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The best Zucchini Bread Recipe, so moist and delicious that you’ll never guess it is also healthy. Quick and easy to make, this zucchini loaf is the perfect summer dessert.
Last week zucchinis were on sale, so I bought a bunch. And when I say a bunch, I mean a whole lot! We made stir fries, soups, zucchini pizza and air fryer zucchini fries a couple of times, but there were still so many left in the fridge. They were starting to go bad, and I didn’t know what else to do.
Until I came across something called “bikini bread” on social media. Just another TikTok trend, I thought. Turns out I was wrong, it was just a zucchini loaf. Since last year we all loved my chocolate zucchini bread and chocolate zucchini muffins, I said “I need to make zucchini bread asap!”.
Table of Contents
Award winning zucchini bread recipe
- My recipe makes the best zucchini bread healthy, gluten-free and low sugar. It replaces white flour and refined sugar with wholesome alternatives such as oat flour and maple syrup.
- This moist zucchini loaf tastes so delicious, freshly baked or on day two. Everyone will love it, even your kids will jump around the house screaming “zucchini bread zucchini bread”.
- It’s so quick and easy to make zucchini bread from scratch, it won’t take more than 40 minutes.
- This simple loaf stores incredibly well, in the fridge or in the freezer. You know what? It will taste even better on day 2!
Ingredients for zucchini bread
- Oat flour and almond flour. The combination of oat flour with almond flour makes this gluten free zucchini bread healthy. If you don’t have any of the two, simply use whole-wheat flour or all purpose flour.
- Zucchini. You will need to squeeze the zucchini very well to remove all the water. This is an essential step to prevent the batter from absorbing too much moisture.
- Ripe banana. In this recipe, ripe banana plays two roles. It reduces the use of cooking fats (such as oil or butter) while providing natural sweetness. Mashed banana can be replace with unsweetened applesauce.
- Egg. A large egg helps bind the batter while enriching taste. To make vegan zucchini bread, substitute egg with one flaxseed egg.
- Maple syrup. This is a low sugar zucchini bread recipe that uses pure maple syrup as sweetener. You can replace it with honey, agave syrup or sugar-free syrup.
- Vegetable oil. The oil adds moisture, fluffiness and taste, producing a moist zucchini loaf. My recommendations are canola oil, coconut oil, and natural oils. Or use melted butter, if you prefer.
- Milk. Almond milk is my first choice, but any other type of milk will work. Both regular dairy and dairy-free milk can be used.
- Baking powder and baking soda. The combination of baking powder with baking soda helps the zucchini bread rise, get moist and fluffy.
- Vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Vanilla and salt are a must to enhance flavors and balance sweetness. I personally love cinnamon zucchini bread, so I also add ground cinnamon. But this is completely optional.
Absolutely! This basic zucchini bread recipe lends itself to many variations. Cranberries, raisins, walnuts, pecans and even chocolate chips will add plenty of flavor and texture. My favorite courgette bread has pieces of walnuts and gooey chocolate chips in each slice.
How to prepare zucchini bread
Mix milk with apple cider vinegar (optional):
In case you are using apple cider vinegar, combine it in a medium bowl or glass with the milk. Stir well, then set aside while you prepare the batter. This is an optional step, but ACV produces a moister and fluffier loaf.
Grate and squeeze zucchini:
Start by washing and trimming the ends of the vegetables. Using a box grater or a food processor with a grating attachment, grate into fine shreds. After shredding, use a clean towel to squeeze out all the water from the zucchini and place into a bowl.
Combine wet ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg together with mashed banana, maple syrup, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Whisk to combine until the mixture gets smooth, then add your grated zucchini. Give it a good stir.
Add dry ingredients:
Stir into the wet ingredients oat flour, almond flour, baking powder and baking soda. While gently mixing with a spatula or hand whisk, gradually pour in the milk. You should mix only until the batter is smooth and without lumps, too much stirring will make the bread dry.
