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Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

I still remember the first time I encountered zucchini bread as a teenager. I had a hard time getting my mind around the concept. At the time, zucchini was something my mom made me eat, and not anything you would bake into something sweet. Fortunately, the pathway into my naturally resistant-to-new-foods teenage mind had already been cut with carrot cake. Heck, if you could get something that good out of carrots, why not zucchini? After one bite, I was sold forever. Grated zucchini, mixed into the batter, brings moisture and tender texture to what is essentially a spice cake.

Here are two favorite, tried-and-true zucchini bread recipes. The first couldn't be easier; you don't need a mixer and can make the whole thing in one bowl. It's basically our zucchini muffin recipe in a bread form. The second recipe is adapted from one in an old issue of Sunset Magazine (September 1974) and is the recipe I used to follow as a teenager to make zucchini bread. The pineapple, walnuts, and raisins (my substitute, the original recipe called for currants) make the bread even more interesting.

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Zucchini Bread Recipe

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated fresh zucchini
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins (optional)

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, a third at a time. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix. Fold in the nuts and dried cranberries or raisins if using.

2 Divide the batter equally between 2 buttered 5 by 9 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour (check for doneness at 50 minutes) or until a wooden pick inserted in to the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly.

Makes 2 loaves.


Zucchini Bread with Pineapple

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 cup olive oil
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups coarsely grated zucchini
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

Method

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixer, beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, and vanilla; continue beating mixture until thick and foamy. With a spoon, stir in the zucchini and pineapple.

2 In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A third at a time, add dry ingredients into wet and gently stir (by hand) after each addition. Add the walnuts and raisins, blend gently.

3 Divide the batter equally between 2 greased and flour-dusted 5 by 9 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in to the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly.

Makes 2 loaves.

Adapted from a 1974 Sunset Magazine recipe

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56 Comments

Do you peel the zucchini?

Hi Cynthia, no need to peel the zucchini. ~Elise

Posted by: cynthia freeman on August 17, 2005 11:43 AM

This looks delicious! Can I substitute yellow summer squash for the zukes?

Note from Elise: Yes, any summer squash will do.

Posted by: Somia on August 9, 2006 9:20 AM

When I make zucchini bread, I like to use contrasting fruits: one sweet, one tart. For instance, blueberries and cranberries (preferably fresh in both cases). Many other combinations work, and it give nice variety to this.

Posted by: Alain Roy on August 9, 2006 9:54 AM

Oh this is a wonderful, moist bread. The pineapple is a delicious addition and compliments the zucchini perfectly. I have made this several times and have never been disappointed.
Thanks Elise

Posted by: jann on August 10, 2006 5:20 AM

I tried the recipe with pineapple weeks ago and was told that it was the best zucchini bread anyone's ever had! It was so moist, and froze surprisingly well. We have already eaten the extra loaf out of the freezer and my husband keeps bringin me in GIANT zucchinis from the garden! I think I'll try the chocolate zucchini cake next...

Posted by: Angela on August 10, 2006 6:52 AM

I've used the recipe with pineapple before and it's very good. I prefer to use Cake flour instead of all purpose. It' gives it a lighter texture.

Posted by: Jake on August 18, 2006 8:35 PM

I've made zucchini bread with pineapple for years using my grandmother's recipe, usually making a double batch and freezing the extra (in order to turn the oven on fewer times during the summer). It has always been fine when defrosted. This way you can use the larger can of crushed pineapple which is usually a better buy.

Posted by: Leslie on March 15, 2007 7:41 AM

Love the idea of putting pineapple in the bread - I think I'll sub dried cherries for the raisins. I love Leti's idea of putting sliced apples in the middle, too. Thanks again for another awesome recipe...

Posted by: Tracy27 on May 29, 2007 1:29 PM

This was just fabulous. I opted for the currants instead of raisins. The pineapple was such a great touch. I would never have guessed to put pineapple into zucchini bread. Thanks for a real keeper of a recipe.

Posted by: Kelly on July 23, 2007 5:35 AM

I have been asking around for a pineapple zuchinni recipe for about a week and no one that I knew had it. So glad to have found it. I have actually lost wieght eating this stuff. You know, you get busy, snack on the zuchinni bread, drink lots of water, and ouila. It is also the only way to get the kids to eat veggies! lol

Posted by: Teresa on August 14, 2007 8:36 PM

I made this today and it was great. I only changed a couple things (can't help my tinkering), I used finely chopped fresh pineapple I happened I have, and I soaked the raisins in coconut rum before mixing them in.

Very yum Elise!

Posted by: marie on June 1, 2008 11:31 AM

Hi i was just wondering how full to fill the loaf pans? Also can use the mini loaf pans?

