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Zucchini bread is a beloved traditional quick bread for its moist texture and how easy it is to make. There are a lot of zucchini bread recipes out there, but my recipe uses some of my favorite special ingredients for an even better version of the classic.
This simple bread was one of the early baking recipes I made. My mom never met a quick bread she didn’t love: zucchini bread, banana bread, pumpkin bread, and date nut bread, you name it. She made them frequently and we all loved slices at any time of the day. Whenever I was looking for something to do, we pulled out the bowls and made one of these, then gobbled it up. Mom spread butter, cream cheese, or even a little labneh on a warm slice. During zucchini season, when our garden overflowed with fresh zucchini, this bread became a favorite for putting the bounty to good use.
Info About Quick Breads
Zucchini bread falls under the category of quick bread, a type of bread made without yeast and doesn’t require rising time. Quick bread recipes typically use baking soda and baking powder as leavening agents, making them a great way to prepare delicious baked goods without long preparation times. They’re versatile, too, with recipes ranging from savory to sweet. The method for these includes mixing dry and wet ingredients separately before combining them to create the batter.
Important Ingredients and Notes
- Grated Zucchini: Fresh zucchini is the star of this recipe. It adds moisture and a its own subtle flavor, a sweetness. For the best results, use the large holes of a box grater to shred the zucchini. Smaller zucchini to medium-size often have a more concentrated flavor and less water content.
- Olive Oil: This ingredient helps make a moist zucchini bread. Olive oil imparts a fruity richness I love here. Try it with Lebanese Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Yogurt: Yogurt in baking is a thing! This is because it contains an acidity, fermentation, that keeps a quick bread like this tender and moist.
- Orange Blossom Water and Pure Vanilla Extract: Quick breads like this often include vanilla for a classic flavor. For a twist that works beautifully, add orange blossom water too. Another aromatic that flavors zucchini bread nicely is almond extract (just a little bit, about 1/4 teaspoon, will do it).
- Cardamom and Cinnamon. Spices add depth and warmth to the flavor of the bread. Cardamom is a favorite in Middle Eastern cuisine and of mine. I started adding it to zucchini bread and pumpkin bread (or pumpkin bars) with great results. It enhances the sweetness of the zucchini and highlights the other ingredients, including cinnamon.
Expert Baking Tips
Cooking the perfect homemade zucchini bread requires more than just following a recipe. These expert tips should enhance your baking experience:
- Handling Zucchini: When you grate the zucchini, use a medium size grate. A very small size grate like a zester will break down the zucchini to mush, and we want it to have a little structure.
- Mixing Ingredients: It’s really a light touch incorporating the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Do this by hand and don’t over stir the batter.
- Optional Add-ins: Introduce chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit for added texture and flavor. Try orange zest or lemon zest for a bright citrus note.
- Baking Pans: Using a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan results in a beautifully shaped loaf that cooks evenly. If making multiple, 4-inch loaf pans make sweet little loaves that are nice for gifting. Reduce baking time by about half for smaller loaves, then check every 5 minutes for doneness.
- Checking Doneness: Judge the cooking time by starting at least 10 minutes before the bread is supposed to be done, and inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out with just a few crumbs, your bread is ready.
- Cooling: Keep the baked bread in the pan for 30 minutes, then remove it from the pan and place baked bread on a wire rack to cool completely, allowing it to firm up in both instances.
Storing Zucchini Bread
Properly storing zucchini bread will help keep it fresh for a few days at room temperature or frozen for a few months. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or place it in an airtight container like ziploc freezer bags to maintain moisture. If freezeing, thaw at room temperature or warm a slice in the oven for a freshly baked feel.
Zucchini Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, or neutral oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, from 1 medium zucchini
Instructions
- Arrange an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350℉. Coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan lightly with oil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, whisk to combine the yogurt, olive oil, eggs, sugar, orange blossom water, and vanilla extract.
- With a large spoon or soft spatula, stir in the grated zucchini. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Don't over stir the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake until the zucchini bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 45-50 minutes.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Consider using maple syrup or raw honey as natural sweeteners. Both options add a distinct flavor and can replace a portion of the sugar.
Just pour the batter into muffin tins lined with parchment paper or use silicone molds. Adjust the cooking time to about 20–25 minutes, and you’ll have perfect zucchini muffins.
A food processor with a shredding attachment can make quick work of grating zucchini. Be cautious not to over-process to avoid turning it into a paste.
