Quick and Easy Zucchini Bread

We all LOVE zucchini bread! With zucchini coming in the garden now, we’ll be enjoying a lot of this fresh bread. Here’s my go-to recipe, adapted from the BHG Cookbook.

When making this recipe, you can use shredded zucchini of any kind. I’ve even heard of people using shredded summer squash and carrots for this recipe without too much of a difference in flavor – although we would probably have to change the name of the bread!

You can use fresh or frozen zucchini when you make this recipe. If you use frozen zucchini, as I did, make sure you drain it well before including it in the bread mixture.

frozen zucchini for bread

Otherwise, it has too much water and will affect the taste of your bread.

This is a recipe that can be made ahead of time and frozen, too. The bread can store for up to four days on the counter or one week in the refrigerator.

If you wrap it in aluminum foil and freeze the whole loaf, it will last for up to three months. Just make sure you let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before you slice and serve it, though.

Zucchini Bread Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour (soft or hard wheat work well also)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini (use a cheese grater for this)
  • 1 cup cooking oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel optional
  • optional add-ins such as 1 c. walnuts, and 1 c. chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Wash and shred the zucchini. There is no need to peel it first, as the skin practically dissolves and becomes so soft when cooked that you won’t even notice. It adds a nice color to the bread if you leave it on, too.
    drain zucchini first
  • One word of caution, though – make sure you drain and rinse the zucchini before using it in the bread. Zucchini has a ton of water in it, and if you don’t let some of the water drain out, you’re going to wind up with a bread that’s a bit too soft and mushy.
    That’s especially true with zucchini that has been frozen. You can see in the picture above how much liquid the zucchini is sitting in after I took it out of the freezer!
  • In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
    dry ingredients in mixing bowl
  • In another mixing bowl, combine sugar, shredded zucchini, cooking oil, egg, and lemon peel (if using this). Mix well.
    mix in wet ingredients
  • Add flour mixture to the zucchini mixture, stirring just until combined. Add your spices.
    stir in spices
  • Do not overmix – the batter will be somewhat thick (thicker than pancake batter or cake mix but not as dense as a regular dough).
  • Pour batter into a greased loaf pan 8x4x2. Bake at 350* for 55-60 min. or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. There should be zero raw batter.
    pour into pans
  • Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then slice and enjoy!
    final zucchini bread

Potential Substitutions and Add-Ins

Zucchini bread is one of those delicious treats that can be as healthy – or as unhealthy! – as you want to make it. Depending on my mood, I can go either way.

A few additions you might want to include in your zucchini bread to make it extra sweet and/or savory include:

  • Chocolate chips
  • Walnuts
  • Cranberries
  • Shredded coconut
  • Pistachios
  • Pecans
  • Raisings
  • Dried figs or apricots

There are a few easy substitutions you can make, too. For example, you can use any kind of flour you have on hand (buckwheat, coconut, almond, etc). The same goes for sugars. Alternative sugars like coconut sugar and stevia will also work.

If you don’t have any cooking oil (usually vegetable), go ahead and use coconut oil or olive oil. You can also replace half the amount of oil for mashed bananas or applesauce.

You can also substitute the egg. You can either use silken tofu, plain yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, or a combination of vinegar and baking soda and you’ll have the same effect.

Finally, you can add other healthy ingredients like pumpkin and banana puree to your zucchini bread, too. You won’t notice a huge taste in flavor but the bread will be jam-packed with nutrients!

And if plain old zucchini bread isn’t doing it for you, there are plenty of unique ways you can eat it to really change things up. You can cut your bread into one-inch cubes, toast it until dry, and then make bread pudding.

You can also eat it with yogurt for a scrumptious breakfast! You can also add things like ground flaxseed for some extra fiber.

Some people make the batter as is, following the recipe below, but then pour it into muffin tins for a quick breakfast on the go. You could top your zucchini bread with fancy herb butter, or you could even serve it with ice cream (or as its own ice cream topping!) for an upscale dessert. Or what about zucchini bread French toast?

The options are endless!

zucchini bread pinterest

11 thoughts on “Quick and Easy Zucchini Bread”

  1. Are there any adjustments to be made to recipe using frozen vs fresh zucchini as there is a lot of liquid in the frozen?

    Reply
    • Just drain the liquid out of the zucchini it will work fine. Also if you add a cup of chopped walnuts and a cup of raisins this bread is to die for! You can also get quart size zip bags and make up 2 cups of shedded zucchini in each bag you will have the measured amount you need instead of thawing a whole bunch of it every time you need it.

      Reply
  2. I know this is 3 years after you posted this recipe, but I have to tell you that the batter tastes delicious..lol.. so I’m looking forward to a delicious zucchini bread. Yum!

    Reply
  3. AH! I am doing this TODAY! Our zucchinis are blowing up right now! I love it! However, I discovered a giant one hiding under some leaves… so, this will be the perfect way to dispose of it! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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