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Zucchini.
It’s the rabbit of the vegetable world.
It’s that stack of bills delivered in the mail.
It’s mosquitoes at a late-summer barbecue.
Basically, every time you turn around, it seems to be multiplying.
But unlike student loans and winged pests, I look forward to the plethora of zucchini that my garden delivers each season. And with late summer showing its face, it’s time to start doing something with the large amounts of this tender green vegetable.
Now, I love savory as much as I love sweet. So zucchini in lasagna? You bet that’s on the menu. Stir-fry with zucchini? Check! Grilled zucchini? Heck yes, this vegetarian knows her way around a grill, so burger aficionados, beware.
But probably the best and most classic recipe you’ll find in most kitchens is zucchini bread. Everyone has a favorite version: studded with chocolate chips, peppered with toasted walnuts, subtly spiced with cinnamon. Simple zucchini bread goes hand in hand with coffee, Earl Grey, or a glass of cold milk.
But enough talk about zucchini, let’s get down to baking this highly reproductive and incredibly versatile veggie.
First things first: wash and trim your zucchini. You’ll need 2 cups grated or shredded, so about 2 medium-sized veggies. Gently pat it with paper towels to remove any excess water.
We’re not measuring by weight in this recipe because the water content of zucchini varies drastically, which means the weight can vary drastically. Just aim for 2 cups of medium-packed grated or shredded zucchini.
If you have a food processor, you can use its medium shredding blade to prep the zucchini. I like to use a cheese grater on the side with the medium-large holes versus the smaller holes. That way, the texture is slightly more prominent — and I like playing with fire, trying to avoid grating my knuckles.
Besides, the smaller grater holes risk the zucchini being less shredded and more of a watery, goopy mess, losing a lot of its pleasant texture.
Grease an 8 1/2” x 4 1/2“ loaf pan and preheat your oven to 350°F.
Put the following in a bowl:
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons boiled cider, apple or orange juice, milk, or the liquid of your choice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix everything until thoroughly combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the following ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 cups (7 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Once whisked, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; mix just to combine. Use a light hand in this step, or the loaf could sink in the middle and be tough.
Next, fold in the add-ins:
3/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
3/4 cup raisins, currants, or golden raisins
2 cups shredded zucchini
Pour the batter into the greased pan. Smooth the top the best you can with the back of a spatula, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, if you so choose.
The brown sugar adds an extra pop of sweetness and additional crunch.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack.
Resist the urge to slice into the zucchini bread while it’s hot; you don’t want it to fall apart. Let it cool (almost) completely before slicing. Top with butter, jam, cream cheese, or simply enjoy its simplicity as is.
As I said earlier, I love both sweet and savory, and a simple zucchini bread is pretty much a blank canvas, completely open to creative, flavorful alterations and additions.
Here are a couple of variations that I’ve fallen in love with:
Make the basic recipe above, but instead of walnuts and raisins, reach for equal amounts of chopped crystallized ginger and dark chocolate.
I love these two flavors together – the loaf works as a breakfast option, pick-me-up snack, or even dessert.
For a savory spin on zucchini bread, try:
Substitute paprika for the cinnamon, and replace the walnuts and raisins with 1 cup grated cheddar cheese and two tablespoons green onions or shallots, finely diced. BTW, there's no need to lower the sugar; this is one of those salty-sweet combinations everyone seems to love these days.
For meat-lovers, why not toss in a handful of cooked and chopped bacon to accompany that cheddar?
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, then sprinkle an additional 1/4 cup cheese on top of the loaf for the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking. This will give you that melty, slightly crisp layer of cheese on top, because everyone loves cheese.
So when the zucchini population starts to take over your garden, or it gets left on your porch in the middle of the night by neighbors, don’t dread it. Embrace it! You now know what to do with those plenteous plants.
Please read, bake, and rate our recipe for Simple Zucchini Bread.
Print just the recipe.
September 23, 2023 at 7:00pm
Used last zucchini from our garden-and quite a massive one it was! Only needed to grate half for this delicious bread! Followed as written…blotted water from zucchini. Delicious!!
July 9, 2023 at 11:23am
I had some zucchini gifted to me from my sister's garden. Had one left, so made some zucchini bread. I wanted to put raisins and walnuts in it, but couldn't find them in the pantry. Instead, I used some dried cherries and pecans. And let me tell you, sometimes substitutions can be the best!!
July 9, 2023 at 12:40pm
In reply to I had some zucchini gifted… by Kathy (not verified)
All of this makes us incredibly happy Kathy! A little help from a family garden, and a dash of serendipity, and now we have a new perfect summertime treat! We'll be sure to save this decadent combination of ingredients for when the zucchinis start overflowing our kitchen counters in a few weeks.
November 25, 2022 at 4:30pm
I used mostly WW flour with 1/4-1/3 c of AP mixed in (and a little extra AP because of my altitude). Rather than sugar, used honey... a tad less than the 3/4 c sugar in original recipe. I used Saigon cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg for spices, oat milk for liquid. Because WW absorbs extra liquid, I did add a little more oat milk to get the right batter consistency. When mixing liquids, I always mix everything together but the oil, then add oil last, it's easier to get it blended without the oil interfering. And before anything else, I spread out the grated zucchini on a double layer of paper towels on a cookie sheet, with a layer on top to pat and press. As for add-ins: Pecan pieces, organic raisins and (couldn't help myself) 60% Ghirardelli semisweet chips, to equal in total about 1 1/2 c of add-ins. It took a little longer to have the toothpick come out clean because of the WW flour. I actually worried that because of the volume of the batter it might bubble over, but it had plenty of room to grow and a perfectly rounded top.
Next time, I'm going to tent it... the extra time to bake made it slightly darker (but not burned) on top than I'd like. I wonder if I should pat less moisture out of the zucchini, so I wouldn't need to add extra liquid?
December 1, 2022 at 4:10pm
In reply to I used mostly WW flour with… by Mary S, (not verified)
Thanks for your detailed account! It might also depend on the season Mary, as wet summers tend to increase the water content of our squashes vs a winter squash coming from a bit further away. In this particular case I would recommend skipping that step since you then did add extra liquid. Thanks again!
November 9, 2020 at 7:29pm
I love this recipe. I use a mix of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice instead of straight cinnamon. Instead of the nuts and raisins, I use a mix of dried fruit only - dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries, dates, prunes, apricots - what ever I have in the house. Now that we are moving into fall, I was wondering if I can use something other than the zucchini. I know you mentioned carrots but what about apples, pears, and even sweet potatoes?
November 10, 2020 at 11:50am
In reply to I love this recipe. I use a… by Barbara (not verified)
Hi Barbara, you can certainly experiment with apples and pears but I would be mindful of the increased amount of liquid you would be introducing into the mix. Sweet potatoes may be a safer bet! Happy baking!
September 8, 2020 at 11:46pm
Could this be made into cupcakes? If so, how long would it bake?
September 9, 2020 at 12:40pm
In reply to Could this be made into… by Mindy (not verified)
It sure could, Mindy! You can find our blog article on how to adapt recipes in this way here: How to convert cake to cupcakes. Happy baking!
October 16, 2019 at 11:51am
I made this yesterday. Best zucchini bread I have ever made. It turned out moist and delicious. I used milk for my liquid and I only used the zucchini for my add in. (Personal preference I don't care for nuts and dried fruit in my bread.) I had one of those monster zucchinis that got away from the gardener. So I had to cut and core before shredding and I have enough to make another 5 or 6 loaves. So I'd better get to baking.
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