Zucchini Bread is an easy one-bowl quick bread. It's moist and loaded with shredded fresh zucchini, chopped nuts, sweet cinnamon, and vanilla.

When zucchini bumper crops are plentiful, one way to use the summer bounty is in this delicious bread. Sweet with cinnamon and sugar, no one would ever know this simple quick bread was loaded with shredded zucchini squash.

This loaf bread recipe is similar to my Banana Nut Bread and Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread, which are some of my favorite treats to make. They have a short prep time, use only one bowl, and bake beautifully.

Loaf of Zucchini Bread, sliced, on a white platter with a white teapot in the background.

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Even better yet, this recipe makes two loaves, one to enjoy now and the other to freeze or give to family and friends.

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About This Recipe
Selecting and Preparing the Zucchini
Ingredient Notes
How to Make Zucchini Bread
My Top Tips
Make Ahead, Storage, & Freezing
Delicious Quick Breads and Baking Charts You'll Love
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

About This Recipe

This recipe was in my mom's and grandma's collection of treasured recipes and actually came from my grandma's co-worker, Wilma Steele. Mrs. Steele obviously was an exceptional cook and baker, as this zucchini bread became a family favorite for us.

This is a typical nut-bread recipe with two exceptions. It contains zucchini, of course, and salad oil instead of butter or shortening. Once all of the ingredients are measured and prepped, it mixes up quickly, and best of all, you don't need a stand mixer.

So, let's cook!

Selecting and Preparing the Zucchini

Zucchini finely shredded with a box grater.

This recipe requires two cups of shredded zucchini, which is approximately three 6-inch squashes. The zucchini should be fresh, firm to the touch, and dark green. Wash and dry the zucchini well before shredding them.

I generally cut off the blossom end of each squash and then shred the zucchini using the small grates on a box grater. The stem end is an excellent handle for holding the zucchini.

I then measure the shredded zucchini by packing it into a two-cup measuring cup.

Ingredient Notes

The ingredients labeled: a-p flour, large eggs, cooking oil, chopped nuts, cinnamon, vanilla extract, shredded fresh zucchini, salt, baking powder, baking soda, dark brown sugar, and white sugar.

All-Purpose Flour - Any brand of white all-purpose flour will work in this recipe.
Baking Soda - Zucchini is very slightly acidic which works nicely with baking soda.
Baking Powder - Baking powder is also needed to give a lift to this bread.
Salt - Just plain table salt like Morton's is best for this bake.
Ground Cinnamon - The flavor of sweet cinnamon is a major component in this recipe. Make sure your cinnamon is still fresh to get the most from this spice.
Large Eggs - Use only large-sized eggs. Do not substitute.
Salad Oil - Any neutral-flavored salad oil will work in this recipe.
White Granulated Sugar - White sugar balances the dark brown sugar with extra sweetness.
Dark Brown Sugar - Dark brown sugar brings extra richness and caramel flavors to this bread.
Vanilla Extract - My favorite choice is vanilla extract from the islands of Madagascar and Bourbon. These extracts make any batter that contains sugar and nuts taste better.
Zucchini - Fresh zucchini is a must. Never substitute frozen or canned for this bread.
Nuts - Walnuts or pecans will be delicious in this recipe.

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Zucchini Bread

Two 9"x3" loaf pans greased and floured.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 - 9” x 4” loaf pans.

Preparing the dry ingredients to be sifted together.

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Eggs beaten in a large bowl with a whisk.

In a large bowl beat the eggs with a large wire whisk.

The cooking oil, sugars, and vanilla added to the beaten eggs.

The eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla beaten together in a large stainless steel bowl with a whisk.

Add the oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until all is well combined.

Adding the shredded zucchini and the chopped nuts to the batter.

The shredded zucchini and the chopped nuts are mixed into the batter.

Stir in the grated zucchini and chopped nuts.

The dry ingredients added to the batter.

The dry ingredients completely mixed into the batter.

Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix well.

The batter is evenly divided in the two loaf pans.

Using a rubber spatula pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean from the center of a loaf.

Two loaves of zucchini bread fresh from the oven on a cooling rack.

Remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

My Top Tips

♡ Mix in the order stated. If you mix the batter in the order stated in the recipe you can mix the batter easily with just a large wire whisk. This makes clean-up quick and easy.

♡ Weigh the filled pans. A scale is a great tool to check if the batter is evenly divided between the two pans.

Make Ahead, Storage, & Freezing

One loaf of zucchini bread wrapped in plastic wrap and another wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

Make-Ahead & Storage: Zucchini Bread can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, and will keep for up to 5 days.

Freezing: It also freezes well for up to 2 months when double-wrapped, first in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. I use freezer tape to label the loaf with the name and date to identify it.