Not all the way to the top. Leave some clearance for the dough to rise as it cooks. You can use mini loaf pans but the baking time will be much shorter. I don't know how much shorter, you'll have to just try and see. ~Elise

Posted by: lisa on July 6, 2008 4:08 PM

This recipe was amazing! :) I made the second recipe as listed above. For the next batch, I reduced the sugar to 1 3/4 cups (probably could have gone with 1 1/2 cups). I also subbed applesauce for half of the oil.

Both came out delicious! It is definately better if it is stored in the fridge overnite and served cold!

Posted by: Amanda on July 22, 2008 8:53 AM

lol - the very FIRST post I ever did on my blog was Zuccini Muffins! Made from a recipe that my childhood friend Phillip's mum made for us - she wouldn't tell us what was in them until we ate it - and like you, we couldn't believe something so delicious had VEGETABLES in it!!!

Posted by: Kyle @ Yumoh! on July 30, 2008 2:23 PM

I love zucchini bread but my last attempt at using zucchini in a sweeter recipe was zucchini brownies. My hubby hated them so much he shudders at the thought of zucchini bread. Perhaps I will try one of these and change his mind!

Posted by: sharon on July 30, 2008 2:34 PM

Elise,
I have a zucchini bread recipe that uses only brown sugar and I have found it gives it a whole new flavor that everyone loves.

Posted by: steph on July 30, 2008 3:37 PM

I make zuccini bread pretty much the way the first recipe is except I never use nutmeg in anything. Can't stand it. I use ground cloves instead. Also I use 2/3 cups corn oil instead of butter. Sometimes I put in nuts but never put in raisins or currents or cranberries since my family prefer it without. I'm looking forward to trying your recipe using pineapple. Sounds good.

Posted by: Georgia on July 30, 2008 3:40 PM

Thank you so much for this post. It gave me the inspiration to use my leftover zucchini and left over sweet potato to make muffins and a bread loaf. I blogged about it on my new site!

Posted by: Mandy on July 30, 2008 8:19 PM

Thanks for the recipe! I too discovered zucchini bread in my teen years... at a friends' house and I too was skeptical. Before we could even get to bed, I had eaten more than half of the loaf. A layer of butter paired so well!
Butter on a piece of cake was ok with a teenagers' metabolism but unfortunately not anymore, but I can still enjoy half a loaf!

Thanks for the memories and a reminder to make a loaf, or two, or three before the zucchini season is over. :)

Posted by: Lisa C. on July 30, 2008 8:39 PM

Last year, after receiving lots of zucchini and fresh blueberries from a generous neighbor, I decided to combine the two into bread. Adding one cup of blueberries per loaf (usually a pint per recipe, as most recipes make two loaves) works well. Zucchini bread is very forgiving, and experimenting with it is easy and fun! My recipe doesn't include pineapple, so don't know if adding pineapple and blueberries would be too much.

Posted by: marybeth on July 30, 2008 9:02 PM

Hey Everyone, These zucchini bread recipes bring back great memories of grandma. She would make fresh pork saugage and then the next morning make zucchini bread with real home made butter.Wonderful times! Thanks for the great recipes and the memories. Anna

Posted by: Anna on July 31, 2008 4:28 AM

This bread looks delicious. The picture gave me an idea - it almost looks like cranberry's instead of raisins so I think I will try using them instead. Also - since you are using chocolate - some orange, instead of the pineapple, might work quite nice also. Could be a great Thanksgiving treat!

Hi Mary, those are dried cranberries in the zucchini bread photo'd. No chocolate in either recipe, but you could easily add some, and the grated orange peel would be terrific with it if you did. ~Elise

Posted by: Mary on July 31, 2008 6:29 AM

Do you squeeze the juice from your zucchini before mixing it, or do you leave it as is?
thx!

No squeezing necessary. Just as is. ~Elise

Posted by: sarah on July 31, 2008 10:46 AM

I have a question.

I just love the breads, pancakes and cakes. But I don't have a microwave or oven.

So can you please suggest another way to bake the cake or breads?

Hi Moona, baking requires dry, hot, steady heat. You simply cannot make most of these recipes without an oven. It is possible to make some baked goods in a covered outdoor grill. This rustic apricot tart for example, can be made on a grill. ~Elise

Posted by: moona singh on July 31, 2008 12:06 PM

The addition of cranberry is genius! The tartness would work wonderfully with this bread.

Posted by: Dragon on July 31, 2008 5:12 PM

I made the first recipe a while back - I found it on your site (of course) and had to write a post about it because it was probably the best zucchini bread I have had....or wait maybe it was it your banana bread? All of your recipes are excellent!

Posted by: Our Juicy Life on July 31, 2008 5:46 PM

My mother always made a very basic zucchini bread which we gobbled up, even as kids. I've never tried it with pineapple, though it sounds delicious.

