The Best Classic Zucchini Bread – This easy zucchini bread recipe is sweet & incredibly moist.
This is the best zucchini bread recipe ever! Â It’s got more zucchini and more sugar than most recipes so it tastes amazing. Â And, applesauce makes this homemade zucchini bread super moist.
One of the reasons this is such an easy zucchini bread recipe, is because there’s not much prep work for the zucchini, like in many other recipes.
How to grate zucchini for zucchini bread:
- Do not peel the zucchini before grating, leave the skin on.
- Do not salt, drain out, or squeeze out any of the liquid from the zucchini.
- Use the large grate of a box grater to grate 2 small (or 1 large) zucchini for 1 ½ cups lightly packed grated zucchini.
How to make The Best Zucchini Bread Recipe:
- Add grated zucchini, sugar, and brown sugar to a large bowl.
- Add vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Stir just until combined.
- Pour batter into a loaf pan.
- Bake.
- Refrigerate.
You may also like these other great quick bread recipes.
- My Best Buttermilk Banana Bread
- Cranberry Orange Pumpkin Bread from Peas & Crayons
- Blueberry Muffin Bread from My Sequined Life
Watch the step by step recipe video for The Best Zucchini Bread below:
Find more of my recipes on TikTok
The Best Classic Zucchini Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini - lightly packed -do not drain liquid
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil -or your preferred cooking oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add the grated zucchini, sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir just until no dry flour remains, trying not to over mix.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 54 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the bread should come out with moist crumbs on it.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
- Store covered in the refrigerator. *This bread is best served after it has been refrigerated for at least 12 hours.
Very good and easy to assemble. Everyone loved it!
Can I substitute the apple sauce for something else? I can’t eat it
Mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, I’ve even used 1/3 cup of Mayo before. these are many other options. These are just my main go tos
Try another egg instead
Pumpkin purée works great
Pumpkin or banana would most likely work
Crushed pineapple
Substituted 1 ripe banana for the applesauce. It adds a little banana flavor, but the bread has the same consistency. My family loved the slight bit of added banana flavor!
Sour cream
I would like to add coconut and pecans
This recipe is so delicious. I had sweetened cinnamon apple sauce, so I used that. It was good that way.
Excellent recipe! Very flavorful and moist. Very adaptable. I used olive oil, 1.5 cup spelt flour and 1/2cup white flour and it was amazing! Also added 1/2 tsp cardamom and nutmeg for more spice flavor. Reduced sugar to 1 cup. Chopped walnuts pressed on top before baking adds a nice crunch. I liked how the whole batter can be mulixed in 1 bowl.
This zucchini bread recipe was amazing! I followed everything precisely and it came out so moist and delicious. My kids couldn’t believe there was actually zucchini in there! Thanks so much for the recipe I will definitely keep this as my go to.
I doubled the receipe and made two loafs. The results were excellent. My family loves this receipe .
Thank you for this amazing recipe, the best I have made. You were on point with everything. I made four batches which was equaled 7 5-9 loaf pans. Can not wait to share it with friends and family.
I didn’t change a thing; copied it exactly.
Awesome, Amanda !!!!!
I had a ‘go-to’ Zucchini Bread recipe but this will replace it. Also like that it’s for one loaf pan and no more !!!
I think the applesauce was the secret ingredient!!
Thanks for sharing!!!
I subbed butter for oil much better, cut the sugar down to 3/4 on the white sugar and add chocolate chips if desired or add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder and make it a chocolate zucchini bread.
There is no butter in original?
I didn’t have any apple sauce so I subbed plum sauce for apple sauce that was good but going to use apple sauce next time
I made three loafs of this bread for my 2.5 year old twins in two days. They kept wanting more. I added a carrot Chia seeds and made a fourth of a cup flour whole wheat flour. It’s a winner. Thank you.
I used the recipe for mini muffins, added a few chocolate chips on each muffin before baking, they came out amazing, a family favorite! I use Williams Sonoma bakeware, it makes all the difference!
Found this recipe on Pinterest. Thank you!!!!
First time making zucchini bread.
Made this recipe as is (no substitutions or adjustments) as I wanted to try it for what it was. I did think the batter was a little too sweet (licked the spoon after) and gave myself a mental note to reduce next time, but after it baked it just came out perfectly! Next time, if I were to add chocolate chips or an icing, I would most definitely reduce the sugar. As is, this recipe is perfect. Thank you!
Will keep this recipe as my go-to for zucchini bread!
How did your version turn out?
This recipe is so good! We liked it so much, I baked 2 more loaves the next day for the freezer.
I’ve tried several recipes, including ones my mom passed down to me from years ago… and this one is the BEST! So very moist and tasty. I like it uses less oil and doesn’t upset my husband’s digestive track. ( I need to remember when using my dark bread pans to reduce the heat and cook longer than 50 minutes…My first attempt was slightly burned on the bottom.) Excellent recipe! I actually printed this one and am discarding the other recipes.
when i took it out of the oven i thought “oh no, it’s so gummy” but i let it sit for probably half an hour and it wasn’t gummy at all! i just had a piece and it’s so good!
I’d like to try this recipe…how many zucchini’s will I need to buy?
i used an extra large zucchini from my garden, although it was closer to 1 1/4 cup.
Love this recipe. However, I changed a few things. One I replaced the sugars for 3/3 of honey, left out the salt, and replaced the oil with salt free butter (one stick). Two, I added a little more cinnamon and nutmeg. I also added a cap full of lemon juice, used almost a full cup of unsweetened applesauce, and 1/2 cup of crushed pecans … Yummy. Thanks!
Just took it out of the oven can’t wait to take a bite.
I added crushed pecans on top and brushed it with maple butter. Absolutely delicious and a loaf makes a perfect gift to a friend! Super moist.