Moist Zucchini Bread

Every August, my garden turns into a zucchini situation. The zucchini bread I’ve been making for years is the first thing I reach for when the pile on the counter gets out of hand.

One loaf disappears by Thursday, and I wrap the second one for the freezer before anyone notices it’s there.

The trick most recipes skip is this: don’t wring the grated zucchini dry. A light blot with a kitchen towel is all it needs.

The moisture in the zucchini is what keeps this loaf tender for days.

I learned that the hard way my first few summers. I squeezed every drop out, proud of myself, and ended up with a crumbly brick.

Now I pat it, not press it, and the loaf comes out right every time.

Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 60 minutes · Total: about 2 hours 35 minutes (the loaf needs a full hour of cooling before you slice it) · Serves: 10

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How do you keep zucchini bread moist?

Pat the grated zucchini lightly with a towel, but don’t wring it out. The water inside the zucchini is built into the batter ratio. Oil instead of butter also holds moisture longer. Both steps together give you a loaf that stays tender on day two and day three.

What Makes It Work

• The ratio of 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini to 1 3/4 cups flour sits between two tested benchmarks: King Arthur uses nearly double the zucchini per cup of flour and blots it, while Once Upon a Chef uses about two-thirds and keeps every drop. At this middle ratio, a light pat is exactly right.
• Oil instead of butter coats the flour proteins differently, keeping the crumb soft even after the loaf cools completely. Butter tastes great fresh but dries out faster.
• Mixing just until no dry flour shows stops gluten from developing. Overdone batter produces tunnels running through the center of the loaf.

I’ve made this loaf probably forty times and the one thing that still catches me is the toothpick test. The top browns and looks done a full ten minutes before the center sets.

Pull it too early and the middle is gummy. Trust the tester, not the color.

What Makes This Zucchini Bread Special

• Uses up a big summer zucchini in one shot, skin and all
• Freezes beautifully, sliced, for up to three months
• Pantry ingredients only, no special trip to the store
• Stays moist and sliceable for four days at room temperature

What Goes Into Zucchini Bread

• 1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar (7/8 cup of sugar total, counting the brown)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 large or 2 small, roughly 200g), patted lightly
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup raisins

Picking the Right Ingredients

Zucchini is the whole show here, so grate it on the large holes of a box grater with the skin on. The skin softens completely in the oven and gives the loaf those green flecks.

Peel it and the bread looks like plain quick bread with nothing interesting going on.

All-purpose flour, spooned into the measuring cup and leveled off, gives you the right weight. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and the loaf turns dense.

If you have a kitchen scale, 210g is the number to hit.

Light brown sugar keeps the crumb tender and adds a faint caramel note that plain white sugar doesn’t. Dark brown works in a pinch and gives a slightly deeper flavor, but it can make the loaf a touch heavier.

How to Make Zucchini Bread

1. Heat the oven and prep the pan. Set the oven to 350°F and grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan well, including the corners. A well-greased pan means the loaf releases cleanly after cooling, with no torn sides.
2. Grate and blot the zucchini. Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater, skin on, directly onto a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel over and press gently once or twice, just until the surface moisture is gone. You want it damp, not dry.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until the mixture looks uniform with no visible streaks of baking soda.
4. Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla together until the mixture is smooth and a single pale color, about 30 seconds. Don’t skip this step. Combining them first means they blend into the dry ingredients more evenly.
5. Fold wet into dry. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour shows at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will look thick and a little rough. That’s exactly right.
6. Fold in the zucchini and any add-ins. Add the grated zucchini and, if using, the toasted walnuts and raisins. Fold gently until the zucchini is distributed evenly through the batter, with green flecks visible throughout.
7. Bake the loaf. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean with no wet batter clinging to it. If the top darkens before the center sets, tent loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
8. Cool before slicing. Let the loaf rest in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Wait at least 1 hour before cutting. Slicing warm zucchini bread tears the crumb because the starch hasn’t finished setting.

Tips for Success

• Don’t salt the zucchini in advance. Salt pulls water out fast, and this batter is built around that moisture staying in the loaf.
• One medium zucchini gives you roughly 1 cup grated. Buy a large one rather than two small ones, since it grates faster and the extra water bakes out just fine.
• Toast the walnuts for 6 to 8 minutes at 350°F before adding them. Raw walnuts taste flat once buried in sweet batter, and toasting takes almost no extra effort.
• Oil keeps the loaf moist for days in a way butter doesn’t. I’ve tried butter versions and they’re wonderful on day one, but by day two the crumb is noticeably drier.
• If you’re doubling the recipe, use two separate loaf pans. One deep pan burns the outside before the middle cooks through.
• Both King Arthur and Once Upon a Chef call the loaf done by a clean tester rather than by color, and after forty-odd loaves I’d say the same. The top looks done long before the center is ready.

How to Store It

Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It keeps well for up to 4 days and actually tastes better on day two once the flavors settle.

To freeze, slice the loaf first, then wrap individual slices in plastic and seal them in a zip-top bag. Frozen slices keep for up to 3 months.

Pull one out the night before and let it thaw on the counter, or toast it straight from frozen. For make-ahead baking, the dry ingredients can be whisked together and stored in a covered bowl for up to a day.

Grate and blot the zucchini the day you bake.

What Goes With Zucchini Bread

• A smear of cream cheese on a thick slice works the way frosting works on carrot cake: it adds richness without competing with the cinnamon.
• Butter and a drizzle of honey turn a plain slice into something that works at breakfast alongside a cup of coffee.
• A bowl of fresh fruit on the side keeps the meal feeling light, since the loaf itself is filling.
• Serve it alongside scrambled eggs for a weekend brunch that comes together without much effort.

What I Use to Make This

• An 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan: this size gives the loaf the right height and bake time. A 9 x 5-inch pan works but produces a flatter loaf that bakes a few minutes faster.
• A box grater with large holes: the large holes give you shreds that hold moisture and stay visible in the crumb. Fine holes turn the zucchini to mush.
• A rubber spatula: essential for folding the batter gently without overworking it. A wooden spoon tends to encourage more stirring than the batter needs.
• A wire cooling rack: lets air circulate under the loaf so the bottom doesn’t steam and go soggy while it cools.
• A toothpick or thin skewer: the only reliable way to check doneness in a zucchini loaf, since the top browns well before the center is ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use yellow squash instead of zucchini? Yes, yellow summer squash works the same way. The flavor is nearly identical and the texture of the loaf won’t change. You’ll just lose the green flecks.

Why did my zucchini bread sink in the middle? The most common reason is underbaking. Zucchini holds a lot of moisture, so the center can still be raw when the top looks finished. Always use a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean before pulling the pan.

Do I have to peel the zucchini? No, and I’d skip it. The skin softens completely during baking and is what gives the bread its green flecks. Peeled zucchini disappears entirely and the loaf looks like plain quick bread.

Can I make zucchini bread without eggs? A flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes) works as a substitute for each egg. The loaf will be slightly denser but still holds together well.

Why is my zucchini bread gummy? Either it was underbaked or the zucchini was wrung too dry and the batter reabsorbed steam while cooling in the pan. Use the toothpick test, cool in the pan only 15 minutes, then finish cooling on a rack.

More From My Kitchen

• Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Classic Chocolate Cake
• Classic Cornbread
• Classic Deviled Eggs
• Classic Meatloaf with Brown Sugar Glaze
• Classic Pot Roast
• Classic Pumpkin Bread
• Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes