This easy zucchini bread recipe delivers a texture that is incredibly soft and practically melts in your mouth. While it is a fantastic way to utilize an abundance of summer squash from the garden, the end result does not carry a strong vegetable flavor; instead, you get beautiful notes of brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.
The addition of walnuts provides a lovely crunch and a contrast of textures against the tender crumb. This loaf makes for an excellent breakfast, snack, or gift, and it freezes beautifully for later enjoyment.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: 3 cups (360g)
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Ground cinnamon: 2 teaspoons
- Baking soda: 1 teaspoon
- Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
Wet Ingredients
- Zucchini: 3 cups (390g), grated (approx. 2 medium-to-large zucchini)
- Eggs: 3 large, room temperature
- Brown sugar: 1 cup (220g), light or dark
- Granulated sugar: 1/2 cup (100g)
- Vegetable oil: 1 cup (or any neutral oil)
- Vanilla extract: 4 teaspoons
Mix-ins & Toppings
- Walnuts: 1 ½ cups (180g), coarsely chopped
- Optional: Coarse sugar (such as Demerara) or granulated sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pans Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8×4 inch loaf pans with baking spray to ensure the loaves release easily.
- Prepare the Walnuts and Zucchini Coarsely chop the walnuts. If you prefer extra flavor and crunch, you can toast them beforehand, though raw works perfectly well. Grate the zucchini until you have 3 cups. Be sure to measure the zucchini accurately; adding too much can result in a watery loaf.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. If you are not using a kitchen scale, sprinkle the flour into your measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping, which packs in too much flour. Whisk these ingredients together and set aside.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients In a separate medium bowl, combine the eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth and lightened in color. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract, whisking until fully combined.
- Combine the Batter Add the grated zucchini to the wet mixture and fold it in with a spatula until combined. Next, pour the wet mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Fold the batter together gently until it is almost combined, meaning you still see a few streaks of flour.
- Fold and Pour Add the chopped walnuts and fold them in until just incorporated. Divide the batter equally between the two prepared loaf pans. For a crunchy crust, you can sprinkle the tops with a little coarse or granulated sugar before baking.
- Bake Bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the centers are set.
- Cool and Serve Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes. Invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Baker’s Tips
- Storage: This bread keeps well. Wrap it in plastic to keep it on the counter for 3 days, or store it in the fridge for a week. You can also freeze the loaves well-wrapped for up to 2 months.
- Chocolate Variation: If you love chocolate, you can substitute half of the walnuts for chocolate chips (about 1/2 cup max) or chopped chocolate.
- Spice Adjustments: For extra depth of flavor, you can add 1/4 teaspoon of ginger, allspice, or cardamom to the dry mix.
- Muffins: This batter can also be used to make approximately 24 muffins. Bake them at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
