With its perfectly moist texture, super-soft crumb, and brown-sugar notes throughout, this is the best-ever (AND easiest!) zucchini bread recipe. The recipe is easily adaptable to mini loaf pans or muffins, and many readers have had success using gluten-free flour. See comments below!

Just baked zucchini bread.

This truly is the best zucchini bread. The original source is unknown, but my mother learned it from her mother, and I’ve been passing it along as well, baking it with my children, who have called it “bikini” bread, for years. I love serving this zucchini bread when entertaining — it’s as delicious for mid-morning brunch as for afternoon tea all summer long.

In sum, it’s a classic quick bread made with both brown sugar and white, eggs and oil, and a heap of zucchini. It comes together in under 10 minutes and freezes beautifully. What’s more? It can also be turned into muffins or baked in four mini loaf pans, which make great holiday gifts.

Finally, The Kitchn, a favorite website, declared this recipe the best in a contest with four widely adored zucchini bread recipes. I know you’ll love it, too.

PS: ALL the zucchini recipes right here → Zucchini

PPS: The Best-Ever Banana Bread.

How to Make Zucchini Bread, Step by Step

First, gather your ingredients:

Ingredients to make zucchini bread on a countertop.

Grate a couple of zucchini. You can use as much as a pound of grated zucchini:

Grated zucchini on a board.

Stir together the dry ingredients. Stir together the wet ingredients.

Components to make zucchini bread: dry ingredients, wet ingredients, grated zucchini.

Toss the zucchini with the dry ingredients.

Grated zucchini tossed in flour in a large bowl.

Add the wet ingredients.

A bowl of zucchini bread batter.

Transfer to a loaf pan.

A loaf pan filled with zucchini bread batter.

Bake until golden and cooked through.

Just baked zucchini bread.
Just baked zucchini bread.

Let cool completely before slicing.

Sliced zucchini bread.
Sliced zucchini bread.

You can bake the bread in four mini loaf pans as well, which is so nice for gift giving.

Four loaves of mini zucchini bread.
A pan of zucchini bread.
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Must-Try, Super-Moist Zucchini Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 341 reviews

  • Author: Alexandra Stafford
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 1 Standard Loaf or 4 Mini Loaves 1x
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Description

With its perfectly moist texture, super-soft crumb, and brown-sugar notes throughout, this is the best-ever (AND easiest!) zucchini bread recipe. The recipe is easily adaptable to mini loaf pans or muffins, and many readers have had success using gluten-free flour. See comments below!

Notes:

  • For best results, use a scale to measure (this one is reasonably priced).
  • Loaf pans come in all different sizes. I love these Chicago Metallic standard 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pans and these Chicago Metallic mini loaf pans, which are so handy to have on hand around the holidays. If you use as much as a pound of zucchini, I highly recommend baking this bread in a 10×5-inch baking pan — it’s only slightly larger than the 8.5×4.5-inch pan, but it makes a difference. My quick breads bake so much more evenly in this larger-size pan. 
  • To freeze: Be sure to let the zucchini bread cool completely. Wrap in wax paper; then tuck into an airtight bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature. 
  • To make muffins: Simply, line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners or grease with butter or nonstick spray. Fill cups no more than two-thirds full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
  • Gluten-Free Variations: Many commenters have had success using gluten-free mixes such as Bob’s Red Mill and Cup4Cup. 
  • Other Variations: Add up to 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1.5 cups of chopped, toasted nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds. 

Ingredients

  • a scant 2 cups (227 grams) all-purpose flour (see notes above)
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup light (200 grams) brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2½ cups (340 to 453 grams) grated zucchini 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan or a 10 x 5-inch loaf pan if using as much as a pound of zucchini (see notes above). For easy removal, line the pan with a sheet of parchment paper that hangs over the edges. 
  2. Whisk together first five ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk remaining ingredients except zucchini. Add zucchini to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Add dry to wet and stir till until combined. Pour into pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should register 205ºF or above. (Note: Every oven is different, and different pans conduct heat differently —  be patient with the cooking. It may take 20-30 minutes more. With the longer cooking time, the bread shouldn’t burn, but if you are noticing the bread getting too brown, cover it with foil.)
  3. Let bread cool for 15 minutes in pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing. 
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American