The BEST Zucchini Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you squeeze water out of zucchini for bread? ›

Squeezing is optional.

But unless your zucchini is excessively juicy, squeezing the squash could be removing some of the moisture you really do want in the bread. It's up to you, though. Squeeze for lighter, drier bread. Leave it as is for denser, moister bread.

Don't peel the zucchini – Yes, it's tempting to remove the zucchini's skin, but there is no need to do that. Zucchini melts into the bread, so peeling is just an unnecessary step. Do grate the zucchini – I don't know about you, but when it comes to zucchini in bread, I want it there – but I don't want to see it.

The moisture that was in the zucchini was what you patted out. Freezing causes fruits and vegetables to lose moisture when thawed. Either use fresh grated zucchini or use all the liquid from the frozen.

A medium zucchini will result in approximately 1 cup of shredded zucchini. If you happen to be using a larger zucchini and the seeds are large, cut the zucchini lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

Luckily, zucchini is extremely versatile and can be baked, grilled or sauteed, but I recommend grating it. Your grated zucchini melts into whatever it's cooked with, so it's great for sneaking into pasta or creamy risotto. It's also ideal for making baked goods like zucchini bread and other zucchini dessert recipes.

The most common reason for zucchini breadand other quick breads (and cakes) to collapse as they cool is the ingredients are too vigorously or quickly mixed, which incorporates lots of less stable air bubbles into the batter.

Check your leavening agent

What is this? Expired leaveners: Always check the freshness of your leaveners. Expired or ineffective baking powder and baking soda will not leaven your quick bread. Adding too much or insufficient leavening agents: Adding too much leaveners will cause your quick bread to sink in the middle.

Vinegar + Baking Soda

White vinegar has the most neutral flavor, so it will probably go undetected in a baked good, but rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar will also work in a pinch. To substitute for 1 teaspoon baking powder, mix 1/2 teaspoon vinegar with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster (SW 7008)

This color is apparently used in Joanna Gaines' farmhouse, and frequently used in Fixer Upper episodes. Since everything Jo Jo touches is magic, I had to try this one out!

Zucchini is abundant in the summer months, and it's fun to incorporate this vegetable when baking, too. Zucchini adds flavorless moisture. We're talking pure moisture with zero savory vegetable flavor. I don't think I would bake a cake with a green vegetable if I could taste it.

Why does my zucchini bread taste weird? ›

When they are larger, zucchinis tend to contain more water, which leads to excess moisture in the batter. Additionally, larger zucchinis don't taste as good, with a more bitter flavor. They can also have larger seeds. These large seeds can throw off the texture of your zucchini bread.

Fixing Undercooked Bread

It is pretty simple to salvage an undercooked bread and create a decent loaf. Heat the oven to 350 F, return the bread to the oven, and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes. This will work even if the loaf has cooled, which is similar to par-baking bread.

When cooking with grated zucchini, it's important to squeeze out the moisture to stop your dish from going soggy.

For some recipes, that extra water is not needed and could even ruin what you're trying to make. Adding drained shredded zucchini to baked goods, or even zucchini pancakes will make the dish fluffy and not mushy. To learn the basics, learn how to cook zucchini in three new ways.

You can use leftover zucchini juice in soups and stews but I recently started making these ginger and lemon tonic shooters and I can't get enough of them. In fact, I seek out recipes using grated zucchini just so I have leftover juice to play with.

Heat the oven to 350 F, return the bread to the oven, and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes. This will work even if the loaf has cooled, which is similar to par-baking bread.