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Easy Zucchini Bread

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Light, fluffy, moist and with a cinnamon spice flavor, you’ll love this easy zucchini bread. Only 1 mixing bowl required!

Easy one bowl zucchini bread

I am the type of person who can stare at a container of cupcakes and have no desire to eat one but put a loaf of zucchini bread in front of me, and I have zero resistance. Like none at all. I am the same way when it comes to pumpkin bread too. It’s one of my favorite things to enjoy with morning coffee, and I find myself sneaking slices throughout the day.

Most recipes for zucchini bread make two loaves, which is great to have one in the freezer, but sometimes I just want one loaf to enjoy now. This recipe is perfect for that reason because it’s just one big loaf that won’t last more than a day in our house. Also, this recipe only requires one mixing bowl, two if you count the bowl to combine the dry ingredients.

Why you’ll love it

This bread is light and fluffy and not too dense. It’s loaded with cinnamon and plenty of zucchini in every bite. I also like to use sour cream which keeps this bread moist for days (it won’t even last that long, trust me!) but also it gives it the most incredible soft texture.

It’s so tempting to slice right into it and enjoy a bite, but I think it gets better the longer it sits. I actually prefer to eat it once it’s completely cooled.

slices of zucchini bread on white parchment paper

How to prepare the zucchini

Don’t bother peeling the zucchini. It’s not necessary, but you do want to make sure to thoroughly wash it before you grate it since we’re leaving the skin on.

  • Using a hand grater with the largest opening, grate the zucchini into a bowl.
  • Then take a couple paper towels and squeeze the water out of the zucchini. I know a lot of recipes call for it to be blotted dry, but because this recipe has sour cream, it’s important to remove extra moisture from the zucchini.

I tested different ratios of zucchini and sour cream to find the perfect balance. Too much moisture will make the bread a tag soggy and too dense on the bottom.

How to make zucchini bread

No special equipment required here. You can use a hand mixer or if you’re feeling strong, use whisk and spatula instead. Just be sure not to over mix the batter.

  • Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. I like to grease my pan and then line it for parchment paper.
  • Prepare the zucchini
  • Combine the wet ingredients
  • Beat in the sugar
  • Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat just until combined.
  • Fold in the zucchini with a spatula and finishing stirring the mixture. If you’d prefer, go ahead and add in chocolate chips or chopped nuts.
  • Fill the pan, bake and enjoy

How to make this into muffins

With just a couple minor adjustments, you can easily make this into 12 zucchini muffins.

  • Reduce the baking powder to ¼ teaspoon
  • The muffins will bake at 375°F instead of 350°F and bake for 16-20 minutes. Fill the liners ¾ full, which is about 1 heaping large scoop.

How to freeze zucchini bread

Be sure the loaf is completely cooled, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and again in aluminum foil. Finally, I like to put it in a Ziploc bag to further prevent any freezer burn. I recommend freezing for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight on the counter. Then store in an airtight container

a white plate with two slices of zucchini bread
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slices of zucchini bread on white parchment paper

Easy Zucchini Bread

  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 10 slices

Description

Light, fluffy, moist and with a cinnamon spice flavor, you’ll love this easy zucchini bread. 

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (2 small or 1 medium zucchini)
  • ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup (48g) sour cream
  • 1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (7.5g) Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon (4.2g) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon (3.75g) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F: Generously grease a 9-inch loaf pan and set aside. Line the pan with parchment paper if desired.

Grate zucchini: Using the large cheese grater, grate the zucchini with the skin on. Use a paper towel to squeeze out extra water in the zucchini and fluff with a fork.

Combine the wet ingredients: eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat all the ingredients together until well combined. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated.

 Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and beat just until it starts to combine.

Fold in the zucchini using a spatula and finish mixing the batter by hand. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Equipment

Notes

  • Add  3/4 cups chocolate chips or 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Note this might affect baking time
  • Substitute the sour cream with plain or Greek yogurt instead
  • Baking times will vary depending on the type of pan and true oven temperature. Mine is ready at exactly 60 minutes, but I suggest 55-65 minutes as a range.
Nutrition Information:
1 slice
270
20g
262mg
13g
36g
1g
3.7g
39mg
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
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