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Believe the hype…this IS the Best Zucchini Bread Ever!
The Absolute Best Zucchini Bread Recipe
A few years ago, my husband Jack returned from a business trip, singing the praises of some delicious zucchini bread that one of his co-workers had brought to the meeting to share with everyone. It was a homemade zucchini bread baked by Lannette, the wife of his co-worker, Troy. Jack said it was the Best Zucchini Bread Ever.
Seriously – Jack would not stop talking about this zucchini bread! For days, he talked about how moist and delicious it was, and that it was perfectly sweet with the perfect amount of spices and nuts. And for days, Jack pestered Troy for the recipe so we could make it at home and possibly share it here on A Family Feast.
Lannette so graciously allowed us to share the recipe with all of you – and it has been a reader favorite recipe for years now.
Why you’ll love this easy Zucchini Bread recipe
- It is super moist and almost cake-like thanks to a generous amount of shredded zucchini in the batter, as well as some applesauce.
- It’s a very forgiving recipe – add as little as two cups of shredded zucchini or as much as four cups. (So great when you have a ton of garden zucchini on hand!)
- This bread is perfectly sweet and seasoned with cinnamon, plus a generous amount of chopped pecans add crunch and texture.
Reader Reviews
“Truly is the “best zucchini bread ever”. I am 69 yrs old and have been in the kitchen from age 12 & get many compliments on my cooking /baking skills. I have tossed all other zuchinni bread recipes and only use this one and have shared it with many friends. It is moist and has great flavor. Makes 2 loaves so there is one to eat and 1 to share!” – Carol
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Zucchini – No need to peel the zucchini before shredding. If you are using a very large zucchini, you do want to remove any seeds. You also really don’t need to drain the shredded zucchini unless you have a lot of liquid – most of the time, you can just add any liquid from the squash right into the batter.
- Pecans – Chopped pecans are added to the zucchini bread batter, and we loved the mild nutty flavor and crunchy texture the nuts add to every bite. You can swap in walnuts instead if you prefer.
- Apple Sauce – I really do think this is the secret ingredient that makes this zucchini bread so moist and tasty.
- Ground Cinnamon
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Vegetable Oil – Canola oil can also be used.
- Eggs
- Butter and flour – For preparing the loaf pans
- Softened Butter or Cream Cheese – For serving (optional)
More Substitutions
- You can make this zucchini bread with zucchini or summer squash – whichever you have on hand. (You might notice a few little yellow specks in our photos – we used some summer squash ourselves.)
- Be sure to scroll through all of the reader comments below. We’ve had many readers write to us to tell us that they swapped in different oils, some fruits and carrots, some swapped in honey for the sugar, and many more tweaks and adaptations. As mentioned above – this is a very forgiving recipe!
Special Tools Needed
- Two Loaf Pans – This recipe makes two 8×4-inch loaves
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Box Grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding blade
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer with mixing bowl
- Rubber Scraper/Spatula (this one is our favorite) or Wooden Mixing Spoon
- Toothpicks – To test for doneness
How do I make the Best Zucchini Bread Ever?
- Prepare the loaf pans by buttering and flouring the bottom and sides.
- Sift together dry ingredients.
- Shred zucchini and chop the nuts. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients in mixing bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients.
- Stir in shredded zucchini and the nuts. Mix well.
- Pour batter into the two prepared loaf pans.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out cleanly.
- Cool on wire racks.
- Slice to serve with softened butter or cream cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make this Zucchini Bread ahead of time? Yes – in fact, we think the flavors get better as the bread sits for a day.
- Do I have to drain the shredded zucchini? No, you can usually just add it right to the batter. Having said that, if you are adding in the full four cups of shredded zucchini and notice a lot of liquid, you can leave some of it out.
- Do I peel the zucchini? No, you can just shred the zucchini with the skin still on.
- Do I remove the seeds? If you are using small, tender zucchini – no need to remove the seeds before shredding. If you are using very large zucchini, you should remove the seeds. (Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then take a spoon and run it down the center to remove the seeds.)
- Can I freeze Zucchini Bread? Yes. This bread freezes very well. Just be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then foil to prevent freezer burn.
This recipe originally appeared on A Family Feast in August 2015. We’ve update the post, but the delicious recipe remains the same.
