This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
You better believe I count down to zucchini season so I know when I can make this delicious Zucchini Bread! It’s moist, perfectly spiced, and loaded with the best flavor and a hint of veggies!
A Reader’s Review
I’ve tried several zucchini bread recipes but this one is the best! Thanks for the recipe!
Dennis
Why This Recipe Will Be On Repeat All Summer
- Perfectly Moist, Not Mushy: Some recipes end up soggy or dense. I’ve tested this recipe to have the perfect balance of flour-to-liquid ratio.
- Just the Right Sweetness: It’s not overly sugary, so the warm cinnamon and subtle zucchini flavor actually shine through instead of getting lost.
- Freezes Like a Dream: Make a double batch and freeze a loaf for later! It holds up perfectly and tastes just as good reheated.
Zucchini Bread Ingredients
- Use small zucchini: Smaller zucchini are sweeter and more moist, which makes them perfect for baking.
- Grate it fine: I use the small side of the box grater for even texture, but the large side works if you like more bite.
- Remove moisture: Press grated zucchini with paper towels or cheesecloth. Hands work, but it’s messy!
- Mix In Ideas: Chocolate chips? Yes. Chopped walnuts? Also yes. Add ½ to ¾ cup of your favorite mix-ins before baking.
- Butter or oil? I use canola oil for moisture, but melted butter works too. Just expect a denser texture if you use butter.
How to Make The BEST Zucchini Bread
I love how ridiculously easy this zucchini bread is. Just a handful of pantry staples, a quick mix, and boom, you’ve got a perfectly moist, cozy loaf that tastes like summer in every bite. Your family’s gonna devour it.
- Prep and Combine Spices: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 4 x 3 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then dust it well with flour and tap out the excess and set it aside. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- Beat Wet Ingredients: Add canola oil, sugar, brown sugar, and eggs to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until combined. Add vanilla extract and sour cream, and mix until fully combined.
- Drain Zucchini: Squeeze the freshly shredded zucchini with your hands to remove the excess liquid. You can use paper towels or cheesecloth to contain the zucchini juices.
- Add Drained Zucchini: Stir the drained zucchini into the batter.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the zucchini mixture and mix just until fully combined.
- Bake: Add the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf. Let the zucchini bread cool for about 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Let it cool for at least 30 more minutes before slicing and serving.
Make Two Loaves
Double the Fun! This recipe makes one tall, beautiful loaf in a 13×5-inch pan. But you can split the batter into two 9x5x3-inch pans. Just reduce the bake time to about 40–45 minutes and test with a toothpick.
How to Store Leftover Zucchini Bread
- Room Temperature: Store zucchini bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- In the Freezer: To freeze, wrap the cooled loaf in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil, then place it in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Set it on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours to thaw.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Classic Zucchini Bread
My zucchini bread is moist, flavorful, and so easy to make! It's my family's favorite way to using up my zucchini's from the garden!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour more for dusting the pan
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups grated fresh zucchini about 2 medium zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 4 x 3 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then dust it well with flour and tap out the excess and set it aside.
- Whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon baking soda in a medium bowl.
- Add ¼ cup canola oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup packed light brown sugar, and 2 large eggs to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until combined. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ cup sour cream, and mix until fully combined.
- Squeeze 1 ½ cups grated fresh zucchini with your hands to remove the excess liquid. You can use paper towels or cheesecloth to keep the zucchini contained. Stir the zucchini into the batter.
- Add the flour mixture to the zucchini mixture and mix just until fully combined.
- Add the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf.
- Let it cool for about 10 minutes before removing the bread from the pan. Let it cool for at least 30 more minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Room Temp: Store zucchini bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
To freeze, wrap the cooled loaf in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Then, place it in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Set it on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours to thaw.
Nutrition
Calories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 106IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
More Quick Bread Recipes To Try
This bread taste so delicious and love how easy it is to make. I reduced sugars,added more cinnamon and instead of using sour cream I used a low sugar vanilla yogurt.
Can these be made into muffins?
Yes! Bake at the same temperature. Bake for 15-20 minutes for standard muffins. Check doneness with a toothpick, if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, they’re ready! What a great idea for summer!
I squeezed excess moisture from zucchini and batter was still runny. I used 2 cups flour per loaf and made two loaves and they turned out well. Will add more spices next time.
The only ingredient missing is fresh ground nutmeg.
Very moist and great texture but absolutely no flavor. I’m going to try a bit more salt and cinnamon and maybe some nutmeg next time. Salted butter on top helps a bit but it’s like eating a sponge…
Made this recipe today! It was delicious! I used Splenda brown sugar and truvia for white sugar. We are diabetic. It turned out great!!
I don’t know if the amounts for ingredients has been changed since 2020, but if it has the ratio of dry to wet ingredients couldn’t be right.
I made the recipe x 4 so I could fill 3, 12 x 4.5 x 3.125 pans. The batter, as the directions are written is way, way too runny. I bake all the time and it wasn’t even as thick as pancake batter. So, I added 3/4 a cup of flour, (x4 of course because I was making a quadruple batch). This addition of flour made it look the right consistency for a quick bread. It came out just right, maybe a little extra tender, but my husband and I like it that way.
Anyway, just thought I’d let you know.
Can I zest zucchini?
Sure!
Hi, can I use gluten free flouer?? Thanks
Hi! I haven’t tried that before with this recipe. Let me know how it turns out!
i don’t have canola oil….whats a good substitute
You can use vegetable oil instead.
What about olive oil or butter?
Yes, that will work too. It may change the bread texture a bit but that will work too.
Would some chopped pecans work in this recipe ?
Yes! Even walnuts would be delicious!
Walnuts.
I’ve tried several zucchini bread but this one is the best! Thanks for the recipe!
Made this today! Very moist and yummy. I compared this recipe with the chocolate version. The chocolate version adds chocolate powder, chocolate chips, and the topping. Other than that it is completely the same. We decided to just add the chocolate chips.
Baked for 45 mins. Will most likely make this again! Thank you!
My kids do not like the grated zucchini. How would I adapt it to use puree instead?
Add the zucchini to a blender or a food processor if you would like it a puree texture.