Classic Zucchini Bread Recipe (Best Ever!) - Live Well Bake Often (2024)

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by Danielle on Jul 15, 2019 (updated May 26, 2022) 33 comments »

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4.89 from 9 ratings

This Classic Zucchini Bread is super moist, delicious, and packed with fresh zucchini! Also includes options for how to add chopped walnuts or chocolate chips.

Is your garden overflowing with zucchini yet? My parents usually plant a small garden every year and end up with quite a bit of zucchini so I love to bring some home with me to make this easy zucchini bread!

This is a recipe that I’ve been using for several years now and actually shared last year. While this is still the same great recipe, I wanted to update it with more step pictures and information so you can perfect this bread!

This homemade zucchini bread is also incredibly simple to throw together. I can prepare this bread and have it in the oven in about 15 minutes and I usually have everything on hand to make it too. You can even add chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, or just leave it plain!

Recipe Ingredients

This moist zucchini bread recipe uses a lot of simple ingredients you’ll likely have on hand. Here’s what we’ll be using:

All-Purpose Flour:There’s just enough flour in this bread to keep it soft and light. Just make sure to spoon and level your flour so you don’t end up with a dense loaf of bread.
Cinnamon & Nutmeg:These spices add a little flavor to the zucchini bread that I absolutely love! Feel free to leave out the nutmeg if you don’t have any on hand.
Baking Powder, Baking Soda, & Salt:To help lift the bread a little bit.
Oil:You can use canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil in this recipe so feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: I love to use a mix of sugars in this bread, the brown sugar adds more flavor and moisture.
Eggs & Vanilla Extract: The eggs add structure and the vanilla adds a little flavor.
Zucchini: The zucchini helps to keep this bread moist for days! You’ll need 1 cup of lightly packed shredded zucchini, which is equal to about 1 medium zucchini.
Chopped Walnuts: The walnuts are completely optional here, feel free to leave them out if you don’t have any or you’re not a fan.

How to Make Zucchini Bread

Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Whisking the dry ingredients separately will ensure everything is dispersed evenly.
Combine the wet ingredients: Whisk together the oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract until everything is fully combined. Then, stir in the shredded zucchini.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Make sure to mix the two together until just combined, overmixing the batter can lead to a dense loaf of bread.
Add your favorite mix-ins:At this point, you can mix in chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, or your favorite mix-in!
Spray and line your pan:I use a 9×5-inch loaf pan and spray it well with non-stick cooking spray. If you want to make it easier to remove the bread from the pan, you can line the pan withparchment paper and leave some overhang so you can lift it out of the pan. I have a visual in my banana bread recipe for how to do this!
Pour it into the loaf pan and bake it: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spread it around, and pop it into a 350°F (177°C) oven to bake for 45-55 minutes. You’ll know the zucchini bread is done when the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Mine is usually perfect right at 50 minutes.

Ridiculously easy, right? I do suggest letting the bread cool in the pan for about 20 minutes and then removing it to cool completely on a wire rack.

How to Store This Bread

Homemade zucchini bread will keep well at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

How to Freeze This Bread

This zucchini bread recipe freezes incredibly well. To freeze, simply wrap in multiple layers of plastic wrap or seal in a freezer bag. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. Frozen zucchini bread will last up to 3 months.

Baking Tips

When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it out of the container with your measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
Make sure to mix your wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. You want to avoid overmixing the batter, otherwise, it can lead to a denser loaf of bread.
If you love chocolate in your zucchini bread you can add 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter.
Want to make a chocolate version? Here’s my favorite double chocolate zucchini bread!

More Quick Bread Recipes to Try!

Cranberry Orange Bread
Classic Pumpkin Bread
Glazed Blueberry Lemon Bread
Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Classic Zucchini Bread

4.89 from 9 ratings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

This Classic Zucchini Bread is perfectly sweet, moist, and delicious! Enjoy this bread plain, with chocolate chips, or even chopped walnuts.

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Ingredients

Servings: 1 loaf

1 and 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) oil (canola, vegetable, or melted coconut work well)
1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar , lightly packed
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs , room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (125 grams) shredded zucchini , lightly packed
1/2 cup (60 grams) chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper for easier removal if desired, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in the shredded zucchini.
Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then gently fold in the chopped walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into one even layer.
Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, carefully remove from the pan, and place on the wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, slice into pieces and enjoy!

Notes

Zucchini bread will keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Make sure to cover tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.

Zucchini: One medium zucchini is equal to about 1 cup of shredded zucchini.

Chocolate Chips: If you love chocolate in your zucchini bread you can add 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter.

Freezing Instructions: You may also freeze this bread for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If desired, warm in the microwave or bring to room temperature before serving.

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33 comments on “Classic Zucchini Bread”

