Best Zucchini Bread Ever

Believe the hype…this IS the Best Zucchini Bread Ever!

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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.

• 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.

• 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)

• 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!

• 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

1. Prepare the loaf pans by buttering and flouring the bottom and sides.
2. Sift together dry ingredients.
3. Shred zucchini and chop the nuts. Set aside.
4. Mix wet ingredients in mixing bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients.
5. Stir in shredded zucchini and the nuts. Mix well.
6. Pour batter into the two prepared loaf pans.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out cleanly.
8. Cool on wire racks.
9. Slice to serve with softened butter or cream cheese.

• 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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