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All you need is a few simple ingredients, one bowl, a spoon, and a loaf pan to make the best homemade zucchini bread recipe ever. It’s soft and moist, full of spice and absolutely delicious. This is going to become your favorite quick bread recipe EVER!

One loaf of zucchini bread with half cut into bread slices

Why My Zucchini Bread Works

It’s a tried-and-true zucchini bread recipe. I’ve tested it so many times, and it turns out great each time. It’s easy to make: you don’t have to wring out the zucchini, you don’t need a mixer, and you only need one bowl. I love to make a double batch of this bread and freeze a loaf for later. It’s super freezer-friendly!

Have I convinced you yet? I hope so because you are in for a treat. Once you try this easy quick bread recipe, it will be your go-to, just like it is for me.

all ingredients in zucchini bread

Important Zucchini Bread Ingredients

  • Vegetable Oil: Instead of using butter, I always use a neutral oil for zucchini bread. This keeps it moist and soft. You can also use canola oil.
  • Sugar: This recipe uses both brown sugar and granulated sugar. I like the combination for the little flavor the brown sugar gives, plus the color and how the brown sugar helps keep zucchini bread soft.
  • Ground Cinnamon: A classic flavor ingredient
  • Baking Soda and Baking Powder: The two act together to create a puffy, soft and moist quick bread.
  • Shredded Zucchini: This is the most important part! Be sure to get one large or two small/medium zucchini just in case. Shred it yourself. You don’t need to wring it out unless it’s been frozen and is extra wet.
One loaf of zucchini bread with half cut into bread slices

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How to Shred Zucchini for Bread

My favorite way to grate zucchini is with a box grater. Use the large holes to shred it. If you have a lot of zucchini to grate, you can use a food processor with the shredder attachment. You do not need to pat the zucchini dry unless it’s extra wet from being frozen and thawed. In that case, pat it with paper towels – you don’t want it super dry – the moisture in the shredded zucchini is what keeps this zucchini bread recipe moist.

You will need 1 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini for the recipe, which is approximately 152 grams, or close to one large zucchini (but remember “large” means something different to everyone, so be sure to grate enough to measure out 1 1/2 cups).

zucchini bread batter in pan.
Two loaves of zucchini bread side by side

What are the best pans for Zucchini Bread?

You will want to use a loaf pan for this zucchini bread recipe and other quick bread recipes. There are several sizes, but the most common ones are 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and 8×4-inch. Both will work for this recipe, but I prefer the 8×4” one.

You can see in the photo that the bread baked in the smaller 8” pan puffed up and has that nice domed top. If you use a 9” loaf pan, the bread will bake fine and taste great, but the loaf will be flatter on top. You won’t get that pretty round loaf on top.

You can make mini-loaves in 3 mini-loaf pans (1 regular quick bread recipe = 3 mini loaves).

I don’t usually line my pans with aluminum foil but you can if you want.

Dorothy’s Expert Tips

  • You don’t have to peel the zucchini, unless you want to.
  • If you have lots of zucchini from your garden, you can shred it and freeze it to use all year long. Be sure to thaw it first and, if needed, pat any excess water from it before adding it to your batter.
4.97 from 468 votes

Zucchini Bread Recipe

By: Dorothy Kern
The best basic zucchini bread – moist and soft with tons of freshly grated zucchini in it. Freezable and you can add any mix-ins you like.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
One loaf of zucchini bread with half cut into bread slices
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Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (119ml) vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 ½ cups (approximately 152g) shredded zucchini

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Add oil and both sugars to a large bowl. Stir until smooth.
  • Mix in cinnamon, eggs, and vanilla extract.
  • Stir in flour mixture, mixture will be thick. Add zucchini and stir until combined – mixture will get looser and more pourable after stirring in zucchini.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes (9×5-inch pan) or 55-65 minutes (8×4-inch) pan, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf.
  • Cool before slicing or removing from the pan. Store covered for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

 
  • Be sure to shred your own zucchini using the large holes of a box grater. Do not drain or squeeze liquid out of the zucchini – you need the moisture to keep the bread moist.
  • Sugar: I like the mix of brown and granulated but you can omit the brown sugar and use 1 cup granulated if you prefer.
  • The 8×4-inch loaf will bake more domed, while the 9×5-inch pan will be flatter.
  • Feel free to add in ½ cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips after stirring in zucchini.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 157mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 107IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Storing Leftovers

  • Store leftover bread tightly covered with plastic wrap.
  • Freeze whole loaves tightly wrapped with plastic wrap and stored in a freezer bag. Or you can freeze slices of bread in sealable sandwich bags for easy grab and go snacking.

How to Make Zucchini Bread Step by Step

dry ingredients in bowl
  1. It’s best to whisk dry ingredients first, just to make sure the baking soda and salt are incorporated.
clear bowl with oil, brown sugar, and white sugar with zucchini around.

2. Once you stir the oil and sugars, the mixture will be grainy.

clear bowl with zucchini batter and eggs with zucchini around.

3. The mixture will turn dark after adding the cinnamon. Once you add the flour it’ll seem too thick.

bowl of zucchini bread batter

4. Adding the zucchini will make it wetter and more like a quick bread batter.

Variations

More Zucchini Recipes To Try

Favorite Quick Bread Recipes

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.97 from 468 votes (321 ratings without comment)

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370 Comments

  1. Hi, I have a family member with kidney disease. I used your recipe and used 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce instead of the oil, I used sugar free monk fruit instead of sugar, I used 2 cups of grated zucchini, omit salt and added cup of a combination of chopped walnuts, almonds, dried cranberries and cherries for added texture and flavor as I omit salt and less face it fat adds flavor and I didn’t add fat/oil. It’s delicious and kidney friendly-sharing in case anyone wants a more kidney friendly recipe-this is a keeper for me to make my family member and I like it too!

    Reply

    1. Thank you for this suggestion. My husband is diabetic with heart problems. Im going to make him the original recipe then try your way.

      Reply

      1. Hi Amanda, Great idea making both recipes to see which one he likes best. Also, the bread freezes well. I slice it, wrap each slice in plastic wrap and take however many slices we’re going to eat, pop them in the toaster oven and it tastes like it was freshly baked not previously frozen. Happy New Year!

  2. Just made this And it smells incredible! I added some grated orange zest to mine and it smells so good with the cinnamon! I’ll follow up when I tasted in the morning

    Reply

  3. I’ve been trying many recipes to use up my zucchini, this is my favorite by far! Lots of flavor, moist and stores well. Thank you.

    Reply