My Wife Makes the Best Zucchini Bread Ever
Zucchini bread is a delightful baked treat that beautifully marries the earthy flavor of zucchini with the sweetness of sugar and spices. This moist and tender quick bread has become a beloved favorite in many households, offering a unique twist on traditional bread recipes.
One of the most appealing aspects of zucchini bread is its versatility. While zucchini is often associated with savory dishes, it shines just as brightly in sweet applications like this bread. Grated zucchini adds moisture and a subtle, vegetal sweetness to the batter, making the bread incredibly tender without being overly dense. It also contrasts the warm spices commonly used in zucchini bread, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, which infuse the loaf with comforting aromas and flavors.
Preparing zucchini bread is relatively straightforward, making it accessible even for novice bakers. A typical recipe involves mixing grated zucchini with flour, sugar, eggs, oil, and spices before baking the batter in a loaf pan until golden and fragrant. Optional add-ins like chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit can further customize the bread to suit individual preferences, adding layers of texture and flavor.
It is delicious and a great way to use up an abundance of summer zucchini. When zucchini plants produce prolifically, this bread offers a tasty solution to avoid waste while enjoying the season’s bounty. Its subtle green flecks and moist crumb make it visually appealing, and its flavor profile appeals to both kids and adults alike.
My Wife’s Zucchini Bread
My wife makes great banana bread whenever a bunch of bananas gets too ripe for anything else, but this week, she and my youngest daughter baked the most delicious zucchini bread I have ever tasted.
As I mentioned in my previous blog, my daughters are really getting into cooking, so we encourage them to help as much as they like. It’s a great time spent together and offers them new skills and responsibilities.
The bread is moist, sweet, and full of flavor, and the addition of raisins and chopped walnuts gives every bite a unique taste. With the overabundance of zucchini from friends’ gardens and the farmer’s co-op we belong to, this is the perfect recipe to help you use some of those zucchini.
I’m reading this recipe from an old, yellowed, stained index card that my wife keeps in a Ziploc bag in a kitchen drawer. She told me the recipe came from one of her college roommates, so I’m not sure where it came from, but it is worth trying.
Zucchini
Zucchini, also known as courgette, is a versatile and nutrient-rich summer squash that has become a staple in kitchens worldwide. Originating from the Americas, zucchini has made its way into various cuisines due to its mild flavor and adaptability.
This cylindrical green vegetable is low in calories but packed with essential nutrients like vitamins C and K, potassium, and dietary fiber. Its mild flavor and tender texture make it incredibly versatile in cooking, allowing it to be used in various raw and cooked dishes.
In its raw form, zucchini can be sliced or grated and added to salads, used as a crudité for dipping, or even spiralized into noodles as a low-carb alternative to pasta. Zucchini can be sautéed, grilled, roasted, or baked when cooked. It pairs well with various herbs, spices, and other ingredients, making it a favorite in stir-fries, casseroles, and vegetable medleys.
Zucchini’s high water content also makes it a hydrating option during hot summer months. Its mild taste allows it to absorb flavors from accompanying ingredients, making it a versatile addition to savory and sweet dishes. Whether enjoyed as a simple side dish or as the star of a more complex meal, zucchini offers a refreshing and nutritious addition to any plate.
Zucchini Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1½ cups sugar
- 3 medium zucchini grated & well drained (about 2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups sifted flour
- ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- butter for greasing the loaf pans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Beat the eggs lightly. Stir in oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla.
- Sift the dry ingredients together and stir into the egg mixture until well blended.
- Stir in the raisins and walnuts.
- Pour the batter into 2 well greased loaf pans and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove the pans from the oven and let the bread cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the pans and let cool completely. If you try to slice it when it's hot, it most likely will fall apart.
10 Responses
I read my wife’s recipe card wrong and posted tablespoons for teaspoons. It is correct now.
RG
One most important ingredient has been left out! Freshly ground toasted almonds! Add about half cup.
We had this divine ( heavenly!) Zuchini bread – without raisins is better – in Key West. Hot our of the oven for breakfast.
That was 25 years ago and I can still taste it!!
MMMMM, that sounds and looks delightful! And my goodness, does she look like her mama! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe – I’ll be raiding my sister’s garden tomorrow for sure 🙂
I made this recipe the day you posted it – apparently the incorrect version… and it was THE BEST ZUCCHINI BREAD I HAVE EVER HAD!! I will not be making any changes to the recipe as it was originally posted. I used golden raisins and pecans. What was missing, also, was the temp at which it needs to bake at – I did 350 although my mom said that her recipe (similar) called for 325. This is my new standard recipe – I am making some more this week. I got almost 5 mini loaves and it was chewy and moist and fantastic! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for reminding me to put the oven temp. My wife told me she baked the bread at 350 degrees F.
As for the original ingredients I posted, did you use teaspoons or tablespoons for most of the ingredients. I couldn’t read my wife’s handwriting and posted tablespoons where it should have read teaspoons so I’m wondering which version you used. If you used tablespoons, I may have to give it a try to see what results you received. RG
Hi,
I just noticed your reply to mine. Sorry. I used whatever you had on the original posting. It was fantastic! I made it again and have had requests for the recipe.
It is definitely the best I have ever had!
Thank you again!
Best,
Lisa
I make Mexican stuffed zucchini a lot. The zucchini is hollowed out into “boats” and discarded. This week, I couldn’t bear to throw it out so made your excellent bread. I had enough zucchini for 2/3 recipe so mad one big loaf. Yum!
I’m sitting here livid. I usually just copy and paste a recipe to print, but because you had a specific link to “print this recipe” I used it. Bad idea – it printed out eight pages and even then, the actual recipe was split between two pages. A link to print the recipe should just print the recipe, not the whole web site.
Hi E.M, I am so sorry this happened to you. I just removed the “Print this Recipe” button so it doesn’t happen again. I too always just copy and paste but a friend of mine put that button in there. I am working on a plug in or widget so it just prints the recipe while giving you a choice if you want to print the photo or not. Hopefully it won’t take too long to find that plug in. Again sorry. – RG
Heya i am for the first time here. I found this board and I in finding It really helpful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to provide something again and aid others such as you aided me.
Used original recipe and it is very crumbly. Can’t pick it up and eat it. What am I doing wrong?