This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Depending on where you live – the glut of zucchini growing in your garden is already going strong! And with sweet summer corn in season too – what would be better than this Zucchini Corn Bread with Bacon!
Like it does in just about any other kind of baked good – adding shredded zucchini to this corn bread helps make it super moist. We also added fresh corn kernels to the bread for texture and a sweet corn flavor. Plus – we added bacon – just because everything is better with bacon! 🙂
This Zucchini Corn Bread with Bacon is wonderfully dense and hearty – and it’s fantastic warm out of the oven, slathered with butter. It’s great any time of the day – for breakfast alongside some eggs, for lunch with some soup or a salad, or with dinner alongside some grilled steak.
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Zucchini Corn Bread with Bacon
Note: This bread needs to be started the night before by soaking the corn meal in buttermilk overnight. *Also try to use apple or cherry wood smoked bacon, but not maple cured (if possible) for the best flavor. The maple cured flavor will over power the other flavors in this bread.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups coarse corn meal
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 pound apple or cherry wood smoked bacon (not maple)*see note above
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups fresh shucked corn kernels (3 ears)
- 3 cups shredded zucchini
Instructions
- The night before making this corn bread, in a medium bowl, place corn meal and buttermilk and stir. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature.
- The day of baking, cook bacon until crisp. Place bacon on paper towels to drain and crumble. Set bacon aside and reserve 5 tablespoons bacon fat.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place a 9X13 pan in the oven that has 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in it. Let the pan and fat heat while you prepare the batter.
- In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Blend both sugars into flour mixture.
- In a small bowl melt butter and honey in microwave just long enough to melt butter. Stir mixture then add the eggs. Beat with wire whip until combined. Add two tablespoons of bacon fat and beat again.
- Pour the egg mixture into the corn meal mixture that was soaked overnight and stir.
- Pour this wet batter into the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Fold in the corn and zucchini.
- Remove hot pan from the oven and carefully swirl the bacon fat around to reach all sides.
- Pour the finished batter into the hot pan and sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the top, pressing it down into the top of the batter so it doesn’t burn.
- Bake in center rack for 45-50 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.
- Cool 15 minutes and serve.
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.
You may also like:
Grilled Polenta with Bacon Jam
I was wondering if you squeeze the juice from the zucchini before mixing it in?
Some recipes want you to, others not so much.
Hi Robin – No, we don’t squeeze the liquid out – just add it right into the batter.
Hi, would love to try this , was wondering …. can this be frozen? and if so how about warm up etc.
Just new to your site, but am loving it! Live in Canada, can’t always get some of the brands so have to be flexible.
Thanks Deborah – Yes – it should freeze fairly well. I’d suggest reheating in the oven wrapped in foil until warmed through. Hope that helps! And we hope you enjoy the recipe!
I love everything about this recipe and am going to save it (with a pulled pork sandwich) for when my zucchini come in. Unfortunately, where I live, it will be at least a month before I see any, if then! But maybe I can score some at a Farmer’s Market =)
Hope you enjoy the recipe Laura! (And BTW – I haven’t forgotten about your catnip question – still waiting to hear back from our cooking instructor!)