Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe for a Perfectly Tender Summer Loaf

Best Recipe for Zucchini Bread

Every July, my neighbor Gary shows up at my door with a grocery bag full of zucchini and a grin that says he has no idea what to do with all of it. I always say yes.

Then I stand in my kitchen staring at a mountain of green squash, wondering how many loaves I can realistically fit in one oven.

This is the recipe I reach for every single time. It was originally published on June 15, 2021, and after years of tinkering it is still the loaf my family asks for by name. The crumb is tender, the top is crackly, and the flavor is warm with cinnamon and nutmeg.

What I love most is how flexible it is. You can stir in chocolate chips and end up with something that tastes closer to cake, or fold in toasted walnuts or pecans for a more traditional quick bread. You can even scatter a little of both over the top, as long as you keep it light.

Here is my confession. I am gardening challenged. I have killed more basil plants than I care to admit, and my one attempt at a raised bed produced exactly three sad cherry tomatoes. So I do not grow zucchini. I buy it, or more accurately, I accept it from people like Gary who have far more than they can eat.

If you are in the same boat, good news. This recipe takes about 20 minutes of prep and one loaf pan, and it rewards you with something that tastes like you spent the whole afternoon in the kitchen.

This is the best recipe for Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread is a quick bread. That means there is no yeast involved. It rises from baking soda and baking powder, which is why it behaves more like a muffin baked in a loaf pan than like a yeasted sandwich bread. It is made with grated zucchini and, in most homes, a generous hit of cinnamon.

My mother made it all through my childhood, and her handwritten card in our family recipe book is titled Zucchini Bread Recipe (you can’t taste the zucchini, I swear!). Which raises a fair question. If you cannot taste it, why is it there at all?

Why even bake with zucchini?

Because zucchini is not there for flavor. It is there for moisture and texture. Zucchini is mostly water, so it delivers a whole lot of flavorless, almost calorie free moisture to the batter.

Think about carrot cake. You do not taste carrots in a good slice of carrot cake. You taste a moist, spiced cake that happens to be built on carrots.

Zucchini works the same way in bread, and it also happens to be a wonderful way to use up a garden surplus.

Best Zucchini Bread ingredients

Everything below makes one 9×5 inch loaf, which serves 12. You will need two bowls, a whisk, a box grater, and a loaf pan.

Bowl 1, the dry ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, optional
• 2 cups shredded zucchini, about 12 ounces or 2 small to medium zucchini

Bowl 2, the wet ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, one stick, melted
• 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola, or light olive oil
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Optional add ins and topping

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar or granulated sugar for the top

Prep takes about 20 minutes, the loaf bakes for about 60 minutes, and total time runs roughly 1 hour 20 minutes from the moment you start pulling ingredients out of the pantry.

One slice comes in around 380 calories, with 49 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of protein, 19 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of fiber, 32 grams of sugar, and 50 milligrams of cholesterol.

How to make the best Zucchini Bread Recipe

I tested a lot of loaves before landing on this formula, and every choice here has a job.

Sugar. A blend of granulated and brown sugar gives you caramel flavor and extra moisture. The loaf comes out slightly darker than a loaf made with white sugar alone, and that is exactly what you want.

Spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Cardamom is optional if it is not your thing, but please do not skip the nutmeg. It is what makes the loaf smell like a bakery.

Fat. Oil and butter together. Oil is 100 percent fat and keeps the bread supremely moist, while butter, at about 80 percent fat, brings rich flavor. Sour cream adds even more moisture and a subtle tang.

Mix ins. Chocolate chips push the loaf toward cake territory, while nuts keep it in traditional quick bread territory. Pick one, not both, or the add ins start to overwhelm the crumb.

Texture. Squeeze or blot some water out of the shredded zucchini before it goes into the batter. A paper towel works fine and gets you nearly the same result as squeezing by hand.

Then follow these steps.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line one 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease it well with nonstick spray.
2. If you are adding nuts, toast them now. Spread about 3/4 cup chopped nuts on a dry baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes. Stir, then keep toasting in 2 minute intervals, stirring each time, until the nuts are browned and very fragrant. Set them aside to cool.
3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Set the bowl aside.
4. Mix the wet ingredients. Put the butter in a large microwave safe bowl and melt it. Add the oil, brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla, then whisk until combined.
5. Shred the zucchini on the largest holes of a box grater, or use the grating attachment on a food processor. You need 12 ounces, which is about 2 cups packed. That usually works out to 2 small to medium zucchini.
6. Blot or squeeze the zucchini. Spread the shreds over a layer of paper towels, top with another layer, and press until both towels are soaked. This step is what keeps the bread from turning gummy.
7. Add the zucchini to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir. Then add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix only until just combined.
8. If you are using 1 cup chocolate chips or 3/4 cup nuts, add them while the flour is still partly mixed in, then fold with a spatula using as few strokes as possible. Over mixing makes tough bread.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1 tablespoon raw or granulated sugar, or a light scatter of chocolate chips. Go easy. Too much topping weighs the loaf down and keeps it from rising well.
10. Bake in the center of the oven at 350 degrees F for about 60 minutes. The loaf is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out with no batter on it. It may need up to 70 or even 80 minutes, so be patient and do not pull it early. If you used chocolate chips, make sure what you are seeing on the pick is not melted chocolate. If the top is browning too fast, tent it with foil.
11. Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. If you lined the pan with parchment, lift the bread out and finish cooling on the rack. If you did not, leave it in the pan for 30 minutes, then flip it into your hand or onto a plate and move it back to the rack. Finish cooling it on its side for crispier edges.

