You're going to love this old fashioned zucchini bread. Made with fresh zucchini and cinnamon, this classic zucchini bread is one recipe you'll keep handy for years to come.
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Whether you have a garden full of fresh zucchini outside or just caught a few good sales at the grocery store, this is a summer favorite perfect for using up fresh zucchini.
Finding savory dishes like Zucchini Penne Pasta, Instant Pot Zucchini, and Instant Pot Taco Zucchini Boats are great, but when I think about fresh zucchini, I think about bread.
This is the best old fashioned zucchini bread recipe. Made with simple ingredients and steps, this bread turns out well spiced, tender, and moist. Perfect for snacking.
For more zucchini bread recipes, be sure to check out my Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread and Amish Zucchini Bread.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients. One of the best reasons to make this zucchini bread recipe is that it uses basic ingredients to make a delicious slice of bread. You may find most of the ingredients needed in your pantry right now because they're Frugal Pantry Staples to Keep on Hand.
- Easy to follow steps. We don't need any fancy ingredients or steps to make this bread. A cheese grater, a mixing bowl, a whisk, and loaf pans are pretty much it!
- Perfect for garden zucchini. One of the easiest things to grow in abundance is your own backyard zucchini. With this recipe, you can easily turn them into something tasty. Now you'll want to grow zucchini every year. Note that if you have an abundance of zucchini you should check out these Delicious Summer Squash Recipes.
🛒 Ingredients
Zucchini- To get the bread batter consistency just right, you'll need zucchini that has been shredded on a cheese grater. You do not need to peel the zucchini first as the green skin will be soft and add nice color to the bread.
Leavening agents- To help the bread rise up nicely, you'll need to use a combination of baking soda and baking powder.
Vegetable oil- For added fats, use vegetable oil. This will keep the bread soft, moist, and tender in texture.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Vegetable oil. You can use melted (cooled) butter in place of the vegetable oil, but the bread will be a little denser as a result.
Mini loaves. Prepare the bread batter as directed and portion it out into 5 mini loaf pans. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use in-season or clearance zucchini: Zucchini is cheapest in summer. Buy extra, shred it, and freeze in 2-cup portions for baking year-round.
Stretch what you have: This recipe works with 2-3 cups of shredded zucchini, so you can use whatever amount you already have without buying more.
Swap oil options: Vegetable oil is the lowest-cost choice. Canola oil works too and is usually the same price.
🥄 Instructions for Old Fashioned Zucchini Bread
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Step 2: Shred your zucchini and place it onto a paper towel to allow some of the moisture to be absorbed. Set aside.
Step 3: Grease your 9x5 bread loaf pan and set it aside.
Step 4: Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon to a large mixing bowl.
Step 5: Whisk well to combine. Set aside.
Step 6: In another large mixing bowl, add the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and sugar.
Step 7: Whisk well until combined.
Step 8: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones until no flour streaks remain.
The batter will be very thick at this point.
Step 9: Add in the shredded zucchini.
Step 10: Stir until the zucchini is well distributed. You will notice that the batter doesn't seem as thick anymore, thanks to the moisture in the zucchini.
Step 11: Add the batter to your prepared bread loaf pan.
Step 12: Bake at 325 degrees F for 80-90 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.
Step 13: Let cool for about 20 minutes in the pan before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Here's a helpful tip. You can adjust the recipe by increasing the shredded zucchini amount to 4 cups or using just 2 cups. Check out some Delicious Summer Squash Recipes for extra inspiration!
- Baking time may vary. Keep in mind that baking time may vary due to differences in zucchini moisture content.
- How to tell if your bread is done. Underbaked zucchini bread loaves may sink in the middle as they release moisture when baked. Always use a toothpick to check the center before removing from the oven. If it comes out with dough, bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Wait before slicing. For best results, wait at least 1 hour before slicing into your loaf after it been removed from the oven. Almost all bread recipes, from sourdough bread to No Knead White Bread say to wait at least an hour before slicing into them. This is to allow the moisture to settle and give a great crumb.
❄️ Storage, Freezing & Thawing
Room Temperature Storage: Store zucchini bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Once the loaf has fully cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thawing: When ready to enjoy, let the bread thaw at room temperature until soft. For a warm slice, microwave briefly before serving.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Enjoy Old Fashioned Zucchini Bread with a pat of butter, cream cheese, or a drizzle of honey for extra flavor. It pairs perfectly with coffee, tea, or a cold glass of milk. For breakfast, serve it alongside eggs, yogurt, or fresh fruit. For dessert, top it with whipped cream or a light dusting of powdered sugar.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
You do not need to peel the zucchini for your zucchini bead. This is because the skin of zucchini is soft enough that it's virtually unnoticeable in texture once shredded and baked in the batter.
This depends upon the zucchini used. Regular green zucchini usually contain soft small seeds that are fine when left alone, while large gray zucchini have thicker larger seeds that should be removed. Sometimes you may get a regular zucchini with firmer or larger seeds, in which case they should be removed.
You will need roughly 1 large or 2 medium sized zucchini to get 2 cups worth of shredded zucchini from them.
Squeezing zucchini may remove moisture, leading to lighter, drier bread. For denser, moister bread, leave it as is.
Common mistakes causing bread collapse include over-mixing, overfilling pans, stale leavening, excessive leaveners, and high-altitude baking adjustments.
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🐝 If you tried this old fashioned zucchini bread, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs - ($0.45)
- 1 cup vegetable oil - ($0.70)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract - ($0.09)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar - ($0.40)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - ($0.26)
- 1 teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda - ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder - ($0.01)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon - ($0.16)
- 2 cups zucchini, shredded, about 2 medium - ($1.78)
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- Prep zucchini. Shred zucchini and place on paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, and sugar until fully combined.
- Combine batter. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until no flour streaks remain. Batter will be thick.
- Add zucchini. Fold in shredded zucchini until evenly distributed and batter loosens slightly.
- Bake. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 80 to 90 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Let loaf cool in the pan about 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve. Slice and enjoy.
Notes
- Mini Loaves. Divide batter into 5 mini loaf pans and bake 35 to 40 minutes.
- Zucchini Amount. Zucchini sizes vary. Use up to 3 cups if needed.
- Texture Swap. Melted and cooled butter can replace oil for a denser loaf.
- Storage. Store airtight at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze wrapped loaves up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutritional Information
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