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This healthy Zucchini Bread recipe is fluffy, lightly spiced, moist, and so easy to make. No one would be able to guess that there’s zucchini hidden in here!
Did I just say “healthy” and “bread” in the same sentence? That’s right! This recipe is packed with nutrients from the zucchini as well as a generous helping of greek yogurt. This bread stays so moist from the zucchini, yet you don’t taste it at all. Isn’t this just the best way to hide your veggies?
Zucchini Bread
This recipe is a quick bread meaning there is no yeast, no kneading, and no waiting around for dough to rise involved. Instead, we have a batter made with both baking soda and baking powder to make this bread nice, light, and airy. A touch of cinnamon sends this bread right over the edge! Warning: you might not be able to stop at just one slice with your morning cup of coffee.
What Ingredients do I Need to Make Zucchini Bread?
Though we call this a bread, it’s really more of a spice cake that uses grated fresh zucchini as a surprise ingredient.
For this recipe you will need:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Zucchini
- Vegetable oil
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
I was able to get enough grated zucchini from 1 medium sized zucchini, but it’s best to buy 2 just in case you run short.
How to Make Zucchini Bread
- Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a loaf pan generously with cooking spray or grease it with butter.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Prepare the zucchini: Grate the zucchini using a cheese grater. Place the shredded zucchini in a strainer, cheese cloth, or in a paper towel. Squeeze the excess moisture out. You should be left with about 1 1/4 cups of shredded zucchini.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the shredded zucchini, oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and whisk well. Add in the sugars and mix until they begin to dissolve.
- Mix everything together: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix using a rubber spatula.
- Bake the loaf: Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan and place in the oven. Bake for about 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Slice and serve!
Do I Need to Peel Zucchini for Zucchini Bread?
No. It’s actually recommended that you don’t peel the zucchini! It adds to the color and texture of the bread. You can peel the zucchini if you really want to, but it would be extra effort without any difference being made. The grated zucchini gets very soft when you bake it making the skin of the zucchini undetectable.
What Type of Pan Should I use for Zucchini Bread?
I used a standard 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pan for this recipe. I found that this size was perfect-no spilling over the edges, and my loaf turned out nice and tall. We don’t want skinny slices here!
You can also use a muffin tin for this recipe! This would be perfect if you plan on grabbing some of this zucchini bread on your way to work in the morning. Reduce the baking time to 20-30 minutes if you make muffins.
Tips for Making the Best Zucchini Bread
- Don’t over-mix! This is a quick bread, so only mix until the ingredients are combined. We want it to be nice and soft rather than chewy. Over-mixing may result in a denser bread, and a collapsed top.
- To make this bread even healthier you can replace the vegetable oil with 1/3 cup applesauce.
- Feel free to add mix-ins! Chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts, and raisins would all be fantastic in this recipe.
- Allow the bread to cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it. Use a serrated knife to slice so that it doesn’t get squished.
- You can use gluten-free flour and go cup for cup. If you use whole wheat flour, use 1 1/3 cups.
- Left with extra zucchini? You can store it in the freezer for later use. You can use it for another loaf, or you can add it to a stir-fry.
How to Serve Zucchini Bread
I personally love to enjoy a slice of this bread all on its own with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning. You can also serve it with butter/margarine, jam, Nutella, or peanut butter with a drizzle of honey. YUM!
How to Store Zucchini Bread
Allow the zucchini bread to cool completely before you store it. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 1 week. You can also store it sliced in an airtight container.
Can You Freeze Zucchini Bread?
To freeze, wrap the loaf nice and tight in plastic wrap, then wrap it in foil. It will last 2-3 months in the freezer.
Alternatively, you can freeze individual servings, too. You can wrap each slice individually, or you can freeze the slices on a baking sheet for 2 hours. Then, place the frozen slices into a freezer-safe bag and return it to the freezer. Remove slices as desired. Thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes before eating.
Did You Love This Recipe? Try These!
- Banana Nut Bread
- Breakfast Burritos
- Waffle Recipe
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Quick Cinnamon Bread (No Yeast)
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Carrot Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups zucchini grated
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 6 ounce Greek yogurt plain
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar granulated
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray or grease it with butter.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together.
- In another bowl add the zucchini, oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and whisk well. Add in the sugars and mix until well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix using a rubber spatula.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan and place in the oven. Bake for about 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
