Zucchini Bread
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A foolproof zucchini bread recipe with a tender crumb, warm spice, and plenty of shredded zucchini. It makes two loaves, freezes beautifully, and can be customized with walnuts, raisins, currants, or chocolate chips.
Every summer, when zucchini starts piling up, this is the classic zucchini bread recipe I come back to again and again. It’s incredibly moist, warmly spiced, and packed with shredded zucchini, which practically disappears into the batter as it bakes. The result is a tender loaf that tastes more like snack cake than vegetable bread.
Best of all, it’s easy to make and doesn’t require any fussy steps—there’s no need to squeeze the zucchini before adding it to the batter. In fact, its natural moisture is what keeps the bread so tender. Keep it classic with walnuts and currants or raisins, or add chocolate chips for a sweeter twist that kids will love.
“I have made zucchini bread for 50 years, using one recipe. Thank goodness I tried this one—we loved it and will never go back!”
What You’ll Need To Make Zucchini Bread
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure while keeping the bread tender.
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg: A classic combination that gives the bread its warm, cozy flavor.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Using both leavening agents helps the bread rise evenly and creates a light, tender crumb.
- Eggs: Add richness, structure, and moisture.
- Sugar: Sweetens the bread and helps keep it moist.
- Zucchini: You’ll need about two medium zucchini. There’s no need to peel them or squeeze out the moisture—the zucchini’s natural moisture is what keeps the bread so tender.
- Butter: Melted butter adds rich flavor and helps create a soft, tender crumb.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the warm spice flavors.
- Walnuts, currants (or raisins), or chocolate chips (optional): Customize the bread to your taste. Walnuts add crunch, currants or raisins add bursts of sweetness, and chocolate chips make it feel more like dessert. Whichever combination you choose, keep the total add-ins to no more than 1½ cups.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
Step 2: Mix wet ingredients. In another large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until well combined. Add the grated zucchini, melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Step 3: Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to liquid mixture and mix well. Then mix in your add-ins (nuts, currants, and/or chocolate chips).
Step 4: Prepare the loaf pans. Divide the batter into two greased 8½ x 4½-in loaf pans and smooth the tops.
Step 5: Bake and cool. Bake the loaves for about 1 hour, or until tester comes out clean. Once done, set the pans on wire rack and let cool about 10 minutes, then turn the loaves out onto rack to cool completely.
How To Freeze Zucchini Bread
Zucchini bread can be frozen for up to three months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap, or place in a freezer bag. Thaw the bread overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Lightly toast individual slices for best results.
Looking For More Ways To Use Zucchini?
If your garden is still overflowing, here are a few more of my favorite zucchini recipes: zucchini muffins, chocolate zucchini bread, zucchini fritters, creamy zucchini soup, or ratatouille.
Video Tutorial
More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups grated zucchini (you'll need two medium zucchinis; do not wring out the liquid)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted if desired (optional; see note)
- ½ cup currants or raisins (optional; see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C) and set a rack in the middle position. Generously grease two 8½ x 4½-in (22 x 11-cm) loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to mix well.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar. Add the grated zucchini, melted butter, and vanilla extract; using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to liquid ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the nuts and currants, then divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Set the pans on a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn the loaves out onto rack to cool completely.
Notes
- You can also add chocolate chips to this bread. I typically use about 1 cup of chocolate chips instead of nuts and currants. Whatever combination you use, just be sure total add-ins (nuts, currants, chips) do not exceed 1½ cups.
- Freezing Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap, or place it in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Followed recipe but it’s very dry. Needs something to make it moister.
Love this recipe!
1. Perfect for the smaller size loaf pans
2. You don’t have to squeeze out the zucchini
3. Can switch to metric for weighing the ingredients
4. It’s really good!
Thanks Jenn!
So good. Thank you!!!!
Great recipe! I’ve tried others but this was the easiest and the best so far. No modifications except I didn’t have nutmeg. Other than that, I followed the recipe precisely and it is delicious!
Love this recipe! I omitted the nuts and dried fruit due to my nut allergy. I then used coconut oil instead of butter and applesauce in place of the eggs to make it vegan. It turned out fabulous!! Yum!! A must during
This recipe looks great, although I have very picky siblings who will not eat nuts and the rest of my family does not like chocolate chips in their zucchini bread, if I were to omit the nuts would I have to add more flour or something?
Hi Shayla, it’s fine to omit the nuts with no other modifications. Hope everyone enjoys! 🙂
Made these for a picnic and they were a huge hit, thank you!! My oven can be finicky sometimes but the texture on these came out perfect.
Made this tonight with a couple zucchini I needed to use up. Left out the nutmeg since I’m not a huge fan, and upped the cinnamon instead. Did half granulated sugar/half brown sugar, and threw in some chopped walnuts and sugar free craisins had in the pantry. I thought the sweetness level was perfect. Would definitely make again! Maybe next time with some orange zest and juice in the batter
I made the bread and it is delicious. I love that it is not too sweet. I didn’t have any nutmeg so that was my only variation of the recipe.
However, it still tastes amazing. I will definitely pick up some nutmeg to have on hand for the next time I make it.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Could I replace the cup of butter with applesauce and Greek yogurt?
Hi Amanda, I wouldn’t recommend using sour cream here. If you’d like to use applesauce in place of the butter, I’d suggest swapping out just half; so use half a cup of butter and half a cup of applesauce. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I love the orange zest idea.
We both liked it. Shared it at a ladies’ get-together and it was a hit. Nice and moist. Recipe well written. (Think I’ll up the spices next time and add more raisins.)
Like everyone else at this time of the year I have a ton of zucchini. So I decided to make a double batch, the first batch with no nuts because my husband cannot eat them, and I did that in two of the loaf pans as you said to do in your recipe. The second batch I did with nuts and being that the loaf pans were busy in the oven cooking I made the second batch in a 8 x 8 ceramic pan and also in a 4“ x 2“ muffin pan that makes 9 muffins. Everything came out perfect and delicious! Just keep an eye on the smaller muffin pans because they cook up quicker. The only thing I changed in the recipe is that I omitted the nutmeg (I didn’t have any) and added a little extra cinnamon. Thanks this was easy and delicious and convenient to freeze so making a double batch was a win win