Zucchini Bread (and Muffins!)
If you’ve ever seen my garden, you’d know that I love the ‘jungle’ look. It’s wild, lush, full of broad leaves and a bit of a mess in a controlled chaos type of way- and squash tends to lend well to that look. So, suffice it to say, I grow a LOT of zucchini. I gift out plenty to neighbors, preserve it in the freezer and dehydrated in jars, and I make a LOT of zucchini bread.
It is simple and delicious, it freezes well, and it is one of those recipes that just screams ‘summer!’ This recipe is tweaked from the one that my mom used to bake with me as a child. So, whether you’re grabbing some from the farmers’ market, a great grocery store seasonal produce sale, or growing it in your own jungle of a garden, be sure to save some for bread!
Zucchini Bread Ingredients
- 2 Cups Shredded Zucchini
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1/2 Cup Applesauce
- 1/2 Cup Neutral Oil (Avocado or Vegetable)
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Tbs Cinnamon
- 1 Tsp Nutmeg
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 Tsp Cloves
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
Method
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
The texture of this zucchini bread is best if we combine the ingredients in stages. First, combine all the wet ingredients- the eggs, shredded zucchini, applesauce, and oil – and mix that well. I find it is easiest to mix if you leave the zucchini for last. Note: I know lots of recipes specify that you should squeeze any excess water out of the zucchini- this recipe doesn’t call for that! We want plenty of moisture.
Then mix all of the dry ingredients together, making sure there are no lumps in the brown sugar. Once that is mixed well, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to create a batter. The batter is going to be thick, but still wet.
One of my favorite ways to make sure that cakes or breads don’t stick to the pan is coating them with oil and then sprinkling a thin layer of flour over that oil. Wait a moment for it to soak in and then pour the batter!
Fill a 9×5 baking pan the quarters of the way full with batter and bake for 45-55 minutes. The time is based on moisture content, so you’ll know when your loaf is done when a toothpick stuck into the center pulls out clean! Want to make cupcakes instead? I use reusable cupcake liners and bake in that same 350 degree oven for 20 minutes!
Planning on freezing? You can freeze zucchini bread and muffins whole. Store in airtight containers (I use Stasher Bags) for up to three months!
Zucchini Bread (and Muffins!)
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Shredded Zucchini (Do not squeeze out water!)
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1/2 Cup Applesauce
- 1/2 Cup Neutral Oil (I prefer avocado oil, add extra for greasing the pan.)
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 Tsp Nutmeg
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Cloves
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F
- Combine all wet ingredients (eggs, applesauce, oil, shredded zucchini) in a large bowl and mix well.
- In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, spices, and leavening agents) and mix well.
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Batter should become thick, but still ‘wet’ and pourable!
- Fill a 9×5 greased baking pan the quarters of the way full with batter and bake for 45-55 minutes. The time is based on moisture content, so you’ll know when your loaf is done when a toothpick stuck into the center pulls out clean!
- Prefer cupcakes? Use reusable cupcake liners, fill 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20 minutes
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