Breakfast / Muffins & quick breads
Cinnamon Zucchini Bread
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Wring the shredded zucchini out in a towel like you mean it, and the loaf bakes up moist instead of soggy. Brown sugar, plenty of cinnamon and a crackly sugar top fill the house for the whole hour.
The short version
Shred a zucchini, wring it out in a towel, and whisk it into a batter of oil, brown sugar and eggs. Fold in the flour and cinnamon, sugar the top and bake at 350°F for about an hour. Cool before slicing.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Squeeze the zucchini. Shredded zucchini is mostly water. Wringing it out in a towel keeps the loaf from going gummy or sinking in the middle, and the flavor of the bread comes through.
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Use brown sugar and oil. Brown sugar adds moisture and a caramel edge, and oil keeps the crumb soft for days, even after the loaf is cold.
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Add plenty of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. The spices are what make this taste like a bakery loaf and not like a green muffin. Two teaspoons is not too much.
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Sprinkle sugar on top before baking. A spoonful of coarse sugar turns into a thin, crackly crust. It's the best bite of the loaf.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Zucchini12 ounces
- All-purpose flour2 cups
- Ground cinnamon2 teaspoons
- Ground nutmeg¼ teaspoon
- Eggs2 large
- Packed light brown sugar¾ cup
- Granulated sugar¼ cup
- Vanilla extract2 teaspoons
tap each one as it goes in. no double-salting.
Steps
deep breath. you’ve got this.
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Heat the oven, prep the pan
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment that hangs over the two long sides.
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Shred and squeeze the zucchini
Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Pile it in the center of a clean dish towel, gather the corners and twist hard over the sink until it stops dripping. You should have about 1½ cups, packed.
Squeeze more than feels necessary. Water left in the zucchini is what makes a heavy, wet loaf.
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Whisk the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
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Mix the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil and vanilla until smooth and glossy. Stir in the zucchini, breaking up any clumps.
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Fold it together
Add the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula just until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the nuts with the last few strokes. The batter will be thick.
Stop as soon as the flour disappears. Extra stirring makes the loaf tough.
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Pan it and sugar the top
Scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top and sprinkle the sugar over it.
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Bake
Bake until the loaf is deep golden and a skewer in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 55 to 65 minutes. If the top is dark by the 40-minute mark, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it.
Check the center, not the edges. The middle sets last.
About 55 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Cool before you slice
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment onto a rack. Cool at least 45 minutes more before slicing, or the crumb will be gummy.
About 15 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- Large, overgrown zucchini work fine if you scrape out the seeds before shredding. The seeds are watery and bitter.
- For muffins, divide the batter among 12 lined cups and bake at 350°F for 22 to 26 minutes.
- Swap half the nuts for chocolate chips, or fold in a handful of raisins. Keep the total add-ins to about 1 cup.
- Storage. Wrapped at room temperature, 3 days; in the fridge, 5 days. Sliced and wrapped well in the freezer, 3 months. Toast slices straight from the freezer.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Do I have to squeeze the zucchini?
Yes. Unsqueezed zucchini adds so much water that the loaf comes out gummy and may sink. A clean kitchen towel works better than a paper towel.
Should I peel the zucchini?
No. The peel is tender and almost disappears when baked. It adds a few flecks of green and nothing else.
Why is my zucchini bread soggy in the middle?
Most often the zucchini wasn't squeezed hard enough, or the loaf came out too early. Check the center with a skewer and give it 5 more minutes if the crumbs are wet.
Can I freeze shredded zucchini for bread?
Yes. Freeze it in 1½-cup portions, thaw in a strainer, then squeeze out the water that collects before using it.
Can I use whole wheat flour?
Replace up to half the flour with whole wheat. The loaf will be a little denser and nuttier, and it may need a tablespoon more oil to stay moist.
From the table
Made it? I want the full report: first bite, best compliment, and who tried to take the leftovers home.
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Published October 28, 2026.