Best Zucchini Bread Recipe

I would never want to bash banana bread, but I can’t deny that, come summertime, another quick bread steals my heart: Zucchini bread! It’s safe to say this squash-filled quick bread deserves its time in the spotlight. Not only does zucchini keep a loaf extra moist, but it also adds a slightly savory note that prevents it from being too sweet. Freshly baked, this snacking bread is crunchy on top and soft as can be inside, perfect for enjoying for breakfast or as an afternoon pick-me-up. If you’re a die-hard zucchini bread lover, then this is the recipe for you. Mine has almost double the squash than most recipes do, making it truly feel like a zucchini bread while ensuring it won’t dry out.

How To Make Zucchini BreadINGREDIENTS All-Purpose Flour: Provides just the right amount of structure so the bread bakes up nice and tall but still has a soft, tender crumb. Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon gives the bread an irresistible perfume. If you’re feeling daring, try swapping in other warming spices like cardamom and powdered ginger! Light Brown Sugar: This contributes more than just sweetness; it offers moisture and molasses for a moister zucchini bread with deeper flavor. Unsalted Butter: I went a little rogue on this one; most quick bread recipes rely on vegetable oil only. But let’s face it, butter tastes a heck of a lot better than vegetable oil, and I discovered I could get nearly the same moistness and keeping quality with a 50:50 mix of oil and butter. Win, win! Zucchini: Zucchini has a water content of around 95 percent, so, yeah, it’s amazing at keeping the bread moist. And being almost entirely water, it has a mild flavor that allows it to maintain an unobtrusive, vaguely savory presence in the bread. STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Get the ball rolling on Project: Zucchini Bread by preheating the oven and spraying your loaf pan with nonstick spray. With that out of the way, whisk together the dry ingredients to combine.

PHOTO: CHARLIE GILLETTE

Now for the wet ingredients. Whisk them in a separate bowl. You want the mixture to be smooth and homogeneous, so don’t rush it. One tip: Crack the eggs into a small bowl and then add them to the rest of the wet ingredients. That way, if and when some stray bits of eggshell make it into the bowl (happens to the best of us), they’re easy to spot and fish out.

PHOTO: CHARLIE GILLETTE

Wet ingredients, meet dry ingredients; dry ingredients, meet wet ingredients. How you make the introduction matters. Mix them together gently with a rubber spatula, using an under, up, and over folding motion, until the two are mostly combined but you can still see some dry streaks (don’t worry, the zucchini will take care of these). The key is to avoid overmixing, which can result in dense and often underbaked zucchini bread.

PHOTO: CHARLIE GILLETTE

Now gently mix in the zucchini, stopping as soon as it’s combined. While many recipes ask you to wring out the zucchini, I’ve spared you the trouble. Just grate it on the small holes of a box grater and add it to the batter.

PHOTO: CHARLIE GILLETTE

Scrape the batter into your prepared pan, smooth the top, and into the oven it goes. Bake on the middle rack until a tester (meaning a cake tester, skewer, or toothpick) inserted into the center comes out with zero crumbs attached, about 1 hour 15 minutes. At that point you’ll need to exercise some self-restraint. Do not dive in and cut yourself a slice. Do not unmold the bread and gaze at it with adoring eyes. No, leave the bread alone—it’s still cooking! Instead, place the loaf pan on a wire rack and let the bread cool completely in the pan. Then, and only then, unmold it—run a butter knife around the edges to release it if needed—and enjoy!

PHOTO: CHARLIE GILLETTE

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips How to make the best zucchini bread: The most important thing about this zucchini bread is that it’s simple—everything can be whisked together by hand in just one bowl. Our top tip for making this bread the best it can be? Take care not to overmix, as this will make your bread dense after baking. Like our other quick bread recipes, you’re going to want to wait for your bread to completely cool once it comes out of the oven. Trust us and be patient—those clean slices are worth it. To peel or not to peel: While you may be tempted, trust us—there’s no reason to peel your zucchini. The skin will soften during baking and doesn’t have a discernible taste or texture, so peeling it would be an extra unnecessary step. Save yourself the time and effort and simply grate your zucchini as-is with the small holes of your box grater. What to add to your zucchini bread: We kept this bread simple, only adding a little cinnamon for warmth, but that shouldn’t stop you from making it your own. Take inspiration from our chocolate zucchini bread, our morning glory zucchini bread, or our lemon poppy zucchini bread, then have fun with it. Walnuts or chocolate chips wouldn’t hurt, nor would a simple glaze drizzled on top. Get creative!Storage

Zucchini bread will stay fresh, wrapped tightly or stored in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. The bread can also be frozen for up to 3 months; wrap tightly and store in a freezer-safe container. Thaw at room temperature before slicing.

PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE