This Zucchini Carrot Bread is the perfect combination of healthy and flavor-packed. It's incredibly moist and deliciously sneaks in veggies for the kids.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
We love a good quick bread recipe, and this easy Zucchini Carrot Bread is one of our favorites. Here's why this recipe stands out:
- Easy-to-Follow: This recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients to make a delicious treat that everyone will love.
- No Special Equipment: You don't need any fancy kitchen gadgets or mixers for this recipe. A simple hand whisker will do the trick.
- Healthy Twist: Ingredients like Greek yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, fresh zucchini, and carrots make this bread a healthier option.
- Perfect for Sharing: This recipe makes two loaves, making it perfect for sharing at potlucks, bake sales, or with friends and family.
- Customizable: You can easily customize this recipe by adding your favorite nuts, seeds, or even a different variety of chocolate chips.
- Kid-Friendly: The combination of zucchini and carrots in this bread is a sneaky way to get some extra veggies into your kids' diets.
Key Ingredients
- Eggs – The eggs in this recipe act as a binder, helping to hold the bread together and giving it a moist, tender crumb.
- Zucchini and Carrots – Both zucchini and carrots add moisture to the bread, as well as a pop of color. They are also a great way to sneak some veggies into your diet.
- Unsweetened Applesauce – This helps to keep the bread moist, and it also adds a subtle apple flavor that pairs well with the cinnamon and vanilla.
- Greek Yogurt – The Greek yogurt adds a slight tanginess to the bread and also helps to keep it moist.
- Dark Chocolate Chips – These are optional, but highly recommended. They add little pockets of melty chocolate throughout the bread, taking it to a whole new level.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some of my favorite variations and substitutions:
- Yogurt: If you don't have Greek yogurt, sour cream is a good substitute. Or try my Zucchini bread recipe for a more traditional version.
- Nuts: If you're not a fan of chocolate, you can substitute dark chocolate chips with chopped nuts.
- Spices: Feel free to play around with the spices. Nutmeg and allspice work well in this recipe.
How to Make Zucchini Carrot Bread
Step 1
Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and set aside. Grated zucchini and carrot set aside.
Step 2
In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugars, and vanilla for 5 minutes. Add applesauce and Greek yogurt and beat for 1 minute.
Step 3
Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix. Then, add and mix in the grated carrot and zucchini. Finally, add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 4
Pour the batter into two greased baking pans. Sprinkle oats and chocolate chips on top. Bake both loaves for 1 hour at 375 F.
Step 5
Let the loaves cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing. Allow the bread to cool for another half hour before slicing. Enjoy!
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy a slice of zucchini carrot bread with a spread of cream cheese or butter.
- Pair it with a morning smoothie like this strawberry smoothie for a balanced breakfast.
- Some people love to serve this zucchini carrot bread with cream cheese, but you can also spread it with some creamy goat cheese or ricotta.
- This bread is a great addition to a lunchbox. It pairs well with a salad or a serving of fresh fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any type of zucchini for this recipe. Both green and yellow zucchinis work well. If you're using large zucchinis, make sure to remove the seeds before grating.
Beating the eggs and sugars together for 5 minutes creates a light and fluffy mixture. This helps to incorporate air into the batter, resulting in a softer and more tender bread. It's an important step for achieving the perfect texture.
The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You may also notice that the top is golden brown and a bit crusty. The baking time is usually around 1 hour at 375°F.
Yes, you can make zucchini carrot bread ahead of time. It freezes well for up to 3 months. You can also store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
How to Store Leftovers
- Storing: After enjoying this delicious zucchini carrot bread, you can store any leftovers at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: If you want to enjoy it at a later date, this bread freezes beautifully. Simply wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer-safe bag. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: When you're ready to enjoy your frozen zucchini carrot bread, just let it thaw at room temperature.
More Zucchini Recipes You'll Enjoy
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins - These Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins are delicious, tender, and perfect for using up all that summer zucchini.
- Mini Pizzas with Baked Zucchini Crust - These tasty little Mini Pizzas feature a delicious baked zucchini crust, with a delicious homemade pizza sauce with a perfect topping mix of mushrooms, veggies, pepperonis, and more.
- Sautéed Zucchinis - These are the most soft and delicious sautéed zucchinis you'll ever try. What's best is that they're super easy to make too!
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins - These Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are a delightful treat that perfectly balances the richness of chocolate with the earthy sweetness of zucchini.
Recipe Card
Zucchini Carrot Bread
Ingredients
- 3 eggs large
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup Greek yogurt plain
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips + ¼ cup to top the bread (optional)
- ¼ cup old fashioned oats to top the bread (optional)
- 1 zucchini medium, or 2 cups grated
- 1 carrot medium, or 1 cup grated
Instructions
- Measure out the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Mix together with a hand whisker. Set aside until ready for use.
- Rinse and grate the zucchini and carrot. Set aside until ready for use.
- Beat eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla together for 5 minutes on high speed. Reduce speed to medium and add unsweetened applesauce and Greek Yogurt. Beat for another minute. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix it in on lowest speed.
- Add and mix in grated carrot and zucchini on the lowest speed for about a minute. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and continue mixing, for another minute or two, on low speed until all ingredients are well mixed.
- Remove the bowl from mixer stand, add dark chocolate chips and stir them into the batter with a silicone spatula.
- Split the batter into 2 butter greased bread baking pans and sprinkle old-fashioned oats and dark chocolate chips throughout the bread batter.
- Bake (both loaves at the same time) for 1 hour at 375 F.
- Remove from the oven. Let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing from pans.
- Cool the bread for another half hour before slicing.
Notes
- I like to place them on a cutting board lined with paper towels to absorb some of the butter. Or place the loaves on a cooling rack.
- Always make sure to beat your eggs and sugars for a good five minutes. This will give your bread a light, fluffy texture.
- Grating your zucchini and carrot finely is key. It allows them to blend into the bread, giving it moistness and a hint of sweetness without being too noticeable.
- When adding your dry ingredients, remember to do it in two separate stages. This helps to incorporate them evenly without overmixing.
- This zucchini carrot bread is a great way to use up extra zucchini and carrots from your garden or farmer’s market.
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This recipe was originally posted on September 8, 2016. I tweaked it a bit since then like using a good quality ingredient. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
Vicky says
I'm trying to use up what I have in my cupboards and fridge before we head home up north for the summer. I have everything except the zucchini. Pinned this.
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you for pinning, really appreciate it!
Olga says
Can't wait until the morning to make it 🙂
But don't have loaf pans....can I use bundt cake pan or will it be too much dough for it?
Thnx a lot
valya'stasteofhome.com says
That should be fine. Let me know how it turned out for you.
Victoria says
Tried making this recipe today. This is the perfect morning breakfast! Also can be eaten as a snack or dessert. So simple and easy to make. Moist, but at the same time fluffy. The chocolate chips and the quaker oats give it a wonderful twist. Also, I LOVE that it's healthy!! You can eat this without feeling bad. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you so much for sharing this @valyastasteofhome! Family approved! ✔
valya'stasteofhome.com says
I'm so happy to hear that. We actually did enjoyed every crumb of this bread. Kids kept asking for more. It was just that good! Thank you very much for such an amazing review Victoria:)