Our Favorite Zucchini Bread Recipe
Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Rating
4.57 out of 5 stars
(23)
Ingredients
1 loaf
- 1½ pound zucchini, shredded, about 2 large zucchini
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1¼ cups light brown sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for sprinkling
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Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper so excess parchment hangs over each side.
Step 2
Place the zucchini in a clean dish towel, gather the ends together, then twist and squeeze to drain out as much liquid as possible.
Step 3
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine; set aside.
Step 4
In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until completely combined. Fold in the drained zucchini.
Step 5
Add the zucchini mixture to the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold together until a few streaks of flour remain. Add the chopped walnuts and gently fold to combine.
Step 6
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth into an even layer, and sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly over the top.
Step 7
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 65 to 75 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Leftover bread should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Step 8
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Chef's notes
Be sure to squeeze out as much water as you can from the zucchini.
Make nut substitutions if you’d like. Walnuts are a classic, but pretty much any other nut will work – try pecans, cashews, anything! You can also omit the nuts if you’d prefer, as well.
Mix-In options:
Chocolate chips, raisins, and dried cranberries are all great options. You can swap them in for the nuts, or do a mixture.
Loaf Pan:
Use a 9×5-inch or 1-lb loaf pan. I use the Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch loaf pans.
Serving Ideas:
While this bread absolutely stands on its own, you can dress it up for dessert with a slather of cream cheese frosting.
Storage:
Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing:
This bread freezes exceptionally well. Wrap in plastic wrap, then tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Converting to Muffins:
If you’d like to turn this zucchini bread into zucchini bread muffins, line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each about ¾ full. You should get around 18 muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 24 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For mini muffins, they’ll need about 10 to 13 minutes to bake and you’ll get around 3 dozen.
