Zucchini Bread
Published 6/23/2023 • Updated 8/1/2023
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Our no-fail zucchini bread recipe takes you back to the basics with grated zucchini, flour, butter, brown sugar, and eggs.
The BEST Healthy Zucchini Bread
Zucchini is one of those summer vegetables that grow crazy here in Minnesota. We love making air fryer zucchini fries for a crunchy snack or zucchini oatmeal cookies for a sweet treat.
Everyone should have a solid zucchini bread recipe in their back pocket and that’s just the truth. We’re here to give you one in hopes that you make this recipe year after year.
Our recipe is made with basic ingredients and has a hint of warmth from a little maple syrup. It’s also made with applesauce to make it extra moist!
all the loaf recipes
If you love loaf recipes like this homemade zucchini bread, try some of our others –> We love this vegan banana bread, this chocolate chocolate chip banana bread, or this blueberry banana bread.
Zucchini Bread Ingredients
This zucchini bread recipe is about as basic as it gets. No fancy ingredients, just things you probably already have in your kitchen.
- Flour
- Zucchini
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Maple syrup
- Applesauce
- Eggs
- Almond milk
FAQ
Yes, we do leave the skin on zucchini for zucchini bread. It adds great color, nutrition, and it’s a lot less hearty of skin compared to other vegetables! If you’re not a fan of zucchini skin, feel free to leave it off!
To grate zucchinis for zucchini bread, use the largest grate on a box grater, food processor, or your grater of choice.
Make sure to remove the moisture from zucchini! You do this by grating the zucchini and then placing it in a tea towel or paper towel. From there you squeeze the moisture from the zucchini into the sink.
Variations
Add peanut butter: peanut butter makes the world go round and that’s a fact. Try adding 1/3 cup to your batter!
Use mashed banana: swap the applesauce out for mashed banana. It will change the flavor slightly but works in the same way.
Use a different squash: got summer squash in the garden instead? Try that instead of zucchini!
Add chocolate chips: you really can’t go wrong by adding a handful of chocolate chips!
CHeck it out!
6 Healthy Muffin Recipes – 1 Base Batter
Are you a muffin queen just like us? Here’s our favorite base recipe for healthy muffins + 6 different healthy muffin recipes you can make with it! Get all 6 healthy muffin recipes HERE!
Storage
Make sure to let the zucchini bread cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. If you cover it when it’s warm, the condensation will speed up the molding process!
How to Freeze Zucchini Bread
- To freeze zucchini bread, let the loaf cool completely.
- Then, tightly wrap it in a piece of plastic wrap followed by tin foil.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Zucchini Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup coarsely shredded zucchini moisture removed*, ~1 large zucchini
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk (or oat milk)*
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to a bowl and whisk the ingredients together. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, add the brown sugar, butter, and maple syrup to the mixing bowl and mix on medium/high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the applesauce and eggs and mix again until combined.
- Next, add the almond milk and mix.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients (including the zucchini) to the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
- Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes.
- Rotate the loaf pan to 180º and bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out almost clean (it will continue to cook in the pan).
- Let cool for a few minutes before running the edges along the outside of the bread and pan (if needed) and gently pull up on the parchment paper. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Tips & Notes
- 1 cup of mashed ripe banana can be used as a substitute for the applesauce.
- For a crunchy top, top the zucchini bread with 2-4 tablespoons of turbinado sugar before baking.
- The bake time may vary depending on what oven is used and the elevation you are baking at.
- This recipe was updated on June 23, 2023. Get the original recipe HERE.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Don’t forget to tag your posts on social media with the hashtag #fitfoodiefinds, we’d love to see what you’re up to!
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
Hey fit foodie team, heads up, y’all have apple sauce listed in the description, but banana in the recipe – but ya know what? I went ahead and used apple sauce (cause that’s what we had). Since the applesauce was more watery than mashed banana would be I took out about a 1/4 cup of the almond milk (and then also added cinnamon) and this will now be my go-to recipe. LOVE! I’ve made it twice now…first one was still a little too wet/moist (but still delicious), the 2nd one I lightened the liquid and it was perfect (took it to a brunch, it was a hit). THANKS!
Thank you for calling this out! We’ve made it both ways so I updated the recipe to call for either 😀
Looking forward to
Great recipe! This had a great taste and texture! It was really simple to make. I added 1 tsp of cinnamon because I felt it would need a little spice, and I’m very glad I did.
Glad you loved it!
Wow, looks beautiful and very yummy. Wow, looks beautiful and very yummy
These are so delicious! Sarah made the muffin form and YUM YUM YUM – love you guys!
This was wayyyyyyyyy too moist. I can’t even eat it, had to throw out. At the time, it seemed like it required way too much almond milk, but I went along with it. I’m wondering if it was a typo? I left it in for 20 extra minutes and still, it couldn’t be fixed.
Love all your other recipes, but I think this one needs fixed!
Wow! It looks yummy and delicious. I love to eat healthy zucchini bread in the breakfast. I always prefer to eat this bread in breakfast. Thank you so much for sharing this post.
So glad you loved this George!
This looks amazing and very excited to try it out. Just wondering if you had the nutrition details as it has been included at the end of.your other recipes but couldn’t seem to find it on this one xx
Yes I agree, way too moist!! I squeezed the zucchini out as well. I agree that there was too much milk!! I am cooking it for another 10 minutes past 1 hour to see if it dries out any!
I made this and it had excellent flavor, however it was wayyy too moist. I squeezed out the zucchini very well and baked it longer because I could tell it was so moist. Even the batter seemed too liquidy….1 and 1/4 cup of almond milk seems like quite a bit with 1.5 cups of flour. Maybe I’ll try again with more flour/less almond milk. Thanks for the recipe:)