Best Homemade Zucchini Bread

Disclaimer: Our editors have used AI to create or enhance parts of this article and some images. All content has been fact-checked by our team to ensure accuracy.

Let’s be honest – finding ways to use up all those garden zucchini during summer can feel like a never-ending puzzle. We’ve all been there, staring at a counter full of squash and wondering what else we could possibly make with them besides another stir-fry or salad, especially when the neighbors have stopped answering their doors to accept more vegetables.

That’s where this zucchini bread with brown sugar comes to the rescue: it’s a foolproof way to turn those extra zucchini into something your family will actually look forward to eating, and the brown sugar adds just the right amount of warmth and sweetness that makes it perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

SAVE NOW

Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Bread

• Perfect way to use garden zucchini – If you’ve got extra zucchini from your garden or farmer’s market, this bread puts it to delicious use without any need to squeeze out the moisture.
• Flexible recipe – You can easily customize it with chocolate chips, nuts, or raisins, and even swap between applesauce, sour cream, or yogurt based on what you have in your fridge.
• No special equipment needed – Just basic mixing bowls and a loaf pan are all you need – no fancy kitchen gadgets required.
• Moist and flavorful – The combination of brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg creates a warm, cozy flavor while the zucchini and applesauce keep every slice perfectly moist.

What Kind of Zucchini Should I Use?

Medium-sized zucchini are your best bet for this bread since they’re tender and have smaller seeds than their larger counterparts. While those giant garden zucchini might be tempting to use up, they tend to be more watery and have tougher seeds that can affect your bread’s texture. When grating your zucchini, you can use either the large or small holes of your box grater – both will work fine, though larger shreds give you more noticeable green flecks throughout your bread. And here’s a time-saving tip: there’s no need to peel your zucchini before grating, as the skin is tender and adds nice color to your bread.

SAVE NOW

Options for Substitutions

This zucchini bread recipe is pretty forgiving and offers several swap options:

• All-purpose flour: You can use whole wheat flour for up to half of the all-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version, try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, but the texture might be slightly different.
• Vegetable oil: Any neutral oil works here – coconut oil, canola oil, or even melted butter can step in. If using coconut oil, make sure other ingredients are at room temperature to prevent clumping.
• Applesauce: This ingredient is already flexible – use the same amount of sour cream, Greek yogurt, or mashed banana. Each will give slightly different moisture levels but all work great.
• Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar both work fine. In a pinch, use all white sugar plus 1 tablespoon of molasses, or coconut sugar as a natural alternative.
• Zucchini: This is pretty key to the recipe, but you can use yellow summer squash instead. The color will be different but the taste will be similar.
• Mix-ins: The recipe is super flexible with mix-ins – swap chocolate chips for nuts, dried fruit, or even shredded coconut. Or leave them out completely!

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making zucchini bread is over-mixing the batter – once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until no flour streaks remain, as over-mixing will lead to a dense, tough loaf. A common error is squeezing out the moisture from shredded zucchini, but this recipe actually needs that natural moisture to create a perfectly moist bread, so simply shred and add it as is. Another crucial point is checking your bread too early or too often during baking – opening the oven door frequently can cause the center to sink, so wait until at least 45 minutes before doing your first toothpick test. For the best texture, make sure your eggs and applesauce are at room temperature before starting, as cold ingredients can create a lumpy batter and affect how the bread rises.

SAVE NOW

What to Serve With Zucchini Bread?

This sweet and moist zucchini bread makes a fantastic breakfast or afternoon snack, and there are lots of tasty ways to enjoy it! Spread a warm slice with some softened butter, cream cheese, or even a dollop of peanut butter for extra richness. For breakfast, serve it alongside your morning coffee or tea, maybe with some fresh fruit on the side to make it more filling. If you’re hosting brunch, try placing thick slices on a platter with some honey butter or maple butter for spreading – your guests will love having options to customize their slice.

Storage Instructions

Counter Storage: Your zucchini bread will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container. I like to place a paper towel in the container to absorb any extra moisture from the zucchini.

Refrigerate: Want it to last longer? Pop your wrapped zucchini bread in the fridge where it’ll stay good for up to a week. The bread might get a bit dense when chilled, but don’t worry – that’s totally normal!

Freeze: This zucchini bread is perfect for freezing! Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or place it in a freezer bag. It’ll keep well for up to 3 months. You can even freeze individual slices – just wrap them separately for easy grab-and-go snacks.

Thaw & Serve: When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen zucchini bread, just let it thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature. If you like it warm, pop a slice in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or give it a quick toast.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 800-900
• Protein: 10-15 g
• Fat: 40-50 g
• Carbohydrates: 100-110 g

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, greek yogurt, or sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (keep moisture)
• Optional: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, or similar

Step 1: Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).

Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan to prevent the bread from sticking.

If you prefer muffins, you can refer to specific instructions for muffins, but otherwise prepare your loaf pan now.

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.

Combine thoroughly to evenly distribute the leaveners and spices throughout the flour.

Set this bowl aside for later.

Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients and Add Zucchini

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, Greek yogurt, or sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (keep moisture)

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil), brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, your choice of unsweetened applesauce, Greek yogurt, or sour cream, and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.

Stir in the grated zucchini, including any moisture from the zucchini, to keep the bread moist.

I like to use applesauce for extra moisture, but any of the options will work well.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures, Fold in Add-ins

• wet ingredients with zucchini (from Step 3)
• dry ingredients (from Step 2)
• optional: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, or similar

Pour the wet mixture from Step 3 into the bowl with the dry ingredients from Step 2.

Gently stir or whisk just until the ingredients are combined, being careful not to over-mix the batter.

If desired, fold in any optional add-ins like chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or raisins at this point.

The batter should be slightly thick.

I prefer to add chocolate chips for a little extra treat, but choose whichever add-in you like best.

Step 5: Bake the Zucchini Bread

• prepared batter (from Step 4)

Spread the finished batter evenly into the greased loaf pan from Step 1.

Bake in the preheated oven for 55-70 minutes.

About halfway through the baking time, loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil to prevent the top from getting too dark.

Keep an eye on your bread after 55 minutes.

When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with no raw batter, it is ready.

Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack.

Let the bread cool in the pan for 1 hour before removing.

For cleaner slices, I like to let the bread finish cooling directly on the wire rack before cutting.

Step 6: Cool, Slice, and Store

After the bread has cooled in the pan for an hour, carefully remove it from the loaf pan and continue cooling on a wire rack.

Slice and serve the zucchini bread once it has cooled completely for the neatest slices.

Store any leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.