Do you peel zucchini for bread?

No need. The skin is thin and soft, so it blends right into the loaf and does not change the texture at all.

How do you grate zucchini for bread without a grater?

You have options. A food processor with a grating attachment shreds zucchini in seconds. A vegetable peeler works too, though it takes more effort.

Peel long strips, then run your knife through them until they are the size of shreds. A spiralizer makes long spirals rather than fine shreds, so chop those down with a knife. Any of these will get you to the 2 cups you need.

How to know when your bread is done

Zucchini bread bakes for about an hour, and sometimes longer. Pan type, oven calibration, and how wet your zucchini is all nudge the timing around, so trust the test rather than the clock.

My favorite check is a toothpick pushed deep into the center. If wet batter clings to it, slide the loaf back in for 4 to 5 minutes and test again. You may repeat this a few times, and yes, every time you open the oven the temperature drops a little, which is exactly why the extra minutes are needed.

Do not take the loaf out until the pick comes out clean. If the top is browning faster than the middle is cooking, cover it loosely with foil. When chocolate chips are involved, poke in a couple of different spots so you can tell melted chocolate apart from raw batter.

Because zucchini brings so much moisture, I would rather slightly over bake than risk a raw middle. One more thing I learned the hard way. The convection setting did not speed this loaf up at all. It is a dense bread, and it takes the time it takes.

Finish with a topping. Mini chocolate chips on the chocolate chip version, raw sugar on the walnut version.

Zucchini Bread Recipe tips

A few small habits separate a good loaf from a great one.

How to shred zucchini for bread

A standard box grater works beautifully, and there is no need to peel the zucchini first. Keep the knobby end attached and use it as a handle so you do not grate your fingers. Been there.

A food processor with a grating tool is faster if you have one. The recipe calls for 12 ounces of zucchini, roughly 2 cups, and if you are measuring by volume, pack the shreds into the cup.

If you are working with a big seedy zucchini, scrape out and discard the seeds before grating.

Do you squeeze out the liquid from zucchini for bread?

This depends on the texture you want, and I have tested both ways. The unsqueezed loaf came out gummy, which is my least favorite thing a quick bread can be. It had a heavier crumb and softer edges. The squeezed loaf was light and fluffy, genuinely bread like, with crispy edges, and it was not dry at all.

Here is the interesting part. With banana bread, the amount of banana matters most. With zucchini bread, removing some of the liquid matters more than the quantity of zucchini. So take the extra minute.

My method is simple. Lay a few paper towels on the counter, spread the shreds out, add another layer of towels on top, and press down until both layers are wet. Squeezing by hand works just as well if you prefer.

Quick tip to avoid squeezing

If you would rather skip the squeezing entirely, toss the zucchini with the flour mixture first.

The flour absorbs some of that liquid, which improves the texture whether or not you also blot.

Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and stop mixing as soon as everything comes together.

Over mixing is what turns a tender loaf tough.

Best Zucchini Bread Recipe Variations

The loaf is wonderful plain, but mix ins are half the fun. Stir in chocolate chips or chopped high quality chocolate for a dessert leaning bread.

Sprinkle the top with raw sugar, granulated sugar, or cinnamon sugar, which is simply cinnamon mixed with sugar rather than a special shaker from the store. Or fold in chopped walnuts or pecans, ideally toasted first so they taste nutty instead of raw.

Cool zucchini bread on its side for crispier edges

That crackly top is the best part of zucchini bread, but the side edges soften fast. Pull the loaf out of the pan promptly to keep them crisp. Here is my favorite trick.

Cool the bread on its side on a rack. The hot bottom cools faster that way, and it also helps keep the center from sinking.

Once the loaf is mostly cool, slice with a sharp serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion instead of pressing straight down.

Zucchini Bread Recipe Serving Suggestions

Serve it with butter. I mean it. I have handed slices to friends who had never once thought to butter zucchini bread, and watching their faces change is genuinely one of my favorite things. A thick slice with soft, melty butter is the whole point.

It is also excellent alongside coffee in the morning, tucked into a lunchbox, or warmed for a minute and served as a slightly unreasonable dessert. If you toasted nuts into the batter, a little extra butter and a sprinkle of flaky salt on top is a very good idea.

How to store the best Zucchini Bread

Kept in a sealed container on the counter, the loaf stays good for up to 5 days. Beyond that, the freezer is your friend.

How long does it take for zucchini bread to cool?

Wait 15 to 30 minutes before slicing, because cutting into a hot loaf can make it collapse. Set the pan on a cooling rack right after baking so the bottom starts cooling immediately.

