By Maria Lichty
Published on
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Quick Summary
This is the BEST classic zucchini bread recipe! It is easy to make, perfectly spiced, and super moist! The best way to use up your garden zucchini.
I am OBSESSED with zucchini. I love the green vegetable and I LOVE creating zucchini recipes. Have you seen my collection of zucchini recipes? There are sweet and savory recipes, something for everyone.
I love all of these zucchini recipes and try to make them every summer when the garden zucchini is out of control. Sometimes, I don’t get to them all but every year I ALWAYS make classic Zucchini Bread.
I have made a lot of zucchini bread in my days and I love my chocolate, chocolate chip, and lemon zucchini bread recipes, but you can’t go wrong with a loaf of good old classic zucchini bread. It is always a favorite.
The bread is perfectly spiced, moist, and will remind you of your grandma’s zucchini bread. It’s nostalgic and perfect in every way. I usually make several loaves, a few to snack on and a few to freeze for later.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- How to Make Zucchini Bread
- FAQ
- Zucchini Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- Zucchini– you will need 2 medium zucchinis. If you have an extra large zucchini from the garden, don’t toss it. It is perfect for making bread. Use a box grater to get 2 cups of shredded zucchini.
- Flour– use all-purpose flour
- Baking Soda– make sure it is fresh.
- Spices– cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Salt– to enhance all of the flavors.
- Butter– use unsalted butter that has been melted and slightly cooled.
- Oil– you can use avocado oil, vegetable oil, canola oil or melted and slightly cooled coconut oil. I like using butter and oil because the butter gives the bread great flavor and the oil makes the bread super moist.
- Sugar– I use mostly brown sugar because I love the deep caramel molasses flavor. I still add a little granulated sugar to balance out the texture and sweetness.
- Egg– use large eggs for baking.
- Vanilla extract– always use pure vanilla extract.
- Turbinado sugar– for sprinkling on top of the bread. It gives the loaf a nice sugary crunch!
How to Make Zucchini Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking sprayand set aside.
- In a clean linen-free kitchen towel or paper towels, squeeze out the excess water in the shredded zucchini. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Stir in the grated zucchini.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45-60 minutes. Check early because every oven is different.
- Remove from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
How to Store & Freeze
- Store the bread covered on the counter for up to 3 days.
- You can also freeze zucchini bread. Let the loaf cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag or wrap in aluminum foil. Label and date the bread. Freeze for up to 2 months. You can also freeze individual slices. Thaw before enjoying.
FAQ
What Size Zucchini Do You Use for Zucchini Bread?
You really can use any size of zucchini to make zucchini bread; small, medium, or large. You need 2 cups of grated zucchini for the recipe, so you will need about 3 small zucchini, 2 medium zucchini, or 1 large zucchini.
Most people like to use large, overgrown zucchini from their garden to make zucchini bread because they aren’t as good to cook with but are great for baking and making zucchini bread. Never throw these big guys away, they are perfect for zucchini bread!
Do You Have to Peel the Zucchini?
No! I always leave the green zucchini skin on. Just grate the zucchini with a cheese grater or food processor.
Do you Have to Squeeze Out the Liquid in the Zucchini?
Yes! Zucchini has a lot of moisture so after you grate it, squeeze some of the moisture out. You can put the zucchini in a clean linen-free kitchen towel or in paper towels and squeeze.
You can also put the zucchini in a colander and let the moisture drain out for about 15 minutes. The amount of moisture in the zucchini will vary, depending on the size.
I have also found that zucchini from the garden has more moisture than store bought zucchini, especially the big ones. You do want to leave some of the moisture so your bread will be moist, but just get rid of the excess and you will be ready to bake!
Can You Freeze Grated Zucchini?
Yes! If you can’t use up all of your zucchini, put some in the freezer for later. Put grated zucchini in freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
I like to put 2 cups of grated zucchini in a bag so I know it is the amount I need to make this zucchini bread.
Label your bags with what it is, the amount, and date. When ready to use, defrost, and squeeze out the extra moisture. There will be more moisture because the zucchini was frozen.
You can use frozen zucchini to make other things like cookies, brownies, or pancakes.
What Size Pan Do You Use?
For this recipe, I use a8 x 4 x 2 ½ inch loaf pan. I also use a loaf pan that is lighter in color so the zucchini bread doesn’t brown too quickly.
If you have a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan you can use it, your zucchini bread will just be a little shorter in size, but still tasty! You can also use mini loaf pans if you want to share little loaves with friends! Make sure you reduce the baking time to about 30 to 35 minutes.
Can you make zucchini muffins with this recipe?
Yes! Line a muffin pan with paper liners or grease the cups. Fill and bake for 18-22 minutes.
Can I use Gluten-Free Flour?
Yes, use the same amount of gluten-free all purpose flour. I like Cup4Cup or King Arthur’s gluten-free flour.
Can I add mix ins?
Yes! Feel free to stir in up to 1 cup of chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, raisins, or dried cranberries.
What if My Zucchini Bread is Getting Too Dark But It’s Not Done in the Middle?
If you inserted a toothpick in the center and it doesn’t come out clean, but your bread is getting too dark on top, you can loosely cover the bread with a piece of aluminum foil and keep baking. This will prevent the top from getting overdone and allow the middle to finish baking.
More Zucchini Bread Recipes
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- Healthy Zucchini Bread
- Coconut Zucchini Bread
- Pumpkin Zucchini Bread
Quick Breads
Zucchini Bread
Use your garden zucchini to make a loaf of classic zucchini bread. This recipe is the BEST zucchini bread recipe! It will be your go to every summer!
4.75 from 66 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 50 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil, (can use melted and slightly cooled coconut oil)
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on bread, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking sprayand set aside.
In a clean linen-free kitchen towel or paper towels, squeeze out the excess water in the shredded zucchini. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Stir in the grated zucchini.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over the batter, if using. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
The bread will keep on the counter, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. This bread also freezes well. To freeze, cool the bread completely and wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost before slicing.
Nutrition
Calories: 217kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 200mg, Potassium: 95mg, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 180IU, Vitamin C: 3.7mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg
Keywords zucchini, zucchini bread
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