This zucchini bread recipe is moist, tender, and utterly delicious! Made with freshly grated zucchini, Greek yogurt, and simple ingredients like cinnamon, and brown sugar, the entire loaf is baked and ready to serve in just over 1 hour!
Love bread recipes? Be sure to try some of my other favorite quick breads like this delicious chocolate chip banana bread, this popular applesauce bread or this amazing sweet potato bread.
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Best Easy Zucchini Bread Recipe
I know you’ll agree with me when I say you can’t have too many easy zucchini recipes. Most people who grow their summer zucchini have an abundance of it, so it’s a good thing that fresh zucchini is so versatile and making an easy zucchini bread like this is a great way to put it to good use!
From showcasing it front and center in pesto zucchini noodles and sauteed cilantro lime zucchini or hiding it in plain sight like in banana zucchini muffins or this classic zucchini bread recipe, there are so many delicious ways to use it!
I’m excited to share with you my family’s favorite recipe for zucchini bread. Flecks of zucchini can be seen throughout and you can feel how moist it is. The zucchini flavor itself is so subtle that it’s barely noticeable.
The brown sugar and cinnamon give it a sweet and lightly spiced element that will have even the kids asking for more!
Ingredients/shopping list
- Butter, melted: I usually use salted butter because there’s no added salt in this recipe, but you can use what you’ve got. Easily melt it in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove.
- Light brown sugar: Lightly pack it into the measuring cup, to give you the amount you need. We’re not wanting it overly sweet, just sweet enough. You can use white sugar if you’d like.
- Plain Greek yogurt: This will add incredible moisture to the zucchini bread. The acid in the yogurt will also react with the leavening agents to give it a nice rise.
- Whole milk: The additional fat in whole milk will also help with the moisture and texture of this quick bread.
- Large egg: Helps to bind the ingredients together so that once the bread is ready to slice, it won’t fall apart.
- Vanilla extract: A flavor enhancer that just makes it taste even better!
- All-purpose flour: The base of the entire loaf. Make sure to measure it correctly so that you don’t use too much and end up with dense bread.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Using both will help the bread to rise and become light and airy!
- Cinnamon: A warm spice that carries this zucchini bread recipe from the summer right into the fall and winter too!
- Shredded zucchini: No need to peel anything first but once shredded squeeze just a bit of the excess moisture out of them. Not too much, though.
Variations/ Substitutions
1. Use sour cream or unsweetened applesauce or vegetable oil instead of Greek yogurt if you’d like. They all provide the same function.
2. Make it a chocolate chip zucchini bread by adding 1 cup of chocolate chips. You can do raisins instead. Or use both.
3. For a nutty crunchy element, toss in some chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter.
4. To make this zucchini bread gluten-free, use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour.
5. Make this doubly chocolate zucchini bread by adding cocoa powder too!
6. Swap the brown sugar for honey or maple syrup.
7. Add a little lemon zest or 2 tablespoon of lemon juice if you’d like.
8. Swap half of the flour for whole wheat flour but keep in mind the texture may change slightly.
9. Swap a cup of the grated zucchini for an equal amount of shredded carrots if desired.
How to Make This Homemade Zucchini Bread
It’s delicious and easy, and because this classic sweet bread requires no yeast, the entire loaf is ready to serve in just over 1 hour!
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar and melted butter until combined. Then, whisk in the yogurt, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until there are no lumps of the flour mixture remaining.
Step 3: Next, add the shredded zucchini to the batter and gently fold it in.
Be careful to not overmix, you don’t want to release too much air!
Step 4: Pour batter into a greased 9×5 loaf pan and gently shake it to make sure it’s spread out evenly.
Step 5: Bake in a preheated 350° F for 50-55 minutes until nicely golden. A toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf will come out clean when it’s ready. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
You just can’t beat slicing into a moist and delicious sweet bread for breakfast, knowing you’re about to have a slice again for a snack…and then dessert!
Tips
- The most accurate way to measure flour is by using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, make sure to use the spoon and level method. By not scooping out the flour with your measuring cup, you’ll avoid packing too much flour into the recipe.
- Use the largest setting on your box grater, cheese grater or food processor attachment to easily grate the zucchini.
- Line the loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper for easy removal.
- I prefer to squeeze out some excess moisture from the zucchini as I find the bread is plenty moist without the added water. You can use paper towels to squeeze it as well.
- Make muffins or mini loaves if your’d like and reduce the cooking time to about 25-30 minutes.
FAQ’s
It’s best kept stored in an airtight container so that it doesn’t dry out. It’ll stay fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature. This zucchini bread is very moist to begin with so make sure it’s completely cooled before you store it covered.
This quick bread freezes very well. I’d say if you can, make two loaves. One to enjoy now and one to freeze for later!
After cooling completely, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and then wrap it in a layer of aluminum foil and then place in a freezer baggie. You can even freeze individual slices if you’d like.
Keep it frozen for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight.
No, it’s not necessary, unless you are using extra large zucchini where the skin is tough. Typically, small to medium summer squash, zucchini included, has a very delicate skin that is edible and highly nutritious. Plus, it’s nice to see those flecks of green throughout the bread.
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Easy Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter melted (½ cup)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini lightly squeezed to remove some moisture
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 9×5” or 8’4′ loaf pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter and brown sugar and mix until combined well.1 stick butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar
- Then add the yogurt, milk, egg, and vanilla extract and whisk together.¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup whole milk, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and stir together.1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until there are no large flour lumps remaining.
- Lastly, add the shredded zucchini into the batter and gently fold it in being careful not to over-mix!1 ½ cups shredded zucchini
- Pour the batter to the prepared loaf pan and gently shake the pan to spread evenly.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minute then transfer it to a wire rack and to completely cool before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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