A Sweet Way to Eat Your Veggies: Moist and Flavorful Zucchini Bread

Find a sweet way to sneak in some veggies in this loaf of moist and delicious Zucchini Bread. Warmly spiced, so good and flavorful, picky eaters will never suspect there is zucchini hiding inside!

Happy Monday!

How about a sweet way to enjoy summer’s most prolific veggie, the zucchini?!

I think of zucchini bread as a summer version of banana bread and this is a favorite ‘go-to’ recipe!

Just like banana bread, this Zucchini Bread is moist, flavorful and easy to mix up!

It’s warmly spiced with the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg,

making it a treat to accompany your morning coffee or tea.

It’s also great excuse to satisfy your sweet tooth and use some of that zucchini

you inherited (fortunately or unfortunately ;) from your neighbor’s bumper crop.

This post contains affiliate links. For more information see my disclosure policy.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  If you purchase anything through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

If you’ve ever baked with zucchini, you know that it lends moisture to baked goods,

without adding any noticeable vegetable flavor or texture, just pretty green flecks.

Other than the flecks, picky eaters never suspect there’s a green vegetable hiding inside.

In addition to the zucchini,  Roasted Walnut Oil makes this bread moist and flavorful!

Walnut oil is heart healthy and a rich source of nutrients and antioxidants.

You can read more about the health benefits of walnuts from WebMD, here.

Walnut oil can be used in place of most other cooking oils in baking recipes,

as well as sauces and salad dressings / vinaigrettes.

Use walnut oil to give your favorite brownie mix a flavor upgrade

or use in it your favorite banana bread recipe.

Add a drizzle on top of your hummus or bowl of our favorite delicious and healthy

Roasted Pear-Butternut Soup!

You’ll need 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini for this recipe; one large zucchini will be plenty.

No need to peel your zucchini, just give it a wash and cut off the end

before shredding it with a box grater.

If you’re in the market for a box grater, this one has a handy detachable measuring cup.

You’ll need a 9 x 5 inch pan for this recipe; here are the ingredients:

1 3/4 cups *all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup walnut oil (substitute vegetable oil if you prefer)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (or sour cream or Greek yogurt)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

Optional: 1 cup chopped nuts, raisins or semi-sweet chocolate chips

*Note: To make this gluten free, swap out all-purpose flour for

King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour.

Note:  Ingredients that are naturally gluten-free, may come in contact with gluten during processing

or packaging, so if you’re on a strict gluten-free diet,

you’ll need to consider your other ingredients beyond your flour.

For easy removal, I like to line my pans with parchment paper.

Not only does the parchment paper make it easier to remove your loaf from the pan, but it

also helps regulate the oven temperature, serving as a barrier between your batter and pan,

neutralizing hot spots.

I’m a big fan of this precut parchment paper!

It’s unbleached, comes four different sizes, is greaseproof,

waterproof and withstands oven temps up to 450°F.

Spray your pan and then line your pan with parchment that hangs over the edge of your pan.

The spray will keep your paper in place and slipping so no batter gets underneath the paper.

The ends of the paper provide ‘handles’ making it easy to lift your loaf from the pan.

I found these Nordic Ware stainless steel baking clips at Target.

The clips are oven safe and perfect for holding parchment in place and for keeping the taller edges of paper

from blocking the heat from the oven so your loaf bakes and browns evenly.

To prepare zucchini bread batter:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla together until combined; whisk in the zucchini.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir or whisk until combined; do not overmix.

Fold in any optional add-ins like nuts, etc.

Spread the batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 55-70 minutes.

During last 15 minutes of baking time, tent the bread loosely with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning.

The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no raw batter; a few crumbs are okay.

 Remove the bread from the oven and set on a wire rack. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, before lifting the bread out of the pan with the parchment paper edges.  Return the bread to a wire rack to cool completely and for neat slices.

Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

I like this Nordic Ware Loaf Cake Keeper that’s BPA free.

To freeze zucchini bread, cool completely and wrap in plastic wrap

or aluminum foil and then place in a freezer bag.

Freeze up to 3 months for best flavor. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

A few tips for baking success:

For accurate measuring of flour, fluff your flour from the canister or bag and then spoon into your measuring cup so it’s overflowing, then level off with the edge of a knife. Scooping flour directly from the bag or canister will yield a heavier cup and larger amount that can negatively affect your recipes. –> see this video.

 Oven temperatures vary, depending on brand, age, whether electric or gas, and it’s not unusual for an oven to run 25 – 50 degrees hotter or colder. Using an oven thermometer is the best way to insure your oven temperature is accurate. Also, make sure you preheat your oven long enough, at least 20 minutes.

Optional topping: Mix up a sweet and crunchy streusel topping to top your zucchini bread. . .

a combination of oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, flour and nuts.

Or top your zucchini bread with a decadent cream cheese frosting, as in this carrot cake!

Print Recipe

Zucchini Bread

Sneak in some veggies in a loaf of moist and delicious Zucchini Bread. Warmly spiced, so good and flavorful, picky eaters will never suspect there is zucchini hiding inside!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time55 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon, roasted walnut oil, zucchini bread

Servings: 1 loaf

Equipment

•   9 x 5 inch loaf pan 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pan will work too
• box grater

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup walnut oil or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini no need to peel
• optional: 1 cup chopped nuts or raisins or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper that hangs over the edge of pan. Spray parchment paper; set aside.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.
• In medium bowl, whisk together oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla together until combined; whisk in the zucchini.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir or whisk until combined; do not overmix.
• Fold in any optional add-ins like nuts, etc.
• Spread the batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55-70 minutes.
• During last 15 minutes of baking time, tent the bread loosely with aluminum foil to prevent over browning on top.
• The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean with zero raw batter; a few crumbs are okay.
• Remove the bread from the oven and set on a wire rack. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before lifting bread from pan using paper edges. Return to wire rack to cool completely. For neat slices, allow bread to cool completely.
• Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• To freeze, cool completely and wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then place in freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months for best flavor. Thaw overnight in the fridge

Notes

•  For accurate measuring of flour, fluff your flour from the canister or bag and then spoon into your measuring cup so it’s overflowing, then level off with the edge of a knife. Scooping flour directly from the bag or canister will yield a heavier cup and larger amount that can negatively affect your recipes.
• Baking times will vary depending on pans and your oven. Oven temperatures vary widely, depending on brand, age, whether electric or gas and it’s not unusual for an oven to run 25 - 50 degrees hotter or colder. Preheat your oven at least 20 minutes and know your oven and its hot spots. Use an inexpensive oven thermometer to monitor your oven’s temperature. Shield top of bread with foil to prevent overbrowning if needed for longer baking time.
• Optional: When bread is cool, top with a glaze or cream cheese frosting, adjust amount of sugar to your taste and preferred sweetness. Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
  1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
  8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  3 – 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted so lump free
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  Directions:
  Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.  Add *powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy.*Start with 3 cups of sugar, add more after tasting to desired sweetness.
• To make this gluten free, swap out all-purpose flour for King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour.

You might also like:

Incredibly Fudgy Zucchini Brownies

So fudgy and good, these zucchini brownies come together in less than 10 minutes using your food processor!

Chocoholic’s Zucchini Bread

An easy quick bread with a wonderful, moist texture, like a rich chocolate cake!

Thank you for your visit, sharing with:

 Between Naps on the Porch