Zucchini Bread

5 from 6 votes

This easy, one-bowl Zucchini Bread is the best! Don’t worry, you won’t taste the zucchini, but it’s the secret to making this quick bread perfectly moist and delicious.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: zucchini bread, zucchini bread recipe

Servings: slices

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $4.54

Equipment

1 9 x 5-inch bread pan see note 1
Cooling rack

Ingredients

Cooking spray

Wet

2 cups unpeeled zucchini 1 medium zucchini
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry

1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour plus some for dusting the pan
2 tablespoons light brown sugar for topping, firmly packed

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease, then sprinkle flour in a 9x4-inch bread pan; set aside. Melt the butter in microwave and set aside to cool so it isn’t hot. Wash and completely dry zucchini; then grate (unpeeled) on the large holes of the grater. Gently place shredded zucchini in measuring cups (loosely measure to the top, but do not pack in measuring cups—no need to wring out excess liquid).
Using a wooden spoon, mix together all the wet ingredients until completely combined. Don’t use hand or stand mixers—they beat in too much air.
Add all dry ingredients except flour and brown sugar onto wet ingredients. Mix, then add in flour and mix until completely combined and smooth. Once incorporated, stop mixing (overmixing can result in a dense loaf of bread).
Use a spatula to scrape batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, then sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake 55–60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs when inserted into the center.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and finish cooling on a cooling rack before slicing with a sharp serrated knife (it crumbles if cut when too hot; see note 2).

Video

Notes

Note 1: Be sure to use the correct size bread pan so the recipe works properly. I use and love this bread pan—it is quite wide. A more narrow 9x5-inch pan takes about 10–15 minutes longer to bake, and an 8x4-inch pan is too small! If you use an 8x4-inch pan, add about 75% of the batter (use leftovers for some muffins) and note that bake time is shorter. Don’t forget to generously grease the bread pan. Alternatively, line it with parchment paper and leave an overhang for easy removal.

Note 2: Wait 15 minutes after baking to remove the bread from the pan because baking is still happening out of the oven! Once done, run a table knife along the edge of the pan and invert the loaf onto a wire cooling rack. Quick breads need to be elevated so air can circulate around all sides. Otherwise, moisture (from the heat of the bread) will condense on the bottom of the bread, making it damp and slightly sticky.

Storage: I like to finish this bread within 1–2 days of being made. (It’s even more moist and flavorful on day 2!) After the second day, it begins to lose texture (becoming too moist). It can, however, last up to a week stored in an airtight container and tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. After the second day, I recommend storing it in the fridge. Wrap each slice tightly and place in an airtight container.

Nutrition