If you lined the pan with parchment or foil, simply lift the loaf out. If you did not, let it rest 30 minutes in the pan, then flip it gently into your hand or onto a plate, remove the pan, and set the bread back on the rack.

Can this Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe be frozen?

Absolutely, and it freezes beautifully. Let the loaf cool completely first. Wrap the whole thing in plastic, slip it into a zip top bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. For grab and go portions, wrap each cooled slice in plastic and store them together in a large bag.

Thaw still wrapped at room temperature. In a hurry, microwave on low power or use the defrost setting. Thawed slices toast up nicely on the edges, which is my favorite way to bring them back to life.

More breakfast ideas!

If you love baking in the morning, there is plenty more to try. Raspberry lemon glazed muffins are bright and springy. A good scone recipe belongs in every rotation.

Bran muffins with a butter molasses glaze are hearty and cozy. There is also a cinnamon roll quick bread from Tastes of Lizzy T that scratches the cinnamon roll itch in far less time, and shortcut zucchini muffins from Amanda’s Cooking if you still have zucchini on the counter.

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Best Recipe for Zucchini Bread

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Best Recipe for Zucchini Bread Every July, my neighbor Gary shows up at my door with a grocery bag full of zucchini and a grin that says he has no idea what to do with all of it. I always say yes.

• Total Time: 80 min
• Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Bowl 1
2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
2 cups shredded zucchini

Bowl 2
1/2 cup butter, melted, (1 stick)
1/4 cup neutral oil
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Optional
1 cup chocolate chips, I used half mini, half dark chocolate chopped
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, or pecans
1 tablespoon raw sugar, or granulated sugar, to top bread

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Instructions

1-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line one 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease well with nonstick spray.
2-If you plan to add nuts to: If you plan to add nuts to your bread, toast them now. Spread about 3/4 cup chopped nuts on a dry baking sheet. Toast at 350 for about 5 minutes. Stir the nuts and continue baking in 2 minute intervals, stirring every time, until the nuts are browned and very fragrant. Set aside to cool.
3-Mix the dry ingredients: Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled), 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom. Whisk together and set aside.
4-Mix the wet ingredients: Mix the wet ingredients. Add 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) to a large microwave safe bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave. Add 1/4 cup oil, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Whisk together until combined.
5-Shred the zucchini: Shred the zucchini. Shred your zucchini using the side of your box grater with the largest holes. (Don’t chop off the knobby end of your zucchini; use it as a handle!) You can also use the grating tool on a food processor to shred your zucchini. You need 12 ounces of zucchini. If you don’t have a scale, measure out 2 cups, making sure to pack it in so you get the full amount. Usually this is about 2 smallish-medium zucchini.
6-Blot/ Squeeze the zucchini: Blot/ Squeeze the zucchini. Once your zucchini is grated, take the time to blot it on a paper towel, or squeeze it out. I like to lay a few paper towels on the counter, spread out the zucchini, then top with another layer of paper towels and press it down until both paper towels are soaked. Blotting your zucchini will keep your bread from being gummy. If you skip this step, you are still going to get great zucchini bread. I prefer the texture when the zucchini is blotted or squeezed.
7-Add the zucchini to the bowl of: Add the zucchini to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix only until just combined.
8-If you plan to add (1 cup): If you plan to add (1 cup) chocolate chips or (3/4 cup) nuts, add them to the batter before the flour is even all the way mixed in, see photos. Then stir together with a spatula with as few strokes as possible. Over mixing the batter will result in tough bread.
9-Pour the batter into the prepared pan: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top your loaf with 1 tablespoon raw or granulated sugar, or a scatter of chocolate chips (or both! But use sparingly, if you add too much it will weigh down your loaf so that it doesn’t rise well.)
10-Bake the bread in the center of: Bake the bread in the center of the oven at 350 for about 60 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out with no batter on it. You may need to bake the bread for up to 70 or even 80 minutes, so prepare to be patient. Do not take it out of the oven until a toothpick comes out clean. (Be sure that you’re not seeing chocolate if you used chocolate chips) Cover your bread with foil as it finishes baking if it is getting over browned.
11-Let your bread cool in the pan: Let your bread cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. At this point, if you used parchment paper, lift your bread out of the pan and let finish cooling on a wire rack. If you didn’t use parchment paper, let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then flip the bread into your hand or a plate, then transfer back to the cooling rack. Let finish cooling on it’s side for extra crispy edges.
12-Store zucchini bread in a sealed container: Store zucchini bread in a sealed container on the counter for up to 5 days.
13-Freezer instructions: Freezer instructions: Make sure that your bread is completely cool, then wrap the entire loaf in plastic. Stick it in ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Or to stash individual slices, wrap each cooled slice in plastic wrap, and store them all in a large ziplock. Let thaw (still wrapped) at room temperature on the counter. If you are in a hurry you can try heating it up in the microwave at a lower power level, or using the defrost button. Once thaw, we love to toast individual slices of zucchini bread to get them nice and toasty on the edges. And then slather in butter of course.

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• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 60 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 380
• Sugar: 32
• Fat: 19
• Saturated Fat: 7
• Carbohydrates: 49
• Fiber: 1
• Protein: 5
• Cholesterol: 50