Our best zucchini bread recipe is the ultimate comfort food, packed with the perfect blend of warm spices and zucchini.

This zucchini bread is a quick bread recipe that is made with grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, applesauce, orange juice, and cinnamon. It has a moist and tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor perfect for breakfast or even a healthier dessert.

So go ahead and indulge in a slice (or two) – you won’t be disappointed!

sliced zucchini bread on a wood cutting board. / This zucchini bread is a quick bread recipe that is made with grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, applesauce, orange juice, and cinnamon. It has a moist and tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor perfect for breakfast or even a healthier dessert.

Best Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread is a great way to use up all your zucchini from your garden and here is why everyone loves this bread.

zucchini bread ingredients. / This zucchini bread is a quick bread recipe that is made with grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, applesauce, orange juice, and cinnamon. It has a moist and tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor perfect for breakfast or even a healthier dessert.

Ingredients for Zucchini Bread

  • Sugar: I like to use granulated sugar but you could also use brown sugar.
  • Vegetable Oil: I just use regular vegetable oil but you could use coconut oil, sunflower oil, or grapeseed oil. I wouldn’t use olive oil.
  • Eggs: I like to make sure my eggs are at room temperature before I start baking but if you forgot to get your eggs out of the fridge, no worries.
  • Vanilla extract: My all-time favorite vanilla extract is Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract, it’s the best of the best!
  • Zucchini: No need to peel the skin off the zucchini, just grate it using a box grater or food processor.
  • Applesauce: I used regular applesauce but you can use unsweetened or even cinnamon applesauce for extra cinnamon flavor.
  • Orange juice: This is my family’s “secret” ingredient and that’s why it’s truly the best zucchini bread recipe.
  • Dry ingredients: Simply whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Also, always make sure your dry ingredients are not expired. Using expired ingredients will result in the bread not baking properly.
  • Spices: A dash of nutmeg and cinnamon gives this bread an amazing flavor. But if you don’t like cinnamon and/or nutmeg, feel free to leave it out.
How To Make Zucchini Bread process photos. / This zucchini bread is a quick bread recipe that is made with grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, applesauce, orange juice, and cinnamon. It has a moist and tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor perfect for breakfast or even a healthier dessert.

How To Make Zucchini Bread

  1. Mix. Using a mixer or a mixing spoon, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract together until combined.
  2. Add. Grated zucchini, applesauce, and orange juice and stir well.
  3. Whisk. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
  4. Combine. Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture and stir.
  5. Bake. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour.
close up of sliced zucchini bread on a wood cutting board. / This zucchini bread is a quick bread recipe that is made with grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, applesauce, orange juice, and cinnamon. It has a moist and tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor perfect for breakfast or even a healthier dessert.

Expert Tips

  • Medium zucchini. I like to use small or medium zucchini for this bread. If they are too big the skin is tougher and they would need to be seeded.
  • Add-ins: I love adding dried cranberries, raisins, and of course, chocolate chips.
  • Cooking times. They can vary slightly so make sure to check the bread often. If the top is starting to brown but the middle isn’t baked yet, just make a tin foil tent and place it on top of the bread to prevent the top from browning further.
sliced zucchini bread on a wood cutting board. / This zucchini bread is a quick bread recipe that is made with grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, applesauce, orange juice, and cinnamon. It has a moist and tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor perfect for breakfast or even a healthier dessert.

Recipe FAQs

Do you peel zucchini before grating it for zucchini bread?

No need to peel. The zucchini skin is super thin and softens while baking. If you’re using a large zucchini, you will have to peel the skin because the skin is much tougher than small or medium-sized zucchini.

Do you squeeze out the liquid from zucchini for bread?

Don’t squeeze it. No need to squeeze the zucchini dry, it can be added to the batter once it’s grated.

Do you remove seeds from zucchini for bread?

If you are using small or medium-sized zucchini you will not have to remove the seeds. If you are using a large zucchini you will have to remove the seeds. Just scoop them out before grating the zucchini.

Do you grate or shred zucchini for bread?

The only way zucchini can be added to this bread is if it’s grated. Grate the zucchini with a box grater or food processor. Don’t chop or dice it.

sliced zucchini bread on a wood cutting board. / This zucchini bread is a quick bread recipe that is made with grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, applesauce, orange juice, and cinnamon. It has a moist and tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor perfect for breakfast or even a healthier dessert.

Storing and Freezing

Store. I like to wrap my bread in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place it on the counter/pantry. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. If your house is humid, I would just place it in the refrigerator so it doesn’t get too moist, it’s already super moist.

Freeze. You can freeze zucchini bread, just make sure it is completely cooled first. To freeze, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-friendly ziploc bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

stack of sliced zucchini bread on a wood cutting board. / This zucchini bread is a quick bread recipe that is made with grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs, applesauce, orange juice, and cinnamon. It has a moist and tender texture with a slightly sweet flavor perfect for breakfast or even a healthier dessert.

For more bread recipes, check out my sweet cherry bread, blueberry banana bread, unicorn bread, and my delicious apple bread recipe!

best zucchini bread recipe
4.77 from 98 ratings
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Servings: 2 loaves

Zucchini Bread

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
This zucchini bread recipe is the best zucchini bread recipe EVER. I promise you that. This bread is so moist and yummy with a delicious hint of cinnamon. Not to mention, this zucchini bread is so simple to make. Pretty much just dump everything into a large bowl, mix and bake.
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Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray two 9 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix together sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat until well blended.
  • Add zucchini, applesauce and orange juice; stir well.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
  • Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture and stir until combined.
  • Pour the batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
  • Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire rack.

Notes

  • Store. I like to wrap my bread in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place it on the counter/pantry. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. If your house is humid, I would just place it in the refrigerator so it doesn’t get too moist, it’s already super moist.
  • Freeze. You can freeze zucchini bread, just make sure it is completely cooled first. To freeze, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-friendly ziploc bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Nutrition. Calculated with each loaf sliced into 12.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 216kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 206mg, Potassium: 64mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 59IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Bread
Author: Jennifer
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