Patricia Mapley —October 2, 2018 @ 11:53 am Reply
I just took two loaves of this zucchini bread out of the oven. They look great and smell great too. One loaf will be going to our church bake sale tomorrow and the other will be going to my sons group home. The only thing I did different is to add a bit more cinnamon and a bit of cloves.
- Danielle —October 3, 2018 @ 8:57 am Reply
  You can’t go wrong with extra cinnamon and cloves! Hope everyone enjoys the zucchini bread, Patricia 🙂
  - John —July 22, 2019 @ 3:41 pm Reply
    Yes the extra cinnamon and cloves is a great idea. I was using Saigon Cinnamon which is a pretty strong cinnamon.. I agree a great recipe.
Lisa —July 6, 2019 @ 10:00 pm Reply
This is my second time that I’ve tried a recipe of yours. I made this zucchini bread for my coworkers and everyone enjoyed it! I got so many compliments for this and I will definitely be making this again. Danielle, can you please let me know how I can turn this into a bundt cake?
- Danielle —July 8, 2019 @ 8:40 am Reply
  So glad to hear that, Lisa! For a bundt cake, you can double the recipe. I’m not sure on the baking time, but it should be somewhere between 45-60 minutes.
- Ellen Hastedt —August 17, 2022 @ 10:22 am Reply
  Your recipes are my go-to favorites when I bake.
  I’d like to know if you recommend peeling the zucchini for your bread recipes.
  - Danielle —August 18, 2022 @ 2:32 pm Reply
    See Also
    Southern Tea Cakes Recipe - Homemade Tea Cake Cookies!
    Hi, Ellen! I don’t peel the zucchini, I just shred it and stir it in.
Tina —July 16, 2019 @ 11:11 am Reply
Could this be made with almond flour for those of us on Keto?
- Danielle —July 17, 2019 @ 3:01 pm Reply
  I haven’t tried it, so I’m not quite sure. It’s different than all-purpose flour though so the recipe may need to be adjusted.
Arpita —July 16, 2019 @ 11:36 am Reply
The bread looks absolutely amazing.. The texture of this bread is beautiful. Love it!
- Danielle —July 17, 2019 @ 3:01 pm Reply
  Thank you, Arpita!
John —July 22, 2019 @ 3:39 pm Reply
We have fresh local Zuchini I bought from a fruit stand I’m using.
I have always been a firm believer in getting local if you can.
Your Zuchini bread has great texture and flavor. Yours is the go to recipe I will use in the future.
Thank you so very much.
Christina A Lampert —July 28, 2019 @ 6:19 pm Reply
Another amazing recipe from you! Super moist and tasty, the brown sugar makes all the difference! I doubled the batch and they both came out perfect
- Danielle —July 29, 2019 @ 6:53 am Reply
  So glad you liked the zucchini bread, Christina!
Brooke E Falk —July 29, 2019 @ 5:46 pm Reply
Hello, I am assembling the ingredients to make your Classic Zucchini Bread and I was wondering if you could use Whole Wheat flour in place of the All-purpose flour??
- Danielle —July 30, 2019 @ 11:07 am Reply
  I wouldn’t replace all of it with whole wheat flour because it would turn out pretty dense. You could use half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour though.
connie —August 15, 2019 @ 2:50 pm Reply
Can these be made into muffins? If so how long do you think they should bake for regular size muffins not mini muffins. This recipe sounds great. A friend of mine used to make zucchini bread that was so good but she’s long since moved out of state. I want to try to make my own and since I already know my husband is not a fan I want to make muffins out of it so it’s easier to share.
- Danielle —August 16, 2019 @ 10:00 am Reply
  Absolutely! The baking time should be about 20 minutes, give or take a few minutes.
  - Connie —August 20, 2019 @ 1:58 pm Reply
    These made great muffins. The time you advised was perfect (20 minutes). Thank you for answering my question. I’m a beginner at baking, so many times I have questions but never hear back from the author of the recipe. I’m so happy you did.
    - Danielle —August 20, 2019 @ 2:04 pm Reply
      I’m happy to help anytime, Connie! Glad the muffins turned out great for you too.
Debra —September 9, 2019 @ 10:12 am Reply
Made this the other day, my husband is not a fan of zucchini…
I added chocolate chips instead of the nuts and he loves it! I’m going to make muffins next as I have a large zucchini and don’t want it to go to waste . I have tried many of your recipes and love them all❤️
- Danielle —September 9, 2019 @ 10:54 am Reply
  So happy to hear that, Debra!
Raymond L. —October 12, 2019 @ 9:22 pm Reply
Could I substitute the oil with melted butter?
- Danielle —October 13, 2019 @ 1:15 pm Reply
  You probably could, but it will change the taste and texture of the bread.
James —August 31, 2020 @ 1:52 pm Reply
Good recipe overall but I had to quadruple the recipe to fill two 9×5 loaf pan 3/4 way full. I doubled at first thwn realized it wasnt nearly enough to fill 2 loaf pans so I poured it all into one then mixed up another double for the other pan.
Sheila —October 30, 2020 @ 9:06 am Reply
Love LIVE WELL BAKE OFTEN – Scones recipe and zucchini bread recipes are easy to put together and always delicious!
- Danielle —October 31, 2020 @ 10:19 am Reply
  Thank you, Sheila! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
SB in the Bronx —February 24, 2022 @ 1:42 am Reply
So good and so easy! Didn’t even require a mixer. I added cranberries and raisins and had to stop myself after two slices. Will also add walnuts next time. Thanks for what is now one of my favorite recipes.
Laurie —August 26, 2022 @ 3:50 pm Reply
I have made this zucchini bread last week. There is one baking right now. It is very good. I add walnuts and raisins to mine. I live in Lancaster county, PA. There are Amish produce stands everywhere in the summer time.
Michelle Fobert —February 27, 2023 @ 7:01 pm Reply
This is delicious and easy. I have made now at least half a dozen times, love it!!
Bobbie —April 13, 2023 @ 4:52 pm Reply
Loved this recipe. The brown sugar really added to the overall taste. I might experiment next time with allspice instead of the nutmeg. This came together quickly. I love that I didn’t have to pull out a mixer.
Anne —August 7, 2023 @ 9:52 pm Reply
Can you use 4×8 loaf pan I haven’t tried yet.
- Danielle —August 8, 2023 @ 9:05 am Reply
  Yes, that would be fine! You may need to increase the baking time too.