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This is an easy moist lemon zucchini bread to use up all that zucchini that’s in abundance right now! Fresh lemon zest, lemon juice get folded into this moist zucchini batter. After it’s baked I top it off with a sweet, tart lemon glaze made from powdered sugar.
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.
But 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.
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 For This Lemon Zucchini Bread
For the bread recipe:
- Flour – Just some good old all purpose flour is all you need. Of course you could make it a whole wheat, like my whole wheat banana bread recipe that uses white whole wheat flour. Or try swapping out half of the flour with whole wheat flour. Just be sure to measure your flour accurately if you are using dry measuring cups. I do always recommend using a scale and weighing your ingredients. But if you are measuring by volume, then be sure to measure your flour accurately. Start by stirring up your flour, then spoon the flour into your cup. And level off with a flat edge. Don’t pack it down or you will end up with too much in your cup!
- Baking Soda And Baking Powder– This is what makes a quick bread a quick bread. Unlike yeast, baking soda and baking powder reacts right away so that means we can get the bread in the oven immediately. Baking soda and baking powder are not the same thing and should not be used interchangeably.
- Salt – Salt is very important to help balance the sweetness in a recipe. So don’t skip it! You can read more here about the role that salt plays in baking.
- Sugar – I used all white granulated sugar in this recipe.
- Oil – I used vegetable oil, which keeps the bread very moist. You could also use any neutral tasting oil such as canola oil.
- Eggs – You need two large eggs at room temperature. I place mine in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using.
- Vanilla extract – Of course pure vanilla extract is best.
- Lemon– I love using both the zest and the juice for maximum lemon flavor.
For the glaze:
- Confectioners sugar – Or otherwise known as powdered sugar.
- Lemon juice – More lemon means more flavor!
- Vanilla – This helps to round out the flavor and balance the lemon.
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!
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.
Tips For Making This Zucchini Bread
- 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
Do I need to 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!
So just simply shred the zucchini and add it to your bowl.
How do I store this bread?
I like to store mine at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or 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.
Can I use a different oil?
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.
More Quick Bread Recipes
- Quick Jalapeno Cheddar Bread
- Blueberry Muffin Bread
- Blueberry Banana Bread
- Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread Recipe
- No Yeast Bread
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
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Lemon Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 2 cups (24 g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon table 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 9x5” 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.
- 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.
Notes
Do I need to 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! So just simply shred the zucchini and add it to your bowl.How do I store this bread?
I like to store mine at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or 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.Can I use a different oil?
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.Nutrition
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