Bake zucchini bread:
Pour the batter into a 7.9 inches (20 cm) loaf pan lined with parchment paper, then bake in hot oven for 30 to 40 minutes at 350°F (180°C). The dessert bread is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Watch the video recipe
How to grate zucchini for bread?
Learning how to shred zucchini is key. A must for an amazing zucchini bread moist textures. First, wash and trim the ends of the zucchinis. Then, grate them into tiny pieces using a box grater or a food processor with grating attachment. Place the shreds on a clean paper towel, fold it and squeeze out all the extra water. You need to squeeze zucchini to take out any moisture that would otherwise make the loaf excessively moist.
A frequently asked question is whether you peel zucchini for zucchini bread. The answer is no, there is no need to peel them. Leaving the peel on adds nutrients and lends a nice texture to your dessert.
Storing & freezing
How to store. Before storing, let the healthy zucchini loaf cool completely over a baking rack or a plate. Once it has cooled, transfer it in an airtight container sealed with a lid. You can store leftovers at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for 4 days. My recommendation is to keep the bread in the fridge, it will get more flavor and texture.
How to freeze. For a longer storage, you can freeze zucchini bread in zipper bags for a maximum of 3 months. Before eating, remove from the freezer and pop in hot oven for a couple of minutes. Serve warm, when it’s moist and fluffy as freshly baked.
Baking tips
- Squeeze zucchini well. Squeezing out all the water is essential for a great zucchini baking recipe. It ensures that the loaf comes out just as moist as it should be, not mushy or soggy.
- Add apple cider vinegar. It’s completely optional, but combining milk with 1 teaspoon of ACV will significantly improve the textures. Moist and fluffy, just like a buttermilk zucchini bread.
- Replace as needed. Instead of banana, use applesauce and prepare an applesauce zucchini bread recipe, or substitute oat flour and almond flour with regular flour. Honey zucchini bread is delicious too.
- Experiment with mix-ins. From nuts to cranberries, I encourage you to personalize this recipe to your own likings. To my mind, the best ever zucchini bread comes with walnuts and chocolate chips inside. So good!
- Don’t overmix batter. You should only mix until everything is combined and the batter has no lumps. Excessive stirring may result in a tough and dry courgette loaf.
- Enjoy on day 2. The dessert tastes better after it has been in the fridge overnight. All the good flavors come out and the texture becomes addictive.
More bread recipes
- Healthy banana bread
- Strawberry bread
- Chocolate banana bread
- Oat bread
- Pumpkin chocolate chip bread
- Apple bread
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 egg
- ½ cup mashed banana, ripe, or applesauce
- ½ cup grated zucchini, well squeezed
- ¼ cup 1 tbsp maple syrup, or honey
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, or melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, optional, see notes*
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup oat flour, replace with wholewheat or all purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour, replace with wholewheat or all purpose flour
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon, optional
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ⅓ tsp baking soda
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180 C° (350 F°) and fold a 20 cm (7.9 inches) loaf pan with parchment paper or grease with oil.
- Optional if using apple cider vinegar. In a medium bowl or glass combine milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir with a spoon and set aside for later.
- Grate the zucchini. Once grated, use a clean towel to squeeze zucchini thoroughly and remove any extra water. Set aside for later.
- In a large mixing bowl beat egg together with mashed banana, maple syrup, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon (optional), and a pinch of salt. Whisk until combined, then add the grated zucchini and stir well.
- Add oat flour, almond flour, baking powder and baking soda into the wet ingredients. Gradually pour in the milk while mixing with a spatula or a hand whisk. Stir until you get a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake in hot oven for 25 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Zuchini bread a good start of the day ?
Hey dear Constantino,
thanks a lot for your kind feedback 😉
I completely agree with you, there is so much to love about homemade zucchini bread!
Have a great day,
Matteo
Zuchini bread that is a delicious recipe!
Hey dear Liza,
Oh yes, zucchini bread is the perfect dessert for Summer, for the zucchini season. It’s so moist and delicious that you’ll never guess it has veggies inside!
Have a great day,
Matteo