I love baking with zucchini. Like carrots in carrot cake or bananas in banana bread, zucchini guarantees moist and tender baked goods. This zucchini bread uses one pound of shredded zucchini, and it’s so delicious. I love spreading honey butter or homemade peanut butter on my zucchini bread. Save this recipe for when you have extra zucchini to use up. You’ll be so glad you did! For a chocolate version, see our chocolate zucchini bread recipe.
Key Ingredients
Zucchini: My zucchini bread is incredibly moist, thanks to a whole pound of zucchini. I used green and yellow zucchini in my photos for a pretty look, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Butter and Oil: I love the flavor butter adds to this zucchini bread, just like in my banana bread recipe. I also add a little oil for extra moisture. Flour: I typically use all-purpose flour, but feel free to swap some or all of it for whole wheat flour if you prefer. Sugar: I use a combination of granulated and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds a bit more moisture and depth of flavor. Baking Soda and Baking Powder: The primary leavening agent in this recipe is baking soda, which reacts with the brown sugar. I also add a little baking powder for extra lift. Eggs add structure and flavor to the bread. If you don’t eat eggs, try substituting two flax eggs. Vanilla, Cinnamon, and Salt: These ingredients enhance the flavor of the bread and make it even more delicious! Almonds and Almond Extract: While optional, sliced almonds and almond extract add a lovely flavor and texture to the bread.
How to Make The Best Zucchini Bread
After baking zucchini bread using other recipes, I occasionally had a soggy patch of zucchini in the middle. So, I’ve added a simple step to my recipe to solve this issue. Before preparing the batter, I grate the zucchini and toss it in a colander with a tablespoon of sugar. The sugar helps draw out excess moisture from the zucchini, and giving it an extra squeeze before adding it to the batter removes even more. This additional step guarantees that my zucchini bread stays moist without soggy patches. The batter comes together quickly and doesn’t require any special equipment. A whisk and spatula are all you need. Remember, zucchini bread is quick bread, so I treat it like muffins or pancakes, avoiding overmixing to prevent the bread from becoming dense and heavy. I bake my zucchini bread in a 375ºF oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out with only a few small, moist crumbs. Then, I allow it to cool in the pan for a bit before transferring to a wire rack. I love this zucchini bread recipe, and I can’t wait for you to give it a try. 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil 1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar 1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for zucchini 2 large eggs 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon almond extract, optional 2/3 cup (65g) sliced almonds, optional 2Trim the stem ends of the zucchini, then grate using the largest holes on a box grater or the largest grating disk from a food processor. 3Transfer the grated zucchini to a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon sugar. Rest the colander over a bowl to catch the excess liquid that drains from the zucchini. Set aside for 20 minutes. 4Melt the butter in a medium bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each egg. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. 5Squeeze the zucchini by hand to thoroughly wring out any excess moisture, then fluff it up a little so it is not in big clumps. (Discard the liquid.) Stir the zucchini into the wet ingredients. 6Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. 7Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring between each addition. Stir in almonds (I like to save a handful of almonds to sprinkle on the tops of the zucchini loaf before baking). 8Spoon the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Scatter the reserved almonds over the top, then bake until a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, 45 to 65 minutes. 9After 35 minutes in the oven, check the bread and almonds for color. If browning too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil. 10Cool the zucchini bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn it onto the rack to finish cooling.
