This lemon zucchini bread recipe wonderfully moist and super quick to throw together. It’s great recipe to use up all that summer zucchini and you can freeze for later!
If you told me as an adult that I would be eating slice after slice of a bread made of vegetables. No wait. A zucchini bread, that’s also made with lemon I definitely would laughed at you.
Ok I was a polite kid. I would have smiled and laughed later as I listened to my N’Sync CD’s. Please don’t judge me.
And although I’m a sucker for the classic zucchini bread recipe, and some super easy Zucchini Bread Muffins, this time I decided to put a twist on things. Literally. A lemon twist! As I’ve gotten older I have grown quite a fondness for all things lemon. So I figured why not stir some fresh lemon zest and lemon juice into my zucchini bread. This lemon zucchini bread recipe is actually a fun twist on my zucchini bread recipe from my cookbook, Beginner’s Baking Bible.
I’m so glad my tastebuds grew up. My taste in music? Not so much. Still love me N’Sync.
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Why You Will Love This Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Quick To Throw Together. You have to love a good quick bread recipe. No mixer is required. And they come together quickly.
- Delicious Way To Use Up Zucchini. Let’s face it if it’s summertime then zucchini reigns supreme.
- Can Make All Year Long. Ok, yes I love baking with zucchini in the summer. But this lemon zucchini bread is wonderful to make any time of year.
- Freezes Well. I love freezing my desserts. I love it so much I actually put together a handy dandy freezer guide for you.
Ingredients Needed For The Bread
For the glaze:
- Confectioners sugar
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla
How To Make This Lemon Zucchini Bread Recipe
Step One: Preheat and prepare pan.
Preheat oven to 350oF. Spray a 9×5” loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter and set aside. Or line with parchment paper. I prefer parchment paper so I can easily lift the bread out of the pan.
Step Two: Shred Your Zucchini.
I use a box grater but if you need to you can use a food processor. No need to wring it out. We want all that moisture!
Step 3: Combine dry ingredients.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. No need to sift her, just give it all a quick whisk.
Step 4: Combine wet ingredients.
In a second mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sugars, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla extract.
Step 5: Combine wet and dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula until just combined.
Step 6: Fold in shredded zucchini.
Just a couple quick stirs. You don’t want to overmix!
Note: I accidentally threw the zucchini into the wet ingredients in the video – oops but quick breads are forgiving! But otherwise, the zucchini is best to be mixed in at the end.
Step 7: Bake. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan set on a wire cooling rack.
Step 8: Make The Glaze.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the glaze ingredients and pour over the bread.
Recipe Tips
- Measure your flour accurately. I use the spoon and level method. You can learn how to measure your flour in this post.
- Careful to not over mix. I like to use a spatula and fold in the dry ingredients by hand. You want to stop mixing once they have been incorporated. Too much mixing = too much gluten forming. Gluten is what will give a bread its chew, but for a banana bread you want less gluten to form. So we can accomplish that by making sure we don’t overmix!
- Do not wring out the zucchini. Zucchini has a lot of moisture. But if you squeeze it out then it will result in a dry quick bread. That extra moisture is going to make for one moist bread!
Lemon Zucchini Bread FAQ’s
Zucchini has a lot of moisture. But if you squeeze it out then it will result in a dry quick bread. That extra moisture is going to make for one moist bread! So just simply shred the zucchini and add it to your bowl.
I like to store mine at room temperature for up to 2 days.
I would freeze this bread without the glaze. You can freeze for your bread for up to 3 months, just be sure to wrap and store it well. I like to wrap mine in plastic wrap first. Then either in one more layer of foil or in a plastic bag. To thaw it, I simply unwrap the bread and let it thaw at room temperature. Then glaze as normal.
I usually bake with vegetable or canola and I haven’t tested it with another kind. But I think coconut or olive oil would work fine. You could also lighten it up with half applesauce in lieu of the oil (just make sure it’s unsweetened and not cinnamon).
More Recipes
Tools Needed To Make This Lemon Zucchini Bread Recipe:
- Loaf Pan
- Dry measuring cups (or use a kitchen scale <– highly recommend for better accuracy!)
- Measuring spoons – My new favorite measuring spoons!!
- Liquid measuring cup
- Mixing bowls
Lemon Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180 mL) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (297 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (300 g) shredded zucchini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. lemon zest about 2 lemons
For the glaze:
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) confectioners sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan. Preheat oven to 350oF. Spray a 9×5” loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sugars, and lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula until just combined. Fold in zucchini.
- Bake. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan set on a wire cooling rack.
- Make the glaze. Mix all ingredients. In a mixing bowl with a whisk, combine confectioners sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, until smooth. You can additional juice, or water to thin out for the desired consistency.
Beth says
This bread is one of our favorites. Such a lovely and yummy recipe! I love having this recipe on hand!
Heather says
Aw thanks Beth glad you loved the bread!
Mahy says
Love how easy it is to make this bread – it’s just what I have been looking for to make this weekend!
Heather says
Wonderful Mahy 🙂 enjoy!
Meenakshi Thakur says
This is exactly the kind of zucchini bread recipe I was looking for! Thanks a ton for the recipe.
Heather says
You’re welcome Meenakshi!
Kechi says
Love that this Zucchini bread requires no mixer! I can have a slice with a cup of tea! YUM
Heather says
Thanks Kechi! Yes I love no mixer recipes 🙂 Enjoy!