Must-Try, Super-Moist Zucchini Bread
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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, and the batter can be used for zucchini bread muffins too, too.
This 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 call it “bikini” bread, for years. It’s an oldie but such a goodie, and a hit with adults and children alike.
In essence, its a classic quick bread made with both brown sugar and white, eggs and oil, and a heap of zucchini. The zucchini flavor is nearly indiscernible, but it plays an important roll in ensuring the cake will be super moist. This quick bread, a 2-bowl job, comes together in under 10 minutes and freezes beautifully.
What’s more? It also can easily be turned into muffins, which also freeze beautifully, or baked in four mini loaf pans, which make great holiday gifts. I love serving this zucchini bread when entertaining — it’s as delicious for mid-morning brunch as for afternoon tea all summer long.
Finally, The Kitchn, a favorite website, declared this recipe the best in a contest with four widely adored zucchini bread recipes. I hope you love it, too.
A favorite variation? Chocolate chip, of course. Nuts, too. Truthfully, I love it best with no additions. You can use as much as a pound — yes a pound! — of grated zucchini, and it along with the oil, keep the bread so, so moist.
More Recipes with Zucchini
- Zucchini Involtini
- Zucchini Parmesan
- Favorite Summer Pasta: Zucchini Spaghetti
- Shaved Zucchini & Pecorino Salad
- Zucchini Sauté with Mint, Pine Nuts, & Ricotta
PS: ALL the zucchini recipes right here → Zucchini
PPS: The Best-Ever Banana Bread.
Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients:
Grate a couple zucchini.
Stir together the dry ingredients. Stir together the wet ingredients.
Toss the zucchini with the dry ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients.
Transfer to a loaf pan.
Bake until golden and cooked through.
Let cool completely before slicing.
You can bake the bread in four mini loaf pans as well, which is so nice for gift giving.
PrintMust-Try, Super-Moist Zucchini Bread
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 Standard Loaf or 4 Mini Loaves
Description
Notes:
- Baking by weight is always a good idea. Regarding flour, if you have a scale (this one costs $9!), weigh out 227 g flour. If you are using cups, use 2 cups, but fill them lightly.
- 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 zucchini bread cool completely. Wrap in foil; 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.
Ingredients
- a scant 2 cups (227 g) flour (see notes above)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup light (213 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2½ cups grated zucchini, (12–16 oz.)
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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
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666 Comments on “Must-Try, Super-Moist Zucchini Bread”
It is delicious!
Yay! So nice to hear this, Nadine!
We made this bread last night! We loved it – so moist and flavorful. We doubled the recipe but cut the white sugar in half and added twice the amount of cinnamon and a teaspoon of nutmeg for spice. A+++
Wonderful to hear this, Liz! Thanks for writing. Your changes sound wonderful 💯💯💯
Hi have you tried making this with any other flours (like GF, almond, or coconut)?
I have not, but a number of people have had success using a gluten-free baking mix.
Excellent. Definite keeper.
😍😍😍😍😍
Hi Ali
Well I just made this ever so moist Zucchini Bread. Perfect instructions and tasty bread.
Best Wishes
Carole
Wonderful to hear this, Carole! Thanks for writing.
The title of this recipe says it all: It’s a “must try.” Everyone already has a favorite zucchini bread recipe, but this one is the unfussiest zucchini bread ever, taking about 5 minutes to throw together, and the result is delicious. It is very moist and not too sweet.
So wonderful to hear this, Alyson! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
amazingly delicious!
I added 1 cup finely chopped walnuts, cut white sugar to 1/4 cup, then doubled the entire recipe. Made 4 – 8×5 inch loaves. Family is already eating our way through the 2nd loaf! A definite keeper!! Love the suggestion to use it as a model for banana bread too.
Hi Renee! Wonderful to hear this. Thanks so much for writing and sharing your doubling tip — so helpful for others especially right now when people are swimming in their backyard zucchini harvests 🙂 🙂 🙂
Need more stars This is the best zucchini bread
I actually want more zucchini
Thank you
So nice to hear this, Michele! Thanks for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
THE BEST ZUCCHINI BREAD I have ever made and tasted!! Hands down, so moist and the flavor is amazing. Family concurs!!
Yay! So nice to hear this, MaryAnn!
I made this with white whole wheat flour and it came out amazing.
Wonderful to hear this, Katy!
Just baked this zucchini bread today.It is A-m-a-z-i-n-g.Super moist and delicious!! I will use this recipe over and over.Thank You Alexandra for this recipe.
Wonderful to hear this, Patricia!
This is DELICIOUS. I made it with summer squash because our garden yielded a ton of it this year. I made it twice and found it had to cook for much longer. The second time I doubled the recipe and made two full loaves and one mini load, but it still took a long time to cook.
So nice to hear this, Meg! Nice work allowing for a longer cooking time, too. Thanks for writing!
Warning: If you make this and share with friends, you will be required to bake more zucchini bread than you ever have in your life.