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Best Zucchini Bread Ever
Seriously…this IS the Best Zucchini Bread Ever!
Ingredients
- Butter and flour for preparing baking pans
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 1/2 cups grated zucchini (you can use as few as 2 cups and as much as 4 cups)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and lightly flour two 8”x4” loaf pans.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir gently to combine.
- Shred zucchini, lightly packing it down as you measure it.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat eggs, applesauce, oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix very well.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients (about 1/3 at a time) mixing as you go – then beat well to fully combine.
- With a rubber scraper or wooden spoon, stir in shredded zucchini and nuts into the batter and mix well.
- Pour half of the batter into each prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out cleanly. (The bake time will vary depending on how much shredded zucchini you add to the batter.)
- Remove from the pans and cool on wire racks.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Beverly says
I’ve had a Zuchini surplus this year. Just made 4 loaves! This bread is yummy and moist and the recipe was very easy to follow. Headed to my son’s house in AZ with 2 of them. Boy, will they be happy!
Martha says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Beverly!
Natalie says
Hello! I’ve made this once before and it was simply amazing!! I’m trying to stay healthy so do you think if I used a wheat flour it would make much of a difference?
Martha says
Hi Natalie – I think whole wheat flour will work fine! The texture will probably be a little more dense but still delicious.
Katie says
Just popped this out of the oven and wow…this really is the best recipe I’ve tried yet. It did take me much longer to cook (1 hour & 10 min) but it was worth it. Very yummy and not too sweet even with all those ingredients. Perfect. Definitely a keeper. Thank you for this recipe!
Martha says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Katie! Thanks for taking the time to write to us today!
Rirett says
I did the recipe and is just simple amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Martha says
You’re very welcome – so glad you enjoyed the bread as much as we do!
Leah says
Thank you! This recipe looks great. I’ve never made any type of zucchini baked goods myself, so sorry if this is a silly question, but does it matter how thick or fine you grate the zucchini and what would you recommend? Also, has anyone tried freezing this to eat later? I have been gifted a lot of zucchini. 🙂
Martha says
Hi Leah – I used the largest grate size on a box grater – but a smaller grate will work too. We have frozen some of this bread ourselves and it thaws beautifully! Just be sure to wrap it well to avoid any freezer burn. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Erin says
Hi! Going to a farmer’s market this weekend and really want to try to make this bread! About how many zucchini’s should I get? 3?
Martha says
Hi Erin – It depends on the size of the zucchini! 🙂 If they are small – probably 3-4 will definitely be enough. If they are huge – you might get away with just one. Enjoy!
Abbe Jo says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It came out just as stated, moist and extremely tasty. Not to mention, it made my house and car smell great as I took it to work after baking it that morning. Everyone loved it and told me next time I won’t make it out of the parking lot with the loaves in my hand (if they know I’m coming with it). 🙂 Thank you again, this is definitely the BEST Zucchini bread
Martha says
You’re very welcome Abbe Jo!
Ben says
Great dessert. I replaced a third of the flour with oats that were lightly food processed with some walnuts and pumpkin seeds. And coconut oil worked very well here.
Martha says
Thanks for the suggestions Ben!
Mary says
this is the recipe EXACTLY that I’ve made for almost 40 years EXCEPT, what they did was lower the oil from 1c to 1/2 plus 1/2 applesauce (making it slightly healthier) and do not add more than 2c sugar. 2 1/4 is over kill unless you are going to add that incredible amount of zucchini, it’s usually 2-3c zucchini. Just saying.
Martha says
Thanks so much for sharing more about the background of this recipe Mary. If you’ve been making it for 40 years – it must be the best around!
Jackie says
could you exchange sugar for brown sugar?
Martha says
Hi Jackie – I’ve never tried it myself with this recipe. Here’s a great article to read with more info: https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/55228/are-brown-and-white-sugar-interchangeable-when-baking/ – Hope this helps!
Elisabeth says
Hi! When you shred and pack the zucchini do you drain any of the moisture out first, or does it all go in? this looks like a yummy recipe!
Martha says
Hi Elizabeth – It all went in! I suppose if you are using the full 4 cups and it seems extremely wet, you could drain it a bit – but otherwise, just shred it and put it in the batter! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Veronica says
Hi, is the apple sauce sweet or unsweetened? Thanks
Martha says
We used unsweetened- but either will work!