Home > Bread Recipes > Zucchini Bread Recipe (VIDEO)

August 4, 2023

Zucchini Bread Recipe (VIDEO)

This homemade Zucchini Bread is loaded with zucchini and it’s delicious any time of day. It’s perfectly soft and sweet with a cozy hint of cinnamon. This bread is so tasty when served warm from the oven but it also stays moist and tender for days.

Our Banana Bread recipe has become a favorite for many of our readers and I think you will love this one just as much. This tried and true recipe is the best zucchini bread recipe out there.

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Best Zucchini Bread Recipe

If your garden is producing more zucchini than you know what to do with this summer and you’ve already made Zucchini Fritters 587 times, this zucchini bread is a smart way to use up those extra vegetables. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak in vegetables for little ones or picky eaters. Even though the recipe has a pound of zucchini in it, you can hardly taste the zucchini – it’s amazing!

Enjoy the bread now, bring a loaf to your neighbors as a gift, or freeze a loaf for later in the year when your garden stops producing (details below).

Need to serve a crowd? This recipe makes two loaves or can be divided into 24 zucchini muffins, which would be great for breakfast on the run, a grab-and-go class treat, church coffee hour, or any other gathering.

Zucchini Bread Video

Watch Natasha make this Zucchini Bread recipe. Head out to the garden and pick a zucchini or two, or buy them at the store (they’re very inexpensive during the summer months) and in just over an hour you will have a delicious treat ready to eat! P.S. I highly recommend serving this with our whipped Honey Butter – wow!

A slice of zucchini bread with nuts and grated zucchini

Ingredients

The natural moisture in the zucchini keeps this bread moist for days, and somehow it tastes even better the following day.

Flour – All-purpose, or gluten-free will work
Baking powder and baking soda – Act as leavening agents to make the loaf rise
Sea salt – Balances the sweetness
Cinnamon – Adds a wonderful, cozy spice flavor to this bread
Oil – Olive, canola, or vegetable oil- your choice. Using oil instead of butter creates a super moist breadcrumb
Eggs – Provide structure and helps bind the batter together
Sugar – Adds the perfect amount of sweetness to complement the vegetable and spice ingredients
Vanilla extract – Use our homemade vanilla recipe for the best flavor
Grated zucchini – Adds moisture to keep the bread tender and has a subtle flavor that complements the sweetness and cinnamon spice

Ingredients to make zucchini bread, flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, pecans

Pro Tip: If you store your zucchini in the refrigerator, set it on the counter for a few hours before using it to bring it to room temperature. Your zucchini bread will rise better this way.

Variations

Zucchini adds great moisture to the bread, and this is a recipe with so many opportunities to customize the flavor to your taste or your dietary needs with add-ins. We usually do 1 cup of add-ins, whether it’s just one or a combination of things. Here are a few of our favorite variations that help make this the best zucchini bread recipe:

Nuts – Chopped walnuts, pecans, or both
Semi-sweet chocolate chips (If adding chocolate, you can reduce sugar to 1 cup if desired)
Raisins or Golden raisins
Dried cranberries
Orange zest

The Best Zucchini for Zucchini Bread

Whether you are growing your own in the garden, or shopping at the grocery store or farm stand, the best zucchini for this recipe are small to medium in size. When they are this size, the skin is thin, they are full of moisture, and the seeds are small enough to disappear into the batter.

You can grate them without peeling, seeding, or chopping them. If you miss one in the garden and it’s so big you think your only option is to use it as a baseball bat, you can still use it. You would just need to cut the zucchini in half and scoop the seeds out with a spoon.

Pro Tip: If you have an abundance of zucchini in your garden, or can purchase summer produce inexpensively, consider freezing your grated zucchini in one-cup portions in freezer bags to have on hand later in the year.

How to Grate Zucchini

Using a box grater over a bowl or plate, use the side with the largest holes, and run the zucchini in a downward motion against the grates until you have 3 cups shredded. Be sure not to squeeze or pack the grated zucchini in your measuring cup too tightly. You can also use the grating attachment on a food processor.

Grated zucchini on a plate with a box grater

Instructions

Prepare your pans – Butter two 8×4-inch loaf pans and line them with parchment paper.
Dry Ingredients – In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. *If making this recipe gluten-free, be sure to use GF flour and baking powder.
Wet Ingredients – In a separate large mixing bowl, add eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until very well blended.
Combine – Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir with a whisk until well combined and smooth.
Grate – Grate the zucchini in the large holes of a box grater. Add zucchini to the batter along with nuts (or any optional add-ins that you are using), and fold until well incorporated.
Bake – Pour the batter into your prepared pans and bake at 350˚F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in pans for 15 minutes.

Steps to make zucchini bread with grated zucchini

Common Questions

Do I need to peel zucchini before grating them?

There is no need to peel the zucchini before grating them. The skin is thin enough to eat, so peeling does not change the taste or texture either way. I like to see the bits of shredded zucchini show up in each slice.

Do I need to dry the grated zucchini with paper towels before I add it to the bowl?

Nope. Just shred the zucchini and add it right to the mixture. The natural moisture is what gives this bread such a great texture and keeps it moist for days.

Can I double this recipe?

This recipe is so simple to make, and can easily be doubled.

Is zucchini bread healthy?

Zucchini bread can be relatively healthy compared to other baked goods. Zucchini is low in calories and adds nutritional value and fiber to the recipe. The optional add-ins can be customized to suit your nutritional goals.

Serve with

This zucchini bread is sweet enough on its own, but it’s also great topped with:

Salted butter (stir in a pinch of nutmeg for the perfect blend of sweet and savory)
Honey Butter
Sweetened cream cheese
A dusting of powdered sugar

How to Store Zucchini Bread

This recipe makes two loaves which you’ll love because it keeps really well at room temperature and is freezer friendly so you can enjoy your zucchini long after your summer harvest.

Room Temperature: Wrap cooled bread in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container and keep it at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you are in an area with high humidity, store it in the refrigerator instead.
To Refrigerate: Wrap in plastic wrap or place in a gallon-sized zipped storage bag after cooling and refrigerate for up to a week.
Freezing: After your bread has completely cooled, wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil or a freezer storage bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pro Tip: Be sure to wait until your bread has cooled completely before covering or wrapping it. Storing it before it is at room temperature will cause condensation to build up and affect the texture of the bread.

Loaf of zucchini bread in loaf pan with parchment paper

This Zucchini bread is a treasure of a recipe – make it once and you’ll make it over and over. After watching the video tutorial, I hope you feel inspired to start baking. It’s so easy to make, is kid-friendly, and does not require any fancy kitchen tools.

More Zucchini Recipes to try

If you love zucchini and are looking for more ways to use your summer bounty, then you won’t want to miss these other tempting zucchini recipes.

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.