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A moist, tender quick bread made with grated zucchini, warm spices, and a blend of butter, oil, and sour cream for rich flavor and texture. Optionally enhanced with chocolate chips or nuts, topped with sugar for a crunchy finish.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom (optional)
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces, about 2 zucchini)
  • ½ cup butter (1 stick), melted
  • ¼ cup neutral oil (vegetable, canola, light olive oil, etc.)
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (optional, half mini and half chopped dark chocolate)
  • ¾ cup toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon raw or granulated sugar, to top bread (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease it with nonstick spray.
  2. If using nuts, toast ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans on a baking sheet at 350°F for 5–8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes until golden, then cool.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1½ teaspoons cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cardamom (optional).
  4. In a large bowl, melt ½ cup butter. Add ¼ cup neutral oil, ¾ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup sour cream, 2 eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla; whisk until smooth.
  5. Shred about 12 ounces (about 2 packed cups) zucchini using the largest holes on a box grater or food processor attachment.
  6. Blot shredded zucchini between paper towels or squeeze in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture.
  7. Stir shredded zucchini into the dry ingredients to allow the flour to absorb moisture.
  8. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined; avoid overmixing.
  9. Fold in optional mix-ins: up to 1 cup chocolate chips or ¾ cup toasted nuts with minimal stirring.
  10. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon raw or granulated sugar or a few chocolate chips on top if desired.
  11. Bake on the center rack at 350°F for about 60 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick inserted in the center; if it comes out sticky, bake longer, checking every 4–5 minutes up to 70–80 minutes total. Tent with foil if top browns too quickly.
  12. Cool bread in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. If using parchment, lift loaf out and cool completely on rack. Otherwise, cool in pan for 30 minutes, then turn loaf on its side on the rack to finish cooling for crispier edges.
  13. Store cooled bread in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.
  14. To freeze, wrap cooled whole loaf in plastic wrap and seal in freezer bag for up to 3 months. For slices, wrap individually then store together in large freezer bag. Thaw wrapped at room temperature before eating. Warm or toast slices for best flavor.

Notes

* Brown sugar is technically a dry ingredient, but adding it with the wet ingredients helps whisk out lumps., * Toast nuts well to develop full flavor before adding to batter., * Scoop out seeds from large, seedy zucchini before shredding., * For chocolate mix-ins, use half mini chips and half chopped dark chocolate for richness; milk chocolate will make it sweeter., * No need to peel zucchini; the thin skin softens and blends into the bread., * Removing excess moisture from shredded zucchini by squeezing or blotting is key to avoid gummy texture and ensure light, tender crumb., * Tossing shredded zucchini with dry ingredients before mixing into wet helps improve texture if skipping squeezing., * Overmixing the batter can cause tough bread; stir just until combined.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/best-recipe-for-zucchini-bread/