This Zucchini Bread Recipe is ULTRA moist, easy to make and a great way to use up zucchini! It can be made with or without chocolate chips, and is delicious either way!
If you like this recipe make sure to try out my Autumn Bread which has zucchini, bananas, and carrots!
Zucchini Bread Is An Easy Excuse To Eat Your Veggies!
I feel like zucchini has had a big moment in recent years. When everyone started trying to pretend that zucchini noodles were an acceptable replacement for pasta, we all ran out and bought a spiralizer and used it for a few months. I mean, I totally jumped on that bandwagon. My Sesame Zoodles recipe is still a pretty freaking delicious dish. It’s just not pasta. It’s zucchini in a fun shape. And I’m totally ok with that. But alas, my spiralizer is in the cabinet and very rarely sees the light of day.
But that doesn’t mean I still don’t dig zucchini! I just prefer it in a way LESS healthy form: Zucchini Bread!! So today I’m sharing my MOST favorite zucchini bread recipe ever. It’s easy, it’s quick, and I make it all the time!
Is Zucchini Bread Easy To Make?
Don’t let the fact that there’s zucchini in this quick bread fool you…it’s sweet, soft, and amazing slathered with butter. You can even add chocolate chips, or nuts, OR BOTH which is my favorite way! It’s kinda-sorta like banana bread, but the zucchini doesn’t add a lot of flavor, it just adds moisture. BUT I will say, that if you eat zucchini bread warm, right out of the oven, that zucchini taste is definitely detectable. Just allow it to cool completely you won’t even know you are getting in your daily veggies!
Do You Need To Peel Zucchini For This Bread?
Nope! Don’t bother peeling it especially if it’s grown in your garden, as the peel softens while baking! The deal with the peel is that sometimes at the supermarket the zucchini has a wax on the skin to keep it fresher longer. Food-grade wax is said to be safe to eat, but I make sure to wash my fruits and vegetables carefully, using a vegetable brush to do my best to remove the wax. If you wash you zucchini well, the skin is totally fine, and plus, I like the subtle green flecks it gives the zucchini bread when I slice it!
Of course if you use a zucchini grown in a home garden, you won’t have to worry about wax and can just wash your zucchini as you normally would before grating them!
How Do You Grate Zucchini?
Just use a hand or box grater! I use the larger grate on the box grater we have, because the smaller grater can make your zucchini more of a mush. I don’t recommend dicing the zucchini for this bread recipe either, as you don’t want chunks of zucchini in the bread, you want it to bake in, dispersing the moisture evenly!
What Can I Add To Zucchini Bread?
I included in the recipe card the option to add chocolate chips and walnuts to this recipe, which I love, but that’s not all! Here are a few more ideas:
- Lemon Zest – Leave out the chocolate chips, cinnamon, and nuts and add in some bright fresh lemon zest which pairs so well with the subtle zucchini flavor!
- Nuts – I used walnuts in this recipe, but don’t let that be the only option! You can add in pecans, pistachios, or even chopped macadamia nuts!
- Dried Fruit – Try adding raisins, dried apricots, dried cherries, figs, or Craisins!
- Spices – I added cinnamon to my recipe, which you can leave out entirely or get creative with nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom!
- Coconut – You know I will add coconut to just about anything, and it would be a great addition in this recipe!
Can You Freeze Zucchini Bread?
ABSOLUTELY! You can and SHOULD freeze zucchini bread! If you have a great garden in the summer, or a neighbor who gives you zucchini from theirs, whip up a few batches of this and freeze it so you have it for months to come! Here’s how to freeze your loaf:
- When the zucchini bread is done baking, allow it to cool completely.
- Wrap your loaf in cling wrap tightly.
- Wrap it again in aluminum foil.
- Use a permanent marker, and make sure to write the date on the foil so you know when you baked it!
- I always place the loaf in a large zip-top bag at this point, but this is just an extra step.
How To Thaw Out Zucchini Bread
Simply remove the bread from the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature. It will be ready to enjoy in a few hours! You can then slice it and toast it, warm a slice in the microwave, or have it at room temp!
How Long Can I Freeze Zucchini Bread?
I usually try to eat my frozen loaves within 2-3 months, but I have read you can freeze them for up to 6 months and they are great!
Looking For More Zucchini Recipes? Try These:
Zucchini Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: serves 10 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
This is an amazingly simple zucchini bread recipe that is perfect when zucchini are in season, or all year long!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup grated zucchini (1 medium)
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- optional – 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- optional – 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9×5- inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom and up the short sides of the pan with a strip of parchment paper. Coat again with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the oil, eggs, vanilla, and sugars until smooth. Stir in the zucchini. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts if desired.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then using the parchment paper, lift the bread out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Store airtight for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Note – If you slice this while it’s still warm you will be able to slightly taste the zucchini. But if you allow this to cool completely you won’t taste it!
* Nutrition info does not include the chocolate chip and walnuts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 20.2 g
- Sodium: 221.2 mg
- Fat: 12.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.4 g
- Protein: 3.7 g
- Cholesterol: 37.2 mg
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I made a double batch and baked it into a 9×13. It was done after 30 minutes, even as a double batch. The edges got super crispy, so watch the oven closely!
Made this in a 9×9 cake pan. Checked it at 25 minutes and done at 35. Checked it several times. Crunchy edges,soft interior. Added walnuts and chocolate chips and doubled the cinnamon. The best!
My favorite recipe around! Great as a loaf or as muffins. Use walnuts or don’t, every variation is 10/10
I’ve made this bread so many times and it’s amazing! I would love to make muffins. I was thinking of baking at 350 for 30 min. for 6 giant muffins. Does that sound about right?
It does! I would check them at about 25 minutes and go from there!
Chocolate zuchini bread is AMAZING! It’s like a super moist chocolate cake, you don’t even really notice the zuchini in it, unless you have it grated just a bit courser.