Every summer, when the zucchini starts to appear in back yard gardens, you can guarantee that in just a matter of a few days someone will be sharing a piece of their zucchini bread with you. It is one of the most popular garden recipes made every summer.
And if you go to search for a recipe on how to make it, you will find hundreds of different recipes with various ingredients. From classic recipes that grandma used to make using lard or oil, to ones that include raisins and nuts, you can find them all.
However, this is my absolute favorite recipe that results in moist and delicious bread every time, without a lot of work and without any vegetable oil. It is my easy, go-to recipe when I find myself with a plethora of zucchini from the garden.
Even those that don’t like zucchini as a cooked vegetable (yes, I know botanically speaking it is a fruit), love this recipe. In fact, you would never know that it contains zucchini if you peel it before adding it to the batter.
Because the zucchini is hidden and the flavor of cinnamon and ginger overpower any hint of a vegetable presence, it is a favorite sweet bread for many. It is easy to make and even the novice baker can master this recipe.
Why This Zucchini Bread Recipe Is So Good
But what really separates this recipe from the others is that it requires no oil. Instead, all natural applesauce is used and is what gives the bread such a moist texture.
If you have ever taken a bite into zucchini bread and it literally crumbles apart, you know how frustrating that is. That is not a worry with this recipe!
The combination of natural applesauce, white sugar and brown sugar provides the perfect moisture level to hold it together as you sink your teeth into the soft and delicious bread.
And the combination of cinnamon and ginger gives the bread that WOW factor that keeps you coming back for more!
ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPE
*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.
INGREDIENTS
*This recipe will make 2 loaves of bread.
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground Ginger
- 1 cup granulated Sugar
- 1 cup all natural Applesauce
- 1 cup packed Brown Sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure Vanilla Extract
- 2-3 cups grated Zucchini
*The amount of grated zucchini can be anywhere from 2 to 3 cups. I have used both amounts and the bread turns out great every time.
Use the amount that you have on hand. If one larger size zucchini gives you 2 cups, and you don’t want to grate a second zucchini, no problem!
However, if you are like many of us in the middle of summer and are searching for ways to use the abundance of zucchini from the garden, then by all means use the full 3 cups.
And the choice to peel the zucchini or not before you grate it is entirely up to you. However, if you are trying to hide the fact that the bread is made with zucchini, I definitely suggest that you peel it.
When it comes to grating the zucchini, you can use a box grater, however, I prefer to make life easy and use my Hamilton Beach Food Processor to shred it in seconds!
INSTRUCTIONS
The first step in making zucchini bread is to preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Then grease and flour 2 loaf pans.
In a large bowl add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Whisk the dry ingredients until combined and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl add the granulated sugar and applesauce. Using a stand mixer use the paddle attachment or use a hand mixer and mix on medium speed until creamy.
Then add the brown sugar, eggs, & vanilla to the sugar and oil mixture. Continue to mix until just combined.
Now slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix until combined. You will notice that the batter will be thick and that is okay. Set the batter aside and prepare the zucchini.
Using a hand grater or a food processor with a grating blade, grate the zucchini and fold it into the batter. If you do not want to see any green specs in your zucchini bread, peel the zucchini before grating it.
Because zucchini has a high water content, as it becomes incorporated in the batter, the batter will become thinner. Pour half of the batter into one of the greased and floured loaf pans.
Then fill the other loaf pan and smooth the tops. Place both loaf pans on the middle rack of the preheated oven.
Baking Time
Bake for 45-60 minutes or until you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
Then remove the two bread pans from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes in the pan. Now carefully run a knife around the edge of the bread to loosen it from the sides.
Carefully turn the pan over and take the bread out of the pan. Let it sit on cooling rack until completely cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can you make Zucchini Bread in an Instant Pot?
Although there are many people who make Zucchini Bread in a pressure cooker, when I tried it, it didn’t turn out well. However when I tried Instant Pot Banana Bread – it was simply amazing!
Therefore, the choice is really up to you if you want to try it. For me, I will stick to the old fashioned method of cooking it in the oven.
2. Can I halve the recipe to make only 1 loaf?
If you want only 1 loaf of bread, simply decrease the recipe ingredients in half. However, the cook time will remain close to the original time stated in the recipe.
Although, because I am turning my oven on anyway, I prefer to make 2 loaves. This way you can gift one to a neighbor, friend, or family member. Or freeze it for later!
3. How do I store Zucchini Bread?
If you are going to be eating the bread within a few days, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature. However, if you want to make it last longer, place the bread in the refrigerator.
As mentioned above, you can also freeze the loaf for enjoyment later. Simply wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then put an outer layer of aluminum foil around the plastic.
The frozen bread will remain good for up to 3 months.
4. How do I make Zucchini bread muffins?
If you want to make individual muffins instead of bread, make the batter as instructed. Then pour the batter in a lined muffin pan, filling each hole 3/4th full.
Place the pan in a preheated oven set at 350°F (177°C) and bake for 20-30 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Enjoy! Mary
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Zucchini Bread
Moist and delicious zucchini bread using fresh, shredded zucchini seasoned with cinnamon and ginger.
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground Ginger
- 1 cup granulated Sugar
- 1 cup all natural Applesauce
- 1 cup packed Brown sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure Vanilla Extract
- 2-3 cups grated Zucchini
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F (177°C)
- In a large bowl combine, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger. Whisk until combined and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl (using a paddle attachment if applicable), combine white sugar and applesauce – mix until creamy. Add brown sugar, eggs, & vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until combined. Mixture will be thick.
- Grate the zucchini and fold it into the batter. As the zucchini becomes incorporated the batter will become thinner.
- Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Repeat to fill the other loaf pan.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes or until you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
- Let sit for 5 minutes in the pan before removing it from the pan and transferring it to a cooling rack.
Notes
Recipe provided by Make Your Meals
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 209mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 4g
Nutritional Information is to be used as a general guideline only . Nutritional calculations will vary from the types and brands of the products used.
Claudia Castenir
Friday 20th of July 2018
I made 3 batches from this recipe today. I did sub 1/3 cup of applesauce for part of the oil and added a couple of handfuls of ground flax seed. In the first batch I put 1/2 cup of the flour in a quart sized bag, added some dark chocolate chips, shook the chips up in the flour and blended in the contents of the bag just before adding the mixture to the loaf pans. I repeated this in the second batch with fresh blueberries from our bushes. In the third batch I repeated with pieces of dried apple and chopped walnuts and extra cinnamon and nutmeg. Each batch was amazing. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
makeyourmeals
Tuesday 7th of August 2018
Wow, those all sound amazing and delicious! Thank you for sharing how you can make this zucchini bread recipe customized!
Sharon
Tuesday 17th of July 2018
Is there a substitute or a way to cut back on the oil used in the recipe? Can you cut back on the sugar? I have made a dozen loaves with this recipe and it's great but I'd love it to be a bit healthier.
makeyourmeals
Tuesday 17th of July 2018
Hi Sharon I often substitute apple sauce for oil in a lot of recipes to make them healthier. And you could cut down the sugar too or use a sugar substitute. Thinking healthy is always a good thing!
Linda
Monday 4th of June 2018
Please indicate size of loaf pan....9X5? 8X4? Thanks,
makeyourmeals
Monday 4th of June 2018
Hi Linda You can use either size loaf pan. The 9x5 may be done a little quicker than the 8x4 but they both work well.