Description
This Better Than Grandma’s Zucchini Bread recipe delivers moist, flavorful loaves packed with grated zucchini and a warm blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. Sweetened with a mix of white and brown sugar, enriched with canola oil and eggs, and optionally dotted with chocolate chips, nuts, or raisins, this zucchini bread is the perfect comfort bake for breakfast or snack time. The coarse sugar topping adds a delightful crunchy sweetness to every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet 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 1/2 medium zucchinis)
Dry Ingredients
- 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
Add-ins (Optional)
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips, raisins, pecans, walnuts, or any preferred add-ins
Topping
- 4 Tbsp coarse sugar (for topping the bread)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 325°F (163°C) to ensure it’s fully heated by the time your batter is ready.
- Mix wet ingredients: Using an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs until they become light and frothy. Gradually add white sugar, brown sugar, canola oil, and vanilla extract, beating until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Add zucchini: Fold in the grated zucchini gently into the wet mixture, distributing evenly without squeezing out excess liquid from the zucchini.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder until evenly blended.
- Incorporate dry into wet: Add the dry ingredients to the wet zucchini mixture. Stir just until combined to avoid over-mixing, which can toughen the bread. If using, fold in your chosen add-ins like nuts or chocolate chips at this point.
- Prepare pans and pour batter: Grease and lightly flour two 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans. Evenly divide the batter between the pans. Sprinkle a thin, even layer of coarse sugar on top for a sweet, crunchy crust.
- Bake the bread: Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the loaves: Remove from oven and allow the loaves to cool in the pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then gently remove the breads from the pans and let them cool completely on the rack before slicing and serving.
- Enjoy: Serve this delicious zucchini bread fresh to enjoy the perfect moist texture and warm flavors, or store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Do not squeeze out the liquid from grated zucchini; keeping it moist ensures a tender bread.
- Over-mixing the batter can lead to tough bread, so stir just until ingredients are combined.
- Coarse sugar on top is optional but highly recommended for a crunchy texture contrast.
- Add-ins like nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips can be tailored to your preference or left out.
- Use room temperature eggs for better mixing and batter consistency.
- Store leftover bread wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
