I’ll be honest with you. It took me quite some time to get this zucchini bread recipe to where it’s at today. A few years ago, Anees and I had brunch at this fantastic cafe where I happened to order a slice of zucchini bread for dessert. And it’s stuck with me all this time. Ultra tender zucchini loaf, scented with just a hint of warming spices with grated zucchini running through it. It had a hint of spice and something in the background that I just couldn’t figure out. Was it maple syrup? A ground spice? I’m an original Carmen Sandiego when it comes to figuring out what goes into a particular recipe (totally just gave away my age, didn’t I?), so I made about ten loaves of zucchini bread since then trying over and over again to crack the code. And this zucchini loaf took quite some tinkering, but she’s here now and she’s absolutely perfect!
What do you need to make homemade zucchini bread?
All-purpose flour: I prefer to use unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe. Leavening agents: We’re using both baking powder and baking soda in a today’s bread recipe. I’ve tried it with just one, and it doesn’t give you quite the same results.Spices and extracts: We’ll be using a bit of kosher salt to balance the sweetness as well as ground cinnamon and nutmeg. I also like to add a dash of almond extract (that’s the ingredient I just couldn’t put my finger on) and some vanilla extract. I suggest using a good quality almond extract, such as this one, so that it’s not overpowering in the bread. Lower quality extracts can sometimes add unpleasant flavors to bread and cakes.Oil: I prefer to use oil for my zucchini bread as I find it gives the loaf a much lighter texture! You can use vegetable, canola, coconut, or even olive oil here.Plain yogurt: yogurt helps moisten (I know, that word!) the bread. You can swap the plain yogurt for Greek yogurt or even sour cream if that’s what you have on hand. Since Greek yogurt and sour cream are thicker than plain yogurt, you’ll want to whip them in a bowl (with a small whisk or fork) before adding them to the batter.Eggs: Eggs play a critical role in bread and cake recipes. They add structure and stability in the zucchini bread batter as well as adding moisture.Sugar: I suggest using granulated sugar for this recipe. I’ve tested it with both brown and white sugar and found that white sugar actually allows for more of the other flavors to carry through in the bread. It also gives the bread a better appearance. I find the brown sugar somewhat masks the other delicate flavors in this recipe.Grated zucchini: I like to grate the zucchini by hand on a box grater, but you could also use your food processor if you’d like to get it done quicker.Optional add-ins: The add-ins are just a suggestion! I usually prefer my zucchini bread without them. But you could add a cup of raisins, currants, chopped pecans, or even chocolate chips if you’d like to change it up a bit!
How to make the most delicious zucchini bread:
Things to remember when making homemade zucchini bread:
How to store leftover bread:
Zucchini bread can be covered tightly and store in an airtight container for up to three days, if it’s not particularly warm where you live. If it is, I suggest storing the bread in the refrigerator after one day as the bread is quite moist! I usually slice and freeze half of the bread once it’s cooled off or share with family and friends. It holds up beautifully in the freezer!
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