Classic Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 375g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 150g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
• 100g (½ cup) light brown sugar, packed
• 6g (1 tsp) baking soda
• 4g (¾ tsp) baking powder
• 5g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
• 5g (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
• 1g (¼ tsp) ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

• 150g (3 large) large eggs
• 180g (¾ cup) neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or light olive oil)
• 10g (2 tsp) pure vanilla extract
• 340g (2½ cups (about 2 medium zucchini)) fresh zucchini, grated on the large holes of a box grater

Optional Mix-Ins

Choose up to one, fold in at the end

• 113g (¾ cup) chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
• 113g (¾ cup) semisweet chocolate chips
• 85g (½ cup) golden raisins

Pro tip: Don't squeeze out the moisture from the grated zucchini unless it's coming from a very large, seedy garden zucchini that's been frozen and thawed. That moisture is what keeps this loaf tender for days.

Equipment

Method

Prep the Zucchini

The zucchini is the moisture source for this loaf. Handle it right and you won't need to add extra liquid.

1. Grate the Zucchini. Wash and trim the ends off the zucchini — no need to peel it. The skin is thin and won't affect texture or flavor. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the zucchini into a bowl. You need about 340g / 2½ cups.
2. Blot if Necessary. Give the grated zucchini a light blot with a paper towel — just one press, not a full squeeze. You want to remove the surface water, not the juice locked inside the cell walls. If your zucchini is small and fresh, skip this step entirely.

Tip: Small to medium zucchini are sweeter and have fewer seeds than large garden zucchini. If you're working with a giant one from the garden (it happens), peel it and scrape out the seeds before grating.

Mix the Batter

Two bowls, two minutes of stirring, one great loaf. Keep the mixing gentle and you're in great shape.

1. Preheat the Oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8x4-inch loaf pans with butter or non-stick spray and line with parchment for easy removal.
2. Whisk Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined. Whisking acts like sifting and breaks up any sugar clumps.
3. Mix Wet Ingredients. In a second large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly frothy, about 30 seconds. Stir in the grated zucchini.
4. Combine Wet and Dry. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Switch from a whisk to a spatula the moment you start adding flour — a whisk encourages overmixing. Fold gently until no dry streaks remain. If you're adding walnuts, chocolate chips, or raisins, fold them in now.
5. Fill the Pans. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans. Smooth the tops gently.

Tip: The batter will be thick but pourable. If it seems too stiff, that's fine — zucchini bread batter is thicker than cake batter. It all sorts itself out in the oven.

Bake and Cool

1. Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Start checking at the 50-minute mark. If the tops are browning faster than the centers are cooking, tent loosely with foil.
2. Cool in Pan. Let the loaves cool in their pans for 15 minutes. This is important — zucchini bread is fragile when hot.
3. Cool on Rack. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing. At least 45 minutes. I know. The crumb sets as it cools and the spice flavors deepen. Day two is even better than day one — the moisture distributes evenly and the cinnamon really comes forward.

Bake

Moderate temperature for a slow, even bake. Two 8x4-inch pans bake more evenly than one large 9x5.

Oven: 175°C / 350°F. Internal temperature when done: 96°C / 205°F.

Two 8x4-inch Loaf Pans (recommended)

The preferred method. Smaller pans bake more evenly and give you a better domed top.

Equipment: Two 8x4-inch loaf pans, parchment paper

1. Preheat. 350°F (175°C).
2. Fill. Divide batter evenly between pans, smooth tops.
3. Bake. 55-65 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
4. Cool. 15 min in pan, then turn out and cool completely.

One 9x5-inch Loaf Pan

Works well but check doneness earlier — bake time shifts slightly.

Equipment: 9x5-inch loaf pan

1. Bake. Start checking at 50 minutes. May need up to 70 minutes in a deeper pan.

Storage

• Room temperature: 2-3 days tightly wrapped — this bread is very moist and will mold faster than drier breads if left uncovered.
• Refrigerated: Up to 1 week wrapped tightly. The cold slows the mold and actually firms up the texture nicely.
• Frozen: Up to 3 months. Slice, wrap individual slices, freeze. Toast from frozen or thaw overnight.
• Refresh: Room temperature or a brief 10 minutes at 300°F (150°C) — both work well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to peel the zucchini before grating?

No. The skin on small to medium zucchini is thin and practically disappears into the batter. It won't affect flavor or texture. If you're dealing with a large garden zucchini with thick, tough skin, go ahead and peel it — and remove the seeds too.

Should I squeeze the moisture out of the grated zucchini?

A light blot, not a full squeeze. That moisture keeps the loaf tender for days. If you wring it completely dry, the bread will be noticeably drier. The only time to squeeze more aggressively is if the zucchini was frozen and thawed — it'll be quite wet.

My zucchini bread sank in the middle. What happened?

Usually one of three things: overmixing the batter, underbaking, or opening the oven door too early. Quick breads sink when the structure isn't fully set before it starts to collapse. Use the toothpick test and wait for it to come out clean before you pull the loaf.

Can I make this into muffins?

Absolutely. Fill lined muffin tins about ¾ full and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes. The recipe makes about 24 standard muffins. They freeze just as well as the loaves.

Can I reduce the sugar?

You can reduce the total sugar by up to 25% without significantly affecting the structure. Going lower than that will affect rise and moisture retention. The brown sugar does more work here than the granulated — if you're cutting back, reduce the granulated first.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 slice): 208 calories, 28g carbohydrates, 3g protein, 10g fat, 1g fiber, 185mg sodium. Makes 20 servings.