Description
This Better Than Grandma’s Zucchini Bread is a moist, flavorful quick bread made with grated zucchini, warm spices, and a touch of sweetness. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, it includes optional add-ins like chocolate chips or nuts, and is topped with coarse sugar for a delightful crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup white sugar (200 g)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed (150 g)
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated zucchini (firmly packed, about 2 to 2 ½ medium zucchinis)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (380 g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon (heaping)
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Optional Add-ins
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips, raisins, pecans, walnuts, or other preferred mix-ins
Topping
- 4 Tbsp coarse sugar (for topping bread)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (162°C) to prepare for baking the bread evenly.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Using an electric hand mixer, beat the 3 large eggs until they become light and frothy. Add the white sugar, light brown sugar, canola oil, and vanilla extract, then beat until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Add Zucchini: Stir in the grated zucchini carefully to evenly distribute it throughout the wet ingredients.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder until well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir gently just until combined—avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender. Fold in any optional add-ins like chocolate chips or nuts at this stage.
- Prepare Pans and Add Topping: Grease and flour two 8.5 by 4.5-inch loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar for an optional sweet crunch.
- Bake Bread: Bake in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. Then remove the bread from the pans and allow it to cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy your delicious zucchini bread before it disappears!
Notes
- Do not squeeze out the excess liquid from the grated zucchini; the moisture is essential for the bread’s texture.
- Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough bread; stirring until ingredients are just combined is key.
- Optional add-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or raisins add flavor and texture variety.
- Sprinkling coarse sugar on top before baking gives a lovely sweet crunch but can be omitted for a softer top.
- Use fresh grated zucchini for best results; frozen and thawed zucchini can add too much moisture.
