Mom’s Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (Moist and Pillowy Soft!)
When summer gardens overflow with zucchini, there’s no better way to use them than in this irresistibly moist and flavorful zucchini bread. It’s light, simple, and subtly spiced, perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a midday snack. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak a little green into your baking without compromising on flavor. One bite, and you’ll understand why this loaf is a seasonal favorite!
The moist crumb, fragrant spices, and delicate sweetness make this zucchini bread a delightful treat on its own or when enjoyed with a spread of butter or cream cheese.
Zucchini might seem like an unusual baking ingredient, but it’s actually a baker’s secret weapon. It adds moisture and a tender crumb to your loaf without adding a strong flavor. It’s also packed with nutrients like vitamin C and potassium—so you can feel just a little better about that second slice!
What is Zucchini Bread Recipe?
Zucchini bread is a type of quick bread, a moist, sweet, cake-like loaf that’s leavened with baking soda or baking powder rather than yeast. What sets it apart is the inclusion of grated zucchini, which adds incredible moisture and a tender crumb without making the bread taste like vegetables. It’s a brilliant way to use up excess summer zucchini, and it’s been a staple in American home baking for decades.
Why You’ll Love Zucchini Bread Recipe
- Versatile: This zucchini bread is fantastic no matter which meal or time of day you choose to have it! Try it with some cream cheese or butter for breakfast or as a tea and coffee snack.
- Healthy: One of the best parts about this bread is the healthy boost it gets from the zucchini. Zucchinis are full of vitamins and minerals like dietary fiber and vitamin C, as well as antioxidants.
- Delicious: The real key to this bread is how scrumptiously moist it is. When combined with warm seasonings and sugar, the taste just can’t be beaten!
Tips for Making Moist Bread Every Single Time
The moistness all comes down to using a generous amount of zucchini and a few simple tips along the way.
What I do is I start this recipe by grating the zucchini first, and let it sit in a strainer so the juice can drain to the bottom of the plate before I put it into the batter.
Before I add grated zucchini into the mixture I squeeze the rest of the juice from it if the box grater was used to grate the zucchini, but if you used a carrot grater then you don’t need to squeeze the juice out of the grated zucchini.
The reason I squeeze the juice out of the box grated zucchini is that by not doing this step bread will be very very moist and gooey.
So adjusting how much zucchini and juice you want in your bread will depend on how moist you like your bread to turn out. I like a lot of zucchini in my bread, so out of 3 cups of grated zucchini, I squeeze the juice out as much as possible. But you can experiment around till you find the right combination.
Key Ingredients
All you need are some simple, pantry staple ingredients to make this delicious Zucchini Bread at home. Let’s look at them in more detail:
- All-purpose flour: The first ingredient we’ll need is some good quality all-purpose flour. It will be the base of our bread batter.
- Sea Salt: A little bit of salt will help the other ingredients taste more pronounced. It also helps regulate the leavening process so that the bread rises evenly.
- Baking soda: Baking soda is one of the ingredients we’ll use to leaven the bread. It gives the crust a nice-looking brown color also.
- Baking powder: Like salt, baking powder will help regulate the leavening process for an even rise. It also provides texture and volume to the finished product.
- Ground cinnamon: Next, we’ll add a distinct and delightful flavor profile to the bread with some cinnamon. It has a warm, sweet, aromatic flavor that pairs perfectly with the vanilla.
- Granulated or Organic Sugar: On top of adding just the right amount of sweetness, sugar keeps the bread moist too. Even just a teaspoon helps the texture and structure of the bread also.
- Brown sugar: The last dry ingredient we’ll need is brown sugar. It gives a deliciously sweet molasses-like flavor that caramelizes perfectly while baking.
- Large eggs: Eggs act as a natural binding agent while also providing moisture and texture to the bread. They’ll give this easy zucchini bread recipe a delicious flavor and richness.
- Vanilla extract: The aromatic, floral, slightly sweet flavor of vanilla goes really well with the cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Olive oil or Coconut oil: A little bit of olive oil will give our zucchini bread a soft and tender crumb. It also gives a very subtle nutty taste while providing moisture and tenderness.
- Zucchini: Last but not least, the star of the show; zucchini. It’s a naturally sweet vegetable that will make our bread deliciously moist. I use medium zucchini – it does not have very many seeds.
How to Make Zucchini Bread Recipe
Making this delicious Zucchini Bread is easier than you think. Here’s how to make them at home step by step:
Start by preheating your oven to 350℉.
Measure out and combine all dry the ingredients; all-purpose flour, sea salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon. Using a hand whisker, whisk all the dry ingredients together. Set aside until ready for use.
Rinse and grate the zucchini and set it aside until ready for use. Personally, I prefer using a carrot grater to grate zucchini, but you can also use a box grater or food processor.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs, sugar, and brown sugar, then beat on high for 5 minutes or until the batter is pale in color.
Then add vanilla and oil and beat once more on medium just until combined.
Finally, stir in stir in dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with adding shredded zucchini, and gently mix everything on low for 2 minutes or until combined.
Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans (or 4 mini-loaf pans) with unsalted butter. Pour half of the batter into one pan and the other half into the second pan.
Bake two loaves (two bread pans) at 350℉ for 50 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the bread should come out with moist crumbs on it.
Remove from the oven. Cool the bread in pans for 10 minutes before transferring it onto a cooling rack.
Now remove the bread from the pans and transfer it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
Your delicious Zucchini Bread Recipe is ready to be served. Also, check out these other quick bread recipes that I’m sure you’re going to love!
For a full list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
Tips for Making the Best Zucchini Bread Recipe
- Grate the zucchini properly: When grating the zucchini, make sure to use the finer side of the grater to create smaller shreds. This helps the zucchini incorporate more evenly into the batter.
- Squeeze excess moisture: After grating the zucchini, it’s important to remove excess moisture. Place the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Don’t overmix the batter: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, be careful not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can develop gluten and result in dense bread.
Substitutions and Variations
This delicious zucchini bread is absolutely perfect as is, but if you’re looking to change things up here are a few variation ideas you can try:
- Nuts: Add chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, to the batter for an extra crunch and nutty flavor. Stir in about 1 cup of nuts before pouring the batter into the baking pan.
- Chocolate: For delicious chocolate zucchini bread, add chocolate chips to the zucchini bread batter. Fold in about 1 cup of chocolate chips, either semi-sweet or dark chocolate, and 1/4 cup of cocoa powder for bursts of chocolate goodness throughout the bread.
- Cranberry: Add dried cranberries to the zucchini bread batter to bring a tart and sweet twist. Stir in about 1 cup of dried cranberries for a burst of tangy flavor in every bite.
How to Store Leftovers
This zucchini bread recipe should keep for at least 2 or 3 days at room temperature. Keep zucchini bread in an airtight container, or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, so it doesn’t become stale. If your zucchini bread is still hanging around after 3 days, you might want to refrigerate it.
Zucchini bread definitely freezes well. It can remain frozen for two to three months by properly wrapping it. You can also store the bread in a freezer bag.
Slice the bread before freezing that way, you won’t have to thaw and refreeze the entire loaf every time you want a slice or two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can easily adapt this recipe to make zucchini muffins. Simply divide the batter into greased or lined muffin cups and bake at the same temperature for approximately 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Yes, you can experiment with gluten-free flour blends that are suitable for baking. Look for gluten-free all-purpose flour or a blend specifically designed for baking. Follow the same measurements and instructions, but keep in mind that the texture and taste may vary slightly from the original recipe.
You can, but be sure to thaw and drain it very well to avoid excess moisture that can make the bread soggy.
Mom’s Best Zucchini Bread Recipe (Moist and Pillowy Soft!)
Ingredients
Zucchini Bread Recipe Dry Ingredients
- 3 – 4 cups all purpose flour (adding more flour, results in less moist bread)
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 cup organic (or granulated sugar)
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar
Zucchini Bread Recipe Wet Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 3 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¾ cup olive oil (or coconut oil)
- 3 cups or 2 small zucchini
Instructions
How to Make Zucchini Bread
- Making this delicious Zucchini Bread is easier than you think. Here’s how to make them at home step by step:
- Start by preheating your oven to 350℉.
- Measure out and combine all dry the ingredients; all-purpose flour, sea salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon. Using a hand whisker, whisk all the dry ingredients together. Set aside until ready for use.
- Rinse and grate the zucchini and set it aside until ready for use. Personally, I prefer using a carrot grater to grate zucchini, but you can also use a box grater or food processor.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs, sugar, and brown sugar, then beat on high for 5 minutes or until the batter is pale in color.
- Then add vanilla and oil and beat once more on medium just until combined.
- Finally, stir in stir in dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with adding shredded zucchini, and gently mix everything on low for 2 minutes or until combined.
- Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans with unsalted butter. Pour half of the batter into one pan and the other half into the second pan.
- Bake two loaves (two bread pans) at 350℉ for 50 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the bread should come out with moist crumbs on it.
- Remove from the oven. Cool the bread in pans for 10 minutes before transferring it onto a cooling rack.
- Now remove the bread from the pans and transfer it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- This zucchini bread recipe should keep for at least 2 or 3 days at room temperature. Keep zucchini bread in an airtight container, so it doesn’t get stale. If your zucchini bread is still hanging around after 3 days, you might want to refrigerate it.
- Zucchini bread definitely freezes well. It can remain frozen for two to three months if properly wrapped.
- Slice the bread before freezing that way, you won’t have to thaw and refreeze the entire loaf every time you want a slice or two.
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This recipe was originally posted on August 29, 2014 (original picture below), and updated for a better user experience. The post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
My go to recipe for Zucchini Bread! Everyone loves ❤ it!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for your feedback and amazing review! 🙂
I made this today and my kiddos loved it! I did not tell them it has zucchini because I knew my son wouldn’t eat it! He ended up eating most of it! It turned out delicious! Thank you!
I know what you mean. Sometimes you just have to keep it as a secret what goes into that recipe, other wise they wont eat it. I’m glad it turned out good for you! Thanks for visiting my blog! 🙂