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posted by Jenniferon Mar 20, 202315 comments »
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Our best zucchini bread recipe is the ultimate comfort food, packed with the perfect blend of warm spices and zucchini.
This zucchini bread is a quick bread recipe that is made with grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, applesauce, orange juice, and cinnamon. It has a moist and tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor perfect for breakfast or even a healthier dessert.
So go ahead and indulge in a slice (or two) – you won’t be disappointed!
Table of contents
- Best Zucchini Bread
- Ingredients for Zucchini Bread
- How To Make Zucchini Bread
- Expert Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Storing and Freezing
Best Zucchini Bread
Zucchini bread is a great way to use up all your zucchini from your garden and here is why everyone loves this bread.
- It’s easy to make, you only need 1 large mixing bowl and 2 loaf pans. Also, if you don’t want to get your mixer out, you can just stir all the ingredients easily by hand.
- I love that you can add nuts, and chocolate chips or make my pineapple zucchini bread for a delicious twist.
- The zucchini and applesauce make this bread super moist and soft. And it’s one of those quick breads that are even better on the second day.
- Just like other quick bread recipes like banana bread, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, and lemon poppyseed zucchini bread, this zucchini bread also freezes well so you can enjoy it year-round.
Ingredients for Zucchini Bread
- Sugar: I like to use granulated sugar but you could also use brown sugar.
- Vegetable Oil: I just use regular vegetable oil but you could use coconut oil, sunflower oil, or grapeseed oil. I wouldn’t use olive oil.
- Eggs: I like to make sure my eggs are at room temperature before I start baking but if you forgot to get your eggs out of the fridge, no worries.
- Vanilla extract: My all-time favorite vanilla extract is Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract, it’s the best of the best!
- Zucchini: No need to peel the skin off the zucchini, just grate it using a box grater or food processor.
- Applesauce: I used regular applesauce but you can use unsweetened or even cinnamon applesauce for extra cinnamon flavor.
- Orange juice: This is my family’s “secret” ingredient and that’s why it’s truly the best zucchini bread recipe.
- Dry ingredients: Simply whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Also, always make sure your dry ingredients are not expired. Using expired ingredients will result in the bread not baking properly.
- Spices: A dash of nutmeg and cinnamon gives this bread an amazing flavor. But if you don’t like cinnamon and/or nutmeg, feel free to leave it out.
How To Make Zucchini Bread
- Mix. Using a mixer or a mixing spoon, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract together until combined.
- Add. Grated zucchini, applesauce, and orange juice and stir well.
- Whisk. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
- Combine. Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture and stir.
- Bake. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour.
Expert Tips
- Medium zucchini. I like to use small or medium zucchini for this bread. If they are too big the skin is tougher and they would need to be seeded.
- Add-ins: I love adding dried cranberries, raisins, and of course, chocolate chips.
- Cooking times. They can vary slightly so make sure to check the bread often. If the top is starting to brown but the middle isn’t baked yet, just make a tin foil tent and place it on top of the bread to prevent the top from browning further.
Recipe FAQs
Do you peel zucchini before grating it for zucchini bread?
No need to peel. The zucchini skin is super thin and softens while baking. If you’re using a large zucchini, you will have to peel the skin because the skin is much tougher than small or medium-sized zucchini.
Do you squeeze out the liquid from zucchini for bread?
Don’t squeeze it. No need to squeeze the zucchini dry, it can be added to the batter once it’s grated.
Do you remove seeds from zucchini for bread?
If you are using small or medium-sized zucchini you will not have to remove the seeds. If you are using a large zucchini you will have to remove the seeds. Just scoop them out before grating the zucchini.
Do you grate or shred zucchini for bread?
The only way zucchini can be added to this bread is if it’s grated. Grate the zucchini with a box grater or food processor. Don’t chop or dice it.
Storing and Freezing
Store. I like to wrap my bread in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place it on the counter/pantry. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. If your house is humid, I would just place it in the refrigerator so it doesn’t get too moist, it’s already super moist.
Freeze. You can freeze zucchini bread, just make sure it is completely cooled first. To freeze, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-friendly ziploc bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
For more bread recipes, check out my sweet cherry bread, blueberry banana bread, unicorn bread, and my delicious apple bread recipe!
More Zucchini Recipes
4.77 from 98 ratings
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Servings: 2 loaves
Zucchini Bread
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
This zucchini bread recipe is the best zucchini bread recipe EVER. I promise you that. This bread is so moist and yummy with a delicious hint of cinnamon. Not to mention, this zucchini bread is so simple to make. Pretty much just dump everything into a large bowl, mix and bake.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cups vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups grated zucchini, about 2 medium sized zucchini’s
- ½ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray two9 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl,mix together sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat until well blended.
Add zucchini, applesauce and orange juice; stir well.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture and stir until combined.
Pour the batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire rack.
Notes
- Store. I like to wrap my bread in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place it on the counter/pantry. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. If your house is humid, I would just place it in the refrigerator so it doesn’t get too moist, it’s already super moist.
- Freeze. You can freeze zucchini bread, just make sure it is completely cooled first. To freeze, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-friendly ziploc bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Nutrition. Calculated with each loaf sliced into 12.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 216kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 206mg, Potassium: 64mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 59IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Bread
Author: Jennifer
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published on Mar 20, 2023
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15 comments on “Best Zucchini Bread Recipe”
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Jamie — Reply
Loved this zucchini bread! Added mini chocolate chips and the kids gobbled it right up! -
Jessica — Reply
The name says it all!!! It really was the best! Super easy and when warm, with a little butter… hard to resist! -
Jeanne — Reply
This smells so delicious, I’m beside myself with giddy anticipation. Made a double batch (4 loaf pans) and left 2 plain and one with blueberries, the other with chocolate chips. Great way to use up those plentiful zuks!
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Sherry Jensen — Reply
I made this with whole wheat flour. I only had 1 loaf pan so I made 1 loaf and 24 mini muffins! The mini muffins were done in 30 minutes! I don’t think there will be any left by the time the loaf is done because they are sooooo yummy!!! Thanks for the recipe!
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