This moist, easy zucchini quick bread will become your go-to recipe. It’s simple to make, packed with freshly grated zucchini and warm spices.
Easy Zucchini Quick Bread
If you have an abundance of zucchini and need a reliable way to use it up, this easy zucchini quick bread is a perfect solution. It’s part of my back-to-basics series and is a great starting point if you haven’t baked quick breads before.
This bread is moist, mildly spiced, and versatile — you can keep it simple or fold in chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit for variety.
What is a quick bread?
Quick breads are baked goods that use chemical leaveners like baking powder or baking soda rather than yeast, which makes them fast and straightforward to prepare. Biscuits, scones, muffins, and many nut breads fall into this category. When baking powder or baking soda meets liquid, it releases carbon dioxide, creating bubbles that give structure and lift to the batter. For best results, make sure your leavening agents are fresh.
Zucchini Bread Tips
Begin by combining the wet ingredients: shredded zucchini, eggs, melted butter (or oil), vanilla, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. I prefer mixing the wet ingredients first to keep things simple, though some bakers like to combine wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls before mixing.
If your zucchini is very watery, blot it lightly with a paper towel — you want to remove excess surface moisture but not dry it out completely, otherwise the bread can turn out dry. Don’t worry about a strong vegetable flavor; zucchini is nearly tasteless and mainly contributes moisture and a tender crumb.
Next, add the dry ingredients. Spoon the flour into measuring cups and level with the back of a knife to avoid packing the flour, which can make the bread dense. Mix the batter by hand with a spoon or rubber spatula — quick breads are easily overmixed by electric mixers, which can lead to a tough texture or poor rise. Stir just until there are no visible pockets of flour.
Baking Instructions
Pour the batter into prepared pans. You can grease and flour the pans or grease the bottoms only — some bakers feel greasing the sides can slightly firm the edges, but the difference is minor. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, then cool briefly in the pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Troubleshooting & Tips
- If the bread didn’t rise well:
- You may have overmixed the batter.
- Your baking soda or baking powder could be expired.
- If the bread is tough:
- The batter may have been overmixed.
- Not enough fat (butter or oil) was used.
- If the bread has large tunnels:
- Too much mixing caused excessive air pockets.
- If the bread is dense:
- Too much flour was packed into the measuring cup — spoon and level to measure.
- Not enough baking powder or baking soda was used.
- If the bread is crumbly:
- It may not have cooled completely before slicing.
Do you have to peel zucchini?
No. You don’t need to peel zucchini for this bread — the peel is mild in flavor and adds color and nutrients. The finished bread will not taste like vegetables.
Can you shred and freeze zucchini?
Yes. Shred the zucchini (box grater or food processor), portion into freezer bags, squeeze out as much air as possible, and freeze flat until solid. Keep frozen up to 12 months. Thaw before using and drain most of the liquid — leaving a bit of moisture helps prevent dry bread.
Easy Zucchini Quick Bread
Ingredients
- 5 cups shredded zucchini
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup butter, melted (or oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour the bottoms of two 9×5-inch loaf pans and set aside.
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In a large bowl combine shredded zucchini, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, melted butter (or oil), and vanilla. Stir in the remaining ingredients just until combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
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Bake 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
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Run a knife around the edges to loosen the loaves, remove from pans, and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- STORING: Wrap cooled loaves tightly in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature up to 4 days or refrigerate up to 10 days.
- FREEZING: Wrap cooled loaves in plastic wrap and foil; freeze up to 3 months.
- OPTIONAL STIR-INS (up to 2/3 cup total):
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup chopped nuts
- 2/3 cup raisins or other dried fruit
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
You can combine stir-ins (up to 2/3 cup total).