This simple zucchini bread recipe is super moist from the addition of sour cream and some extra warm and bright flavor from fresh orange zest and cloves. It’s a staple in the summer months when zucchini is plentiful, but wonderful at any time for a cozy snack! If you love zucchini bread, you might also love my popular Chocolate Zucchini Bread, or this Bundt Cake Version.
Ingredient Notes
- Bread
- Grated zucchini
- Flour
- Cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Eggs
- Canola oil
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla
- Sour cream
- Fresh orange zest
- Toasted pecans (optional) – These are totally optional. If you like nuts in your sweet breads, go ahead and toss them in! I personally don’t like the texture they take on once baked, so I prefer to leave them out.
- Topping
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
How To Make Zucchini Bread
- Pre-heat oven and line loaf pans with parchment or grease and flour them.
- Place shredded zucchini in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and set aside to allow and excess moisture to drip off.
- Combine flour, cinnamon, cloves, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside. Combine your topping ingredients in another small bowl and set aside.
- Beat a couple of eggs with with some oil, sugar, brown, sugar, and vanilla. Then mix in sour cream and orange zest.
- Squeeze out any excess moisture from zucchini, then add it to the batter and mix in gently.
- Add dry ingredients.
- Divide the batter between your pans and sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the tops. Bake until a knife comes out clean, and then allow your loaves to cool in the pans, on a cooling rack, for at least 10 minutes before trying to remove from the pan or it will come out in chunks!
Storage and Other Tips
- Store cooled bread wrapped tightly in plastic or a sealed container to keep from drying out. Eat within 3-4 days for best results!
- This recipe makes two loaves of bread so you can always keep one for yourself and pass the other along to a friend!
Frequently Asked Questions
This bread is delicious as soon as it’s cool enough to eat, and perhaps even more delicious the next day! Feel free to make it ahead of time and store, covered, on the countertop until ready to serve.
Yes! Quick breads freeze great. Allow your loaf to cool completely, then wrap tightly first in plastic wrap, then in foil. Label the foil with a sharpie, pop in a plastic zip top bag if desired, and transfer to the freezer where it can stay fresh for up to 3 months. A frozen loaf will take anywhere from 2-4 hours to fully thaw on the countertop, so keep that in mind when you are ready to take it out of the freezer.
Zucchini Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Bread
- 3 cups zucchini, grated
- 2 ¼ cup flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup sour cream
- zest from one large orange
- ⅔ cup pecans, toasted, chopped optional
Topping
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and flour 2 smaller (8×4) loaf pans and set aside. Or you can do a larger 9×5 loaf pan and a couple of mini loaves.
- Place shredded zucchini in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and set aside.
- Combine flour, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Beat eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla for about 30 seconds. Add sour cream and orange zest and beat to combine. Very gently press down on zucchini in strainer and discard extra liquid. Mix zucchini into batter.
- Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Divide batter between 2 pans.
- In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle topping evenly over each loaf.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
- Make sure to let your loaf rest on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before you try to remove it from the pan, or it will come out in chunks!
Notes
- Nutritional information was calculated for entire recipe/ two whole loaves.
Questions & Reviews
This recipe deserves a 10 rating instead of a 5, it’s That good. I pour the cake batter into smaller bread pans and bake for about 37 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. This way I can wrap it when cool and put into the freezer for later or give as treats to others. I’ve received lots of compliments on this recipe. It’s moist and keeps its shape when removing from the pans. It’s simply delicious!.
Came out very good. Wonderful flavor from the orange zest. I added walnuts but semi sweet choc would be a great additon too.
In the oven right now? Smells wonderful!
This bread looks delicious! I have one question, do I squeeze the water out of the zucchini? If yes, do I measure the 3 cups before or after squeezing the water out?
No, you don’t have to squeeze any water out, but just in case people have extra juicy ones, I have edited the instructions. It helps to just place the zucchini in a strainer for the few minutes that you spend prepping the recipe. It will release a little water that you can then pour off. Measure the quantity before that 🙂
I also substituted 1/2 cup flax meal for a 1/2 cup of the flour.
I made the bread but made some healthy substitutes: 1/2 cup applesauce for oil, agave for all sugar,egg beaters for eggs, Greek yogurt for sour cream. The flavor was awesome but after I took the nice raised loaf out of the oven and let it cool, it dropped and was kind of like a bread pudding with crust. I need suggestions on how to make the substitutes and get a nice loaf??