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.
This recipe is total perfection! I made a batch to share with a friend, who keeps me supplied with zucchini. He loved it and I did too.
Sounds like the perfect exchange!
OMG!!! We can’t get enough of this!!!! I used brown sugar instead of regular, and I used almost 3 cups of zucchini (I had a huge one and didn’t want to waste it). I also used chopped pecans instead of walnuts (only because I had them). Ahhhhhmazing! Sliced, heated, with a little butter on top? My goodness! A fast favorite!!!! ❤️
OMG!!!!! When I say this recipe is amazing. That’s an understatement. This recipe came out so freaking delicious. I did add a little extra from the recommendations and WOW just WOW!!!!
I added mini chocolate chips & chopped walnuts. It was delicious!!
I used an extra cup of zucchini instead of nuts and everyone has been raving about this bread!
Easy recipe to follow…thank you for sharing this recipe.
Mmy bread ended up very gummy like. Seems like it needed more flour, more sugar and maybe more cinnamon. Also was very dense. It weighed a ton.
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that. We have never had that problem with this recipe!
Great with out without chocolate chips
Made this today and it was great! Perfect texture! Added cinnamon chips along with the walnuts. Thank you for the recipe! Will definitely make again!
I have been making this exact recipe for many years and it never fails to please! As in an earlier review I also use 1/2 brown sugar (Splenda) and 1/2 white sugar with good results. One loaf to eat and one to freeze and can’t go wrong if you love Zucchini bread. If your zuke is huge definitely remove seeds and many thanks for this great recipe!
Glad you are enjoying it, Susan! Freezing ones sounds great, especially since we always seem to have an abundance of zucchini at the end of the summer harvest!
This is by far the best zucchini bread I have ever had! It’s easy to make, with ingredients you already have. Super moist, super delicious!!
This is delicious! We used 1c brown sugar and 1/2 c white sugar. Made a second batch using Krusteez one for one gluten free flour, an extra 2 Tbs of oil, and subbed 1 1/2 grated apple for the walnuts. Be sure to Let the GF batter sit for 20 minutes before you pour it into the pans so the oil has extra time to absorb into the flour. The grandkids loved the Apple Zucchini Bread. The apples made a very nice addition. This is a new favorite!
Thanks for sharing your substitutions, Robin! So happy to hear it worked with gluten-free flour.
Thank you for yet another wonderful recipe. Flavourful, easy and super tasty. I followed exactly, other than adding a touch of nutmeg, just because I love the flavour. ;)
We LOVED this zucchini walnut loaf. I did not coarsly grate my zucchini, I used my food processor which has a skinnier size grater. I used 3 cups of grated zucchini, cut the sugar down to 1 cup and added 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, the loaf rose well and was perfectly moist! Will be making this recipe again&again!
This is my second time making this recipe this week! Everyone in our family loved it! I did add a handful of raisins which we loved..my four year old granddaughter requested I make it again because it’s sooo yummy…her wish is my command
I only know of 2 sizes of loaf pans in American baking. The traditional is 8×4 or the larger is 9×5. Which one do I need to use? Thanks.
You will need an 8×4 pan for this recipe.
Bakers: For this recipe, do you sift the flour? And does the recipe come out better with that 1 tsp baking powder added?
Hi Kathleen, for this recipe, we don’t sift the flour but we do follow this guide for measuring our flour. We also don’t find baking powder necessary for this recipe but maybe another reader has tried it and can provide some insight!
Thanks so much for the reply. Yes, another reader did add it and I wondered whether it was necessary. So, I am going to measure 9.5 oz of flour for this and hope it turns out far better than my last two loaves (using a different recipe and forgetting it came from the late 70s and maybe that was before pre-sifted flour.) My husband has a theory about transport of flour these days and it settling or becoming more dense, so it should be carefully weighed, said he.
Hopefully, this loaf turns out perfect!
Out of the oven. Finished in 50 minutes in my oven. If I could, I would send you photos. It did not rise anywhere near the top of the 8 x 4 bread pan. The crumb is okay, it is not wet and dense like my old recipe for which I did not sift. I did weigh the flour; I am now questioning: can using Great Value Granulated Stevia (cup for cup) affect the result; or can baking soda (still good according to stamp date of January 2024) go bad? What am I doing wrong? My bread, though with a pretty good crumb, is height-challenged.
Oh no, Sorry to hear it didn’t rise. I have not tried this recipe with Stevia so I am not sure if that is the issue. I would imagine your baking soda is still okay but if it was too old that could affect the rise of the bread.
Do you use self rising flour or all-purpose flour?
We use all-purpose flour.
Yum yum! So delicious! I added 2 tablespoons of Rumchata to mine. Just to be different. Thx for the recipe!!
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing your addition Kristy!
Best zucchini bread ever, recipe is easy and fast, very moist, can’t stop eating! Especially like the video! Awesome recipe
This is truly delicious! As many others do I springboard and alter to our taste. After grating the zucchini I didn’t drain it but I did not use the extra liquid in the bottom of the bowl. I added 1 tsp of baking powder to the recipe for a bit lighter bake and made it into muffins. Skipped the nuts, used part white and part brown sugar and added a bit of mace. It made15 scrumptious muffins. Thanks so much for a yummy recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it JJ, those additions sound delicious. Thank you for sharing.