This delicious zucchini bread takes advantage of all the fresh summer zucchini growing so well here in the River Valley of Arkansas. It is one of my favorite summer treats and a great way to use up those big zucchini you may have let grow a little too large in the summer lol!
What is Zucchini Bread?
If you aren’t familiar with zucchini bread you’ll be happy to learn that it is a type of quick bread that is similar to banana or pumpkin bread, just with grated zucchini.
Zucchini is the green cousin to the yellow summer squash and it is very easy to find in Arkansas. You can pick it up at many farmer’s markets, grocery stores, and most like your neighbor, lol.
In the past, I’ve tried other zucchini bread recipes out there but they were either not sweet enough or overly sweet, so I’m not afraid to mention that myself and my family have deemed this the best zucchini bread recipe ever.
Thanks to my dear Aunt Barabara for this recipe, I sure miss her, but always think of here when I make this recipe!
To some the thought of using summer squash in a sweet bread may be foreign but trust me here, you don’t taste an overwhelming squash flavor at all.
The zucchini is shredded so finely that you only see pretty green flecks scattered through the slices, but the squash adds much-needed moisture to this sweet treat that is super nice.
Just imagine a lightly spiced cakey loaf with a moist crumb and a nice crunch from some walnuts. To me, this loaf has the perfect amount of sweetness and it is a great way to use up all the extra zucchini if you are a gardener like me.
Do You Have To Peel and Remove The Seeds From The Zucchini For Zucchini Bread?
Zucchini is a tasty summer squash that has very mild-tasting flesh, with a thin green skin that is fine to be eaten.
There is no reason to peel the zucchini first before shredding it for this bread recipe. As I mentioned above, the skin is very thin and tender so it cooks fine in the bread and you’ll never know it is there.
I simply wash the zucchini well first and check for any damaged spots that may need to be removed, but other than that the squash is ready to be shredded.
The same goes for the seeds. Zucchini, if picked at peek size, doesn’t have very large seeds and they can be left alone as you shred the squash.
They will help add moisture to your zucchini bread. However, if you have a rather large zucchini and the seeds have gotten larger and tougher I do recommend scooping them out of the squash before you shred it when you need to use up the larger squash.
This Fresh Zucchini Bread will have your kids begging for more squash…in bread form!
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of sugar
- 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
- 1 cup of oil
- 1/4 cup of milk or water
- 2 cups of shredded zucchini
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of chopped pecan or walnuts
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit and grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan. It is important to grease and lightly flower this bread because this zucchini bread will stick if you don’t.
- To a mixing bowl add the eggs, sugars, oil, and milk. Mix well until combined.
- Next, add in the shredded zucchini and mix again.
- Finally add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nuts and mix thoroughly until there are no dry ingredients left unmixed.
- Spray your 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray and then dust it very well with a couple of tablespoons of flour making sure to get the bottom and the sides of the loaf pan coated well. Dump any excess flour out of the loaf pan.
- Add the bread batter to the loaf pan and spread it out evenly. If desired sprinkle a few walnuts on top and place it in the oven to bake for 60 to 75 minutes. Start testing the center of the loaf at 60 minutes.
- The total cooking time will depend on the thickness of your loaf and your oven. The loaf in my photos took 73 minutes to bake completely in my oven. It is done when a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
- Let the bread cool for about 5 to 10 minutes then carefully remove it from the pan and let it cool completely before slicing to serve. This bread also freezes beautifully!
