make this double batch.
Thank you.
Hi Laurie, you can print this recipe. Once you click print it will give you the option to change the serving size. You can half it and that would make one loaf.
Is it really 2 tsp baking soda ??
Great tasting except for metallic after taste
Hi Barb, we do use 2 teaspoons of baking soda in this recipe. Sorry to hear yours didn’t turn out as expected.
You’re right Barb. My zucchini bread also tasted like baking soda. We are supposed to add 1/4 tsp of baking soda per cup of flour. Too much baking soda leaves a metallic soapy taste unfortunately, otherwise easy recipe. Next time, I’ll add less baking soda so it tastes better.
Barb, I found this unusual too. Followed the recipe exactly and it had a metallic, soapy taste. As another review pointed out, other recipes use much less baking soda per amount of flour. Baking soda is usually used with an acid (lemon juice, yogurt, baking powder) and this recipe did not have one.
Students love recipe
Delicious! The recipe was simple.
This is so easy & delicious! sharing this recipe
Great
This is an amazing recipe and is extremely good!!
Great recipe!!
Thank you!
This is my new favorite