Zucchini Bread

This homemade Zucchini Bread is soft, moist, and lightly sweet with a hint of cinnamon. It uses a full pound of fresh zucchini – no peeling or squeezing required – and the recipe makes two loaves – one to enjoy now and one to share or freeze for later.

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Zucchini Bread Video

Watch my short video to see how the thick batter loosens as the freshly grated zucchini is folded in, then bakes into a wonderfully soft and moist crumb.

The Best Zucchini Bread Recipe

When our garden starts producing zucchini, this is one of the first recipes I make. I first shared this old family recipe in 2012, and it has been a reader favorite ever since. Like my famous Banana Bread, it has a soft, tender crumb and simple ingredients, but this loaf uses a full pound of freshly grated zucchini folded into the batter.

The best part? There’s no need to peel or squeeze the zucchini. You want to keep all of that natural moisture in the batter, which gives the bread its moist texture. P.S. Many of you have asked over the years, and yes – you can also bake this batter into Zucchini Muffins.

Ingredients for Zucchini Bread

The ingredients are simple pantry staples plus fresh grated zucchini, which keeps the bread moist for days.

• Dry Ingredients – all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon for a hint of spice.
• Wet ingredients – room temperature eggs, neutral-tasting oil (canola, vegetable, or extra-light olive oil), sugar, and Vanilla Extract.
• Grated zucchini – Use 1 lb or 3 cups loosely packed zucchini. If using oversized garden zucchini, scoop out the tough seedy center before grating.
• Add-ins – You can fold in up to 1 cup total of chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, currants, or shredded coconut. For a hint of citrus, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of finely grated orange zest.

Do You Peel or Squeeze Zucchini for Zucchini Bread?

There’s no need to peel, squeeze, or blot the zucchini dry. For this recipe, grate the unpeeled zucchini on the large holes of a box grater and measure 3 cups loosely. Add the zucchini along with its natural juices—they help create the soft, moist crumb. If you’re using an oversized garden zucchini, scoop out the tough, seedy center first.

How to Make Zucchini Bread

1. Prepare your pans – Butter two 8×4-inch loaf pans and line them with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. Dry Ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Wet Ingredients – In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla until well blended.
4. Combine – Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Don’t overmix.
5. Fold in zucchini – Add grated zucchini to the batter along with any add-ins you are using, folding just until evenly incorporated. The batter will look thick at first, but it loosens as the zucchini is folded in.

6. Bake – Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake at 350˚F for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips for the Best Zucchini Bread

These simple tips make zucchini bread turn out soft and perfectly moist every time:

• Room-temp ingredients – Cold eggs or cold zucchini can slow down the rise.
• Measure zucchini loosely – Don’t pack the grated zucchini into the measuring cup – it can make your bread heavy.
• Don’t overmix – Once the flour is added, stir just until combined. Overmixing can make the bread dense.
• Check for doneness – The tops should be domed and set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean with a few moist crumbs. If you see wet batter, bake a few minutes longer.

Homemade Zucchini Bread is one of the easiest ways to turn fresh zucchini into a soft, sliceable loaf for breakfast, snacks, or freezing. It’s especially delicious spread with my whipped Honey Butter.

More Easy Zucchini Recipes

If you love zucchini and are looking for more ways to use it, don’t miss these easy reader-favorite zucchini recipes:

• Easy Zucchini Fritters
• Grilled Zucchini
• Pasta Primavera
• Zucchini Brownies
• Fried Zucchini Bites with Dipping Sauce
• Zucchini Muffins
• Zucchini Lasagna
• Zucchini Casserole