I tested the recipe on a couple of friends about two weeks ago, and since then have been asked to make eight more loaves, and 4 dozen muffins. This really is a perfect, and perfectly easy recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
So wonderful to hear this, Kim! Love all of this 💕💕💕💕
This is a good one! i shredded my zucchini with the fine grater and I don’t know if it was because of that, or what, but there was no “tossing” it with the dry goods, I had to mix with my hands and it made a very wet slimy goo. I continued mixing with my hands for adding the wet and it seemed to come together ok. I added pecans and chocolate chips, and put it in an 8×8 pan as it seemed way too much for my loaf pan. It baked probably close to 90min but was very tasty. Weirdly, it almost tastes like there is pineapple in it (reminds me of my carrot cake recipe). It must be the moisture and texture. But I will be making more.
Wonderful to hear this, Michael! And nice work giving it the time it needed in the oven due to the moisture. Thanks so much for writing!
Amazingly moist & tasty😋
Wonderful to hear this, Colleen!
100% go to recipe!!!! I added nutmeg and cinnamon—which I love. I had given up on baking breads…they fall in the middle etc. I didn’t adjust for our high elevation 4,700. THANK YOU for making me a believer in my baking skills again!
So wonderful to hear this, Laura! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
This is by far the best zucchini bread recipe I have made. Everyone loved it. It is very moist and flavorful. I made two loads and added pecans to one and dark chocolate chips to the other. Will definitely make this again!!
Wonderful to hear this, Dolores! Nuts, chocolate, can’t go wrong 🙂 🙂 🙂
I found this via The Kitchn! It was my first time making a quick bread and I feel like nothing else will live up to this. So, so good.
Wonderful to hear this, Natalie!
The Kitchn is right, this IS the best zucchini bread – ever.
My mother in law gave me an overgrown zucchini from her garden so let’s say I had enough zucchini laying around to try multiple. I used whole wheat flour, coconut oil and a 1/8 tsp of few other spices (cardamon, allspice, nutmeg). It was PERFECTLY decadent and moist. Thanks for sharing!!!!!
So nice to hear this, Cindy! Love the sound of all of those other spices in the mix, too. Thanks for writing!
This recipe is amazing, but I find I had to reduce the sugars as it was a bit to sweet.
Great to hear this, Sarah! And I can totally see this 🙂
You’re not exaggerating when you say this is the best zucchini bread ever! I made a loaf yesterday, and added a bit of allspice and nutmeg, as well as the cinnamon. It’s all I can do not to gobble up the whole loaf at once!
So nice to hear this Diana 🙂 🙂 🙂 A loaf never lasts long here either. Thanks for writing!
This is the best ever recipe for zucchini bread I’ve tried. Just right for sweetness and moistness! My husband loved it, too!
Yay! So nice to hear this, Barb!
Phenomenal! Doubled the recipe. Made this recipe about two months ago and froze the loaf without tasting. Freezes very well. My husband dislikes zucchini and zucchini bread.
When I removed from freezer, thawed and gave him a piece to try, to my surprise, he absolutely loved it and devoured most of the bread.
So today, I made more and doubled the recipe.
This bread is moist, tender, flavourful, freezes well and can be slightly adapted.
Reduced brown sugar slightly. Substituted maple syrup for white sugar. Added sunflower seeds. Will see the effects later. I anticipate it to be great.
Truly a keeper AND so easy.
Thank you for recipe.
Oh yay! So nice to hear all of this, Heidi! All of your substitutions sound wonderful 🙂 🙂 🙂
The Kitchn was spot on! This is the best! My last zucchini of the season was saved to make another loaf! I added a cup of walnuts because I love the texture. Thanks Ali!
Yay! So nice to hear this, Carla!
Made this recipe with the kids yesterday. They loved it .we put some chocolate chips per their request. Super soft and moist. Would definitely use this recipe again
Wonderful to hear this, Farrah! So great to hear the chocolate chips were a hit 🙂 🙂 🙂
SO good! Probably my new fav zucchini bread recipe. I added .5 tsp of ground ginger, cardamom and nutmeg.
Oh yay! And yum! All of those spices sound amazing.
I don’t know what happened. This came out GORGEIUS… But tasted like deep fried zucchini!!! I’m so disappointed- I followed the recipe- I’ve made zucchini bread so many times and decided to try this recipe. It was a giant fail. So sad.
I wonder if your oil was rancid? What kind was it?
This bread came out so moist and delicious, but it was too sweet for me.
I made it for my Dad and he absolutely loved it, so that’s all that matters.
So great to hear this, Nancy! I know other commenters have had success cutting the sugar back, so I think you could get away with using less next time if you are up for it 🙂
This is my second time making this amazing quick bread. I am out of zucchini. Think I could substitute apples?
(Seems like a similar idea – juicy and moist shredded stuff. Flavors would be complementary.)
FWIW: I am at 6,000 feet. Quick breads give me fits because of the altitude – they like to churn while baking. I add two additional TBSP flour and reduce the leavening by a bit (use scant measures). Works. (Per University of Colorado tips for high altitude baking.)
Hi Craig! I’m probably too late here … did you give it a go? I have not tried apple, but it sounds great. I worry a little that apples may have even more moisture, but I suppose that isn’t a bad thing … the final texture of the cake may just be a little different.
Thank you for sharing your high-altitude baking tips! So helpful for others.
Best zucchini bread I have ever made.
So delicious!!!! Thank you so much!!
Great to hear, Lee!