This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
You might like these other delicious Zucchini Bread recipes
Click here to see more delicious Zucchini Recipes!
See the recipesWe love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
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.
Rennea says
Hi. Is there any way to use honey instead of all that sugar?
Martha says
Hi Rennea – We haven’t tried swapping in honey ourselves so I can’t say for sure. It will add a lot more moisture to the recipe so I’d only be guessing without actually making a test batch. Sorry I can’t be more help!
Rennea says
Hi thank you for your response. It’s hard finding a recipe that doesn’t use sugar.
Rachel says
I used half honey half sugar and it turned out delicious!
Martha says
Thanks Rachel!
Janet M Pohl says
I must have a dozen zucchini bread recipes, but this one is by far the best! Now I have to confess that I made one change that was unintentional. I did not have any applesauce, so I substituted strawberry jam!! I know it sounds weird, and I thought so, too, but it was really really good. Of course I cut way back on the sugar as the jam was really sweet. Next time I will make it with applesauce and I know it will be even better. This is a great recipe.
Martha says
Thank you so much Janet!
Melody Lunsford says
I just made this today and didn’t have any applesauce. I replaced with crushed pineapple. Turned out perfect. My grandmother used pineapple and I loved it. Thanks for sharing
Martha says
You’re very welcome Melody – and thanks for letting us know about a substitution that works just as well for the applesauce.
Ashley says
What a great recipe! So moist with tons of flavor. I had to improvise a bit as I did not have any applesauce. I substituted with canned pumpkin and a tablespoon of honey. I also used fresh duck eggs in place of regular eggs as that is what I had on the counter at the moment and they tend to be better in baked goods anyway. This is a keeper.
Martha says
Thanks Ashley! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Shala says
Thanks for the recipe! I cut the recipe in half — 1 egg + 1 egg white, used half a cup of raw cane sugar + 2-3 tablespoons of honey, coconut oil and walnuts. Next time I’ll try 2 parts white flour and 1 part whole wheat. My bread came out perfectly at 50 minutes.
Martha says
You’re very welcome Shala!
Marla says
Can I bake this as mini loaves? Do you know about how many mini loaves it would bake and about how long they would bake? Thanks!! This looks absolutely delicious–I know I’ll want to share it with some neighbors!
Martha says
Hi Marla – I’ve only made this recipe in the full-size loaf pans so I’m not sure how it will convert (might depend on the size of your mini’s) or the baking time. But this article looks to have some good suggestions: http://www.thekitchn.com/good-questions-38-104585 (Hope this helps!)
Amanda says
I only had one loaf pan and two mini. So I used the minis and they turned out great! I’m sure four mini pans would work maybe even five!
Martha says
Thanks Amanda! So glad it worked out well for you!
Corinne Bailey says
Great recipe, family lived it.
Martha says
Thanks Corinne!
Leslie says
Could you bake this in a 9×13 pan instead of loaf pans and if so how long would you need to bake it?
Martha says
Hi Leslie – We’ve only made this ourselves in the loaf pans. If you give it a try in the 9×13 pan – please let us know how it comes out!
Amanda says
So I made this last week and even my picky mother in law loved it. She actually has requested more. Good thing the garden is doing well
Martha says
Wow Amand – thanks! We always love hearing when picky eaters enjoy our recipes! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write to us today!
Dalila marin says
Delicious recipe. I made it an it was awesome! I changed it a little though, I used half carrot half zuchinni and it was delicious!
Martha says
Sounds great Dalila – I’ll have to try that!