Easy Classic Zucchini Bread Recipe

Who said that you can't get your serving of veggies in through a baked good? This easy classic zucchini bread is a great way to mix sweet and spiced flavors with a serving of zucchini, so even those picky eaters can finally get some greens in. Zucchini bread is an all-time classic, up there with banana bread and pumpkin bread. Aside from the obvious nutritional benefits of eating zucchini, this bread also just happens to taste pretty darn good.

Recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating came up with this easy and classic zucchini bread recipe that's impressive enough for a bake sale, but simple enough to enjoy for breakfast at home. "This recipe is easy, delicious and the perfect way to use up leftover zucchini. It's soft, moist and great served warm with a little butter spread on top," Brookes raves. She also notes that "zucchini is great for baking as it has a mild flavor yet adds a nice texture and moistness to the loaf," so you don't have to worry about ending up with dry bread with this recipe!

This recipe requires several ingredients that bakers will likely have in their pantry already. To begin, you will need vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda. You will also need to grab a few spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and, of course, shredded zucchini.

To begin the prep work, turn the dial of your oven to 350 F and then line a 4x8-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

Then, you can get to mixing. Just add the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and use a beater to mix well and combine. Set it to the side for the time being since you won't need it again right away. 

In most baking recipes, you mix the wet and the dry ingredients separately, and that's definitely the case here. In a different bowl, go ahead add the dry ingredients, including the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Whisk these ingredients together until combined.

It's time to combine wet and dry ingredients together. Simply sift the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and gently mix the two together. "When folding in the flour, you want to stop once the mixture is just combined," Brookes says. "Try not to overmix here." 

At this point, go ahead and toss in the star of the show — the zucchini. Mix well and voila, you have your batter! "The taste is slightly sweet, with some warmth from the spices and a mild savory taste from the zucchini," Brookes explains. 

Now that the batter is good to go, transfer the mixture to the loaf pan that you prepared in step one and pop it into the preheated oven. 

Bake the bread for 45-55 minutes. You can check for doneness by inserting a skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, that indicates the bread is done. If the toothpick still has batter on it, the bread needs to bake a little longer.

It may be tempting to dig in right away but try and refrain. Once you remove the loaf from the oven, you will need to leave the bread in the pan for about 15 minutes to cool. Then, transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool completely.

Once the loaf is entirely cool, you can slice and serve it. "This is great served as a snack with tea or coffee," Brookes suggests. It's also great to stretch for a few meals or snacks during the week. "Leftovers should keep well in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days," Brookes says.