Posted by: Andrea on July 31, 2008 6:49 PM

This is terrific. I substituted diced dates for the raisins in recipe 2 and it is wonderful!
Thanks for a really entertaining and inspiring blog.

You're welcome! So glad you liked the recipe. ~Elise

Posted by: Jan on August 1, 2008 7:55 AM

I swap pumpkin into my favorite banana bread recipe all the time, for variety. Do you think it would work to use zucchini? Maybe I'd have to add more moisture somewhere else?

Sure, sounds like a great idea. ~Elise

Posted by: Keely on August 2, 2008 7:54 AM

I just tried the 1st recipe and it was great! However, I substituted sunflower seeds for walnuts and they ended up really green (moldy looking)!! (well, fine at first, but the next day...) Does this happen with walnuts too and is there a way of avoiding this? Also, how do you feel about squeezing out excess juice from the zucchini, which is what I've heard some swear by? This is the first time I've posted but I've been enjoying your recipes for the past few months!

Posted by: Azuki on August 2, 2008 1:25 PM

I love zucchini bread and most breads of this type and texture. Thank you for this recipe! Does anyone know if there exists a recipe for low-sodium bread like this? Thanks in advance! :)

Why don't you just omit the salt from this one (and use unsalted butter)? ~Elise

Posted by: Lisa on August 3, 2008 9:13 AM

That sounds yummy! I've found that my kids love zucchini bread if I don't tell them what is in it (and I shred the zucchini small enough). I've found some recipes that didn't work well and some that were great. I will try this one next time (and overwhelmed with zucchini time is coming).

Posted by: Peggy on August 3, 2008 8:31 PM

Tried the pineapple version this weekend. Awesome. Doesn't alter the flavor too much that it overpowers, just a bit of something different. I've made breads before without the pineapple but think this recipe is a keeper. Thanks so much for the recipes. =)

Posted by: Susan C on August 4, 2008 10:04 AM

This is a magnificent way to use zucchinis--thanks as we love, love, love this bread! Used 1/4 cup brown sugar splenda and just about 2/3 cup sugar and it's perfectly sweet. Also added the cranberries and walnuts and this is what makes the bread so spectacular. Thanks again for sharing.

Posted by: Heather on August 6, 2008 10:52 AM

Great recipe-we just cut a warm slice and it tastes fantasic. Followed the recipe to the letter (except we halved it-only wanted one loaf around) and used walnuts and cranberries. Thank you!

Posted by: Rosie on August 6, 2008 5:49 PM

The sliced bread photograph is a knock-out. Brownish bread is a tough subject- but you did a beautiful job. Your photography just keeps getting more and more beautiful!

Posted by: Karina on August 6, 2008 10:17 PM

Elise, This looks wonderful. Moist, but not too heavy or thick like so many tend to be. I too have many recipes from Sunset, in fact, I learned to cook from a "Sunset Basics Cookbook" ages ago. Thanks for the recipe. It looks wonderful. I'll make it for my aunt and uncle this weekend when I travel to Tucson.

Posted by: Kanani on August 7, 2008 8:09 PM

I use a similar recipe, but have substituted in some applesauce for the oil and half of the flour is now wholewheat. I also add in another 4 oz of applesauce and a 1/3 c ground flax.

my other suggestion: I freeze mine in slices in small sandwich bags, since I live alone and it's easier to pull out what I need. Warming it in the toaster oven (on a stone if you've got one) make it taste/smell just like it did when it first came out of the oven.

Posted by: jen on August 8, 2008 8:26 AM

I made the zucchini bread with canned mango instead of the pineapple - everybody loved it!

Posted by: Michal on August 9, 2008 6:23 PM

I am looking for a good rich moist recipe for zucchini bread and this one with the pineapple looks great----I am going to make it as soon as I get the squash----cant wait----thanks

Posted by: jane on August 11, 2008 8:59 AM

My son has a lot of food allergies. Do you know how to make this without milk, soy, eggs or wheat? I am just learning how to accomodate his dietary challenges and would love to learn how to make a zuchinni bread he could eat.
thanks

That's a tough one. I would start by looking at some of the gluten-free sites. You can substitute a gluten-free flour mix for the wheat flour, and perhaps add some baking powder for more leavening to leave out the egg. You'll just have to experiment. ~Elise

Posted by: Carol on August 11, 2008 1:28 PM

I'm wondering if I can substitute eggplant for the zucchine in the pineapple recipe? I'm going to try it tomorrow and will let you know if it turns out but was hoping someone might have experienced it before. For some strange reason I have a plethora of eggplant this year and no zucchini...who ever heard of such a thing:)

Hi Nannie - no idea, never tried it. If you do, please let us know how it turns out. ~Elise

Posted by: Nannie on August 17, 2008 3:59 PM

I just tried this recipe last night. I am trying to find the "perfect" zucchini bread recipe. I liked this recipe but I would cut down on the cinnamon next time. I didn't put in any of the additions, but I'd like to try the dried cranberries next time.

