Zucchini Bread Recipe

ByCaitlyn
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This recipe blends fresh shredded zucchini and warm spices into a perfectly baked loaf of zucchini bread, bringing the garden right into your kitchen.

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When Life Gives You Zucchinis, Make Zucchini Bread

So, you just picked up some fresh zucchini from your garden, now what? You pull the grater out of the cupboard and get to work. Soon, you will have fresh zucchini bread cooling on the counter just waiting to be devoured.

This was a common theme around my house growing up because my dad always had a home garden with fruits and veggies that spilled out into the yard as the season progressed. The zucchinis in his garden were always grown to perfection, and there was always an abundance of them, so we made zucchini bread a LOT. My arm muscles grew over the course of each summer after shredding zucchini after zucchini.

As I got a little older, I would always happen upon people who were practically throwing their zucchinis at me because they had zucchinis coming out of their ears! Loaf after loaf was baked each summer, so over the years, I learned ways to make the bread stand out from your average zucchini bread. The perfect cracked top, with a touch of sweetness and spices to add warmth, makes all the difference.

Why THIS Recipe?

I have been making zucchini bread as long as I can remember. It was one of the first breads I learned to make, and after baking several, actually dozens, of loaves, I finally perfected the recipe. Using fresh zucchini complemented with pantry staple spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, the loaf comes alive with flavor and has just the right amount of moisture. This recipe is so good that it will become a part of your summer rotation!

The Things Inside: The Ingredients

  • Granulated Sugar – just your generic pantry staple white sugar will do
  • Brown Sugar – I prefer light brown sugar, but a dark brown sugar would complement the bread nicely, giving it a deeper caramelized flavor
  • Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter – use whatever brand you prefer
  • Oil – a light cooking oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or light olive oil is best
  • Greek Yogurt – a full-fat yogurt is what you will need to give you added moisture
  • Eggs – make sure your eggs are fresh and room temperature
  • Vanilla Extract – you don’t need too much, so use what you have on hand
  • All-Purpose Flour – any generic flour brand is perfect
  • Salt – table salt will suffice
  • Baking Soda – make sure to use fresh baking soda
  • Baking Powder – generic fresh baking powder is all you need
  • Cinnamon – this is the star of the show, so make sure you have a quality ground cinnamon
  • Nutmeg – whatever you have on hand will do
  • Cardamom – another star of the show, so make sure you get a good ground cardamom
  • Shredded Zucchini – make sure you use fresh, medium-sized zucchinis

Building The Dish: Step-By-Step Guide

  • Step 1
  • Preheat the oven to 350*F and grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
  • Step 2
  • Mix together the sugars, melted butter, oil, greek yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract with a whisk or in a stand mixer.
  • Step 3
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
  • Step 4
  • Shred your zucchini with a box grater and squeeze out the excess water or blot between two paper towels. This step is important to ensure a fluffy and not chewy bread!
  • Step 5
  • Stir the zucchini into the dry ingredient bowl.
  • Step 6
  • Slowly mix in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as overmixing creates a tough loaf. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with a sprinkle of granulated sugar.
  • Step 7
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This step may require more time since zucchini bread is a very moist bread. If you need to bake it for additional time, cover the top with aluminum foil to avoid burning.
  • Step 8
  • Remove from the oven and let it cool on cooling racks in the pan for about 15-20 minutes. Then, remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on the cooling racks.

The Perfect Pairing

Zucchini bread is best served warm with a little butter on top, or you can make it a bit sweeter and serve it with honey butter instead. Zucchini bread can be a little on the heavy side, so it is great as part of your breakfast, a dessert, or as a side with a Fresh Summer Salad!

Have Leftovers?

This bread is so dang good you might be tempted to finish it all in one sitting, but if you end up with leftovers, you will need to know how to store them. Zucchini bread can be stored on the counter at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days, in the refrigerator for up to five days, or in the freezer for a few months. If you choose to store it in the freezer, make sure it is sealed tightly, and when you are ready to eat it, just thaw it before enjoying.

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Zucchini Bread Recipe

  • Author: Caitlyn
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 slices 1x
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Description

This recipe blends fresh shredded zucchini and warm spices into a perfectly baked loaf of zucchini bread, bringing the garden right into your kitchen.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted sweet cream butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup light oil
  • 1/4 cup full-fat greek yogurt
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 2 medium-sized zucchinis, shredded and squeezed

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350*F and grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
  2. Mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, light oil, full-fat greek yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract with a whisk or in a stand mixer.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cardamom with a whisk.
  4. Shred the zucchini with the largest holes on a box grater and squeeze out the excess water or blot between two paper towels.
  5. Stir the shredded zucchini into the dry ingredient bowl and ensure that it is evenly coated with the flour mixture.
  6. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. 
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with a sprinkle of granulated sugar.

  8. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

  9. Remove from the oven and let cool on cooling racks in the pan for about 15-20 minutes. Then, remove from the pan and let it cool completely on the cooling racks. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Removing the excess water from the zucchini is important to ensure a fluffy and not chewy bread.
  • Be sure not to overmix when adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients to avoid a tough bread.
  • When sprinkling the sugar on top of the prepared loaf, do not add too much, as it weighs down the loaf.
  • When baking, it may require more time since zucchini bread is a very moist bread. If you need to bake it for additional time, cover the top with aluminum foil to avoid burning.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Category: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack
  • Cuisine: American

Don’t forget to share this recipe!

Hey there! I’m Caitlyn, the brains behind The Traveler’s Ingredients. I’m an amateur chef, baker, and avid food lover who is also passionate about visiting every corner of the world that I can! I am adamant about recreating dishes that I fell in love with in my travels, mastering comfort meals, and building packing lists to ease pre-trip jitters.