Lemon Pistachio Zucchini Bread + Best Way to Boost the Flavor in Lemon Desserts!

 Satisfy your sweet tooth and eat your veggies too with Lemon Pistachio Zucchini Bread. A moist quick bread with the bright and tangy notes of lemon and subtle flavor of pistachios. You’ll also find the best and easiest way to boost the lemon flavor in your baked goods.

Happy Friday!

How about a recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth and eat your veggies too?!

Our neighbors shared their abundance of zucchini with us this summer,

apologizing and promising to only plant one zucchini plant in their garden next spring. ;)

This Lemon Pistachio Zucchini Bread is a delicious way to eat your veggies, using

that zucchini from the garden or rolling around in your vegetable bin.

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If you’ve baked with zucchini before, you know it doesn’t add any noticeable

vegetable flavor or objectable texture, serving only to add moisture and some pretty green flecks.

In addition to the zucchini, I used roasted and salted pistachios which

add flavor, color, and texture to baked goods.

The pistachios add a subtle flavor that complements the lemon and almond extract in this recipe.

 The salted nuts enhance the sweet flavor in this quick bread,

but feel free to use unsalted or substitute the nut of your choice.

I ran across a method to naturally boost the lemon flavor in your baked goods if your recipe

includes granulated sugar from Sue at The View From Great Island.

It’s a game changer!

Rather than zesting your lemon with a microplane to add to your batter,

this method uses the food processor to fully incorporate the lemon into your sugar.

The oils and flavor from the citrus peel get infused more completely into the sugar

using the food processor!

Note: I prefer to use organic citrus when zesting so you don’t have to worry

about any pesticide residue on the peel.

This method only takes a minute in your food processor resulting in a fragrant lemony sugar

that takes your baked goods over the top!

You can use the same method for lime-infused or orange sugar, ideal for

Orange Breakfast Pull Apart Loaf!

Using a serrated peeler, remove the yellow peel from your lemon, leaving behind the pith

(the white part next to the peel which is bitter.)

Place sugar and peel into a food processor and pulse to combine.

Process until the zest is completely incorporated into the sugar, (about a minute) or

until the sugar becomes fragrant and pale yellow and no large pieces of peel remain.

Use immediately for best flavor or place in resealable plastic bag,

removing any excess air and refrigerate until ready to use.

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.

Here are the other ingredients you’ll need to make Lemon Pistachio Zuccini Bread:

1 3/4 cups *all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup light olive oil ( or vegetable /canola oil if you prefer)

1 cup lemon sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla extract)

 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

3/4 cup chopped shelled roasted and salted pistachios (or nuts of choice)

*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 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.

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’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.

To prepare zucchini bread:

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 and salt, together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together oil, lemon sugar, eggs, sour cream and almond extract together until combined; stir in the zucchini.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir until combined; do not overmix; fold in nuts.

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 over browning on top.

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 before adding glaze.

Add some additional lemon flavor to your zucchini bread with a lemon glaze.

For the Glaze

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Juice of 1 lemon (2- 3 tablespoons lemon juice)

Mix confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon until smooth.

Add an additional 1 tablespoon of juice to reach desired consistency.

Drizzle glaze over top of bread; allow to set before slicing.

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 without the glaze 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 adding lemon glaze before serving.

Print Recipe

Lemon Pistachio Zucchini Bread

Eat your veggies and satisfy your sweet tooth too with Lemon Pistachio Zucchini Bread; a moist quick bread with the bright and tangy notes of lemon and subtle flavor of pistachios.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time55 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: almond extract, lemon sugar, pistachios, shredded zucchini, zucchini bread

Servings: 1 9 x 5 loaf

Equipment

• 9 x 5 loaf pan
• food processor
• box shredder

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup light olive oil or substitute vegetable oil
• 1 cup lemon sugar recipe below
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 3/4 cup chopped shelled roasted and salted pistachios or nuts of choice

Lemon Sugar

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large organic lemon washed and dried; peeled, yellow rind only, no white pith

For the Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• juice of 1 lemon 2- 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

To make lemon sugar:

• For maximum lemon flavor: Wash and dry lemon. Using a serrated peeler, remove yellow peel from lemon, leaving behind the pith (the white part next to the peel which is bitter.)
• Place sugar and peel in a food processor bowl fitted with blade and pulse to combine. Process until the zest is completely incorporated into the sugar; about a minute or until the sugar becomes fragrant and pale yellow with no large pieces of peel remain.
• Use immediately for best flavor or place in resealable plastic bag, removing excess air and refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare zucchini bread batter:

• 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 and salt, together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.
• In medium bowl, whisk together oil, lemon sugar, eggs, sour cream and almond extract together until combined; stir in the zucchini.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir until combined; do not overmix.
• Fold in nuts.
• 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 over browning on top.
• Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean 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 bread from pan using paper edges. Return to wire rack to cool completely. Allow bread to cool completely before adding glaze.
• 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 without glaze 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 before adding lemon glaze.

For the glaze

• Mix confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon until smooth. Add additional 1 lemon juice 1 tablespoon juice at a time to reach desired consistency if needed.
• Drizzle glaze over top of bread; allow to set before slicing.

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.
   
• To make gluten free, swap out all-purpose flour for King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour.

Find another recipe to infuse your sugar with lemon and lime to enhance the citrus flavor:

Sweet and Tart Lemon-Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies

The bright citrus notes of lemon and lime join white chocolate chips for a summery twist in a chewy, chocolate chip cookie!

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