Posted by: Tavia on August 20, 2008 8:13 AM

I'm making a shopping list for the zucchini bread, and I'm thinking of combining the 2 recipes: want to use crushed pineapple, cranberries and walnuts. (YUM!) So I was looking at both recipes and noticed that the 1st recipes calls for 3 c zukes, 3 cups flour, the second TWO c zukes, 3 cups flour, 1 cup olive oil. Interesting...any feedback? I can't wait to try the bread!

The great thing about both of these recipes is that there is room to maneuver when it comes to ingredient amounts. ~Elise

Posted by: Rosa on September 3, 2008 10:15 AM

I made the first recipe. I really taste the baking soda, very soapy, was baking powder left out? Also, I found it dry and not sweet enough. I guess I was expecting it to taste more like a carrot cake or date nut bread. This was more like bread than cake.

Posted by: Mary on September 11, 2008 4:21 PM

I just baked the second recipe with pineapple, and also added fresh cranberries that I heated in the microwage. It's okay, but I think I would leave out the cranberries next time. Otherwise, I think it would great! Thanks for the recipe : )

Posted by: Susan in Wine Country on September 14, 2008 4:35 PM

OMG, I'm in culinary arts at my school and we made zucchini bread today . It was so delicious, the batter tasted even better .
Some qroups made zucchinin bread while others made banana bread . It was very GOOD . I can't wait to make more . I wish I had all the ingredients to make it at home : ]

Posted by: smileyy on September 16, 2008 2:10 PM

Can I use corn oil instead of the butter and olive oil? My daughter has allegies to both and was wondering if this could be a good substitution?
Thank you.

Hi Tammy, all I can suggest is to try it and see. Just taste the oil first to make sure it's okay. Vegetable oils, including olive oil and corn oil, can get rancid if not used up quickly. ~Elise

Posted by: Tammy on September 30, 2008 3:17 PM

I just made this with a couple of substitutions because of my daughter's food allergies. Instead of eggs I used EnerG egg replacer,(no animal protein,dairy,or soy), and corn oil. They came out really great considering not using butter or real eggs for that matter!! If you didn't know about the subs you probably never tell. My baby loves it she is 10 months old and isn't able to eat much because of allergies so I'm really happy for this recipe and thank you for posting it!!!

Posted by: Tammy on September 30, 2008 6:31 PM

The zucchini bread in the top recipe was very dry. I will not make that recipe again.

Posted by: Kaye on October 2, 2008 10:32 AM

My Grandma made this every year when I was growing up. Her recipe omitted the nutmeg and has slight changes of amounts of the other ingredients. My kids now love this bread as much as I did. I slip in dates with the pineapple!

Posted by: Lisa on October 4, 2008 4:46 AM

Made this bread exactly as written. Lovely! Nice and crunchy on the outside, moist (still on the third day - even with some careless wrapping over night) on the inside. Enough fruit and nuts to make it interesting. I made zucchini potato latkes with the left over shredded zuke. YUM all the way around! Thanks Elise!

Posted by: Shannan on October 4, 2008 3:23 PM

I used the Zucchini recipe with the pineapple..Mmmmmmmmm yummy :) I had to use pinapple chunks that i somewhat mashed up and I only grated about half of the zuke, than fine chopping the rest. It turned out wonderful and very tasty.

Posted by: Laura on October 20, 2008 7:49 PM

Just tried the first recipe above. It is very tasty. The crust turns out brilliant after only 50 mins in a gas oven. I do wish it were a bit more moist though -- could I add some more oil/butter to achieve that without ruining the fluffy inner texture?

I'll try the one with pineapple next, because by the sounds of things that's bound to be moist :-)

More sugar will actually make the bread more moist. Also it helps to make the bread when zucchini is in season in your area, because then the zucchini itself will have more moisture. ~Elise

Posted by: Ed on March 1, 2009 9:11 PM

I tried both recipes on this page--they're both quite good

I always use applesauce instead of butter or oil and the bread always turns out delish.

I thought the pineapple bread had a little too much sugar in it--seems like I'm biting into a sugar cube--but other than that, they're yummy :D

Posted by: Kat on April 26, 2009 8:51 AM

I did the second recipe, and it was so moist and delicious that my 4 kids gobbled it up (even knowing that it was full of Veggies!).

I used all whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups Splenda instead of sugar, and my favorite substitute for oil - fat free yogurt! Unlike applesauce it can be substituted equally without making the recipe dense and heavy like applesauce does - and adds no flavor. I splurged tonight and used low fat strawberry yogurt - a subtle accent to the pineapple and raisins. Yum!

This recipe was delicious and both loaves will be gone by tomorrow!

Posted by: Marythemom on July 1, 2009 8:06 PM

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