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This is a delicious and easy zucchini cheese bread recipe! I made it savory with sharp cheddar cheese, chives, garlic powder, and zucchini. This zucchini cheddar bread is moist and flavorful perfect for all seasons. It only needs 20 minutes of prep time! Quick, delicious, and easy recipe, even beginners can make.
During summertime, zucchini is super affordable and accessible. Many people tend to over-purchase them, myself included. Guilty. That’s why I always find ways to use seasonal or affordable ingredients to save a few bucks while preparing delicious and flavorful zucchini recipes for snacks, desserts, and foods, like zucchini muffins and lemon zucchini bread, for my family.
Also, who can resist the moist and delicious flavors of zucchini bread?! Especially if you add shredded cheddar cheese and chives to the mix? Hello, flavor! No one will be able to resist. Promise. This delicious zucchini cheese bread is like cheddar bay biscuits.
This is zucchini cheddar chive bread recipe only needs about 20 minutes of prep time. Quick. Easy. No frills. Just a simple quick bread recipe. Yes please! And this cheesy zucchini bread can also be used as a sandwich bread. Hello summer sandwiches!
See Also:
- Oil vs butter in your quick breads..what’s better? Find out the difference and what I prefer!
- Confused on what the difference is between quick breads and coffeecakes – give this post a read!
- Want to know more about quick breads? Then read this article “What’s quick bread“? and learn more!
Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Cheddar Chive Bread
- Quick To Make – For this cheesy zucchini quick bread, baking powder and baking soda are used. No yeast. As a result, there is no need to rest your batter to rise. You can prepare it in minutes and put it in the oven to bake!
- Fewer Dishes To Wash – No stand mixer is used! There were fewer dishes to wash after I prepared and baked this quick bread.
- Freezes Well – If you made too much zucchini cheese quick bread, you can freeze it to extend its shelf life. I love freezing my desserts and quick breads. It extends their shelf life and prevents waste. I put together a freezer guide for you!
- Brilliant Way To Use Zucchini – During the summer season, garden zucchini is very accessible and affordable.
My Favorite Tools
Ingredients Needed
To make the soft and delicious cheesy zucchini bread, you will need the following ingredients:
- Zucchini – You want to squeeze out the excess water. I tested the recipe with wringing out the zucchini and and not wringing it. The loaf where I didn’t wring it out was way too wet.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – I used sharp cheddar cheese for this cheddar cheese zucchini bread recipe. If you don’t have cheddar cheese you can substitute it with another cheese like gouda, swiss, or try a combination like ½ parmesan cheese and ½ mozzarella cheese for the cheese flavor!
- Chives – Chopped fresh chives. You can also use green onion. Or you can use dried chives as well.
- Melted Butter – Melt your butter and let it cool at room temperature. You can also swap and use oil in your quick bread.
- All-Purpose Flour – Properly measure your flour using the measuring cup, spoon, and level method. Learn how to properly measure your flour mixture using this guide.
- Sugar – Just a tablespoon to help with browning and tenderness.
- Eggs – Should be at room temperature. Here’s how to get your eggs to room temperature fast.
- Buttermilk – It adds richness and fat to your zucchini cheese bread. Also, it is needed to activate baking powder and baking soda. If you don’t have any, make your own homemade buttermilk.
- Baking Powder – To help zucchini cheese bread rise while baking.
- Baking Soda – To help cheesy zucchini bread rise. Check out Baking Powder vs Baking Soda.
- Garlic Powder – For this cheesy zucchini bread I use garlic powder but you can also use onion powder, depending on your preferences. Or omit.
- Black pepper – Just a little bit for extra flavor.
- Salt – To balance the flavor and taste. Find out The Role Of Salt In Baking.
How To Make Savory Zucchini Cheese Bread
1. Preheat Oven And Prepare Pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F/177°C.
Grease your 9×5-inch loaf pan by spraying non-stick cooking spray or with butter. You can also line your loaf pan with parchment paper for easier quick bread removal. Just lift it up and your zucchini cheese bread is free from the loaf pan.
2. Shred Zucchini
You can use a box grater or food processor to shred your zucchini. I prefer using my box grater and grating my zucchini by hand. Wring out the water or moisture from your shredded zucchini. Otherwise your bread will be too wet after baking.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients
In a small bowl, combine your dry ingredients. Add all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. Combine until all ingredients are incorporated well.
3.Add cheese and chives
Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and chopped chives until evenly mixed throughout. Add sour cream, eggs, and melted butter.
4. Combine Wet Ingredients
In a medium mixing bowl, combine all your wet ingredients.
5. Combine Wet And Dry Ingredients
Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients. Stir well. Make sure there are no lumps or clumps of flour in your batter.
6.Fold In Zucchini
Fold in the shredded zucchini until evenly mixed.
This zucchini bread batter is very thick but the shredded zucchini will keep it moist while baking.
6. Bake
Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted at the center of the zucchini cheese bread comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. Then, remove from the loaf pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm and enjoy.
Recipe Variations
- Make whole wheat or gluten free – Try replacing with 1/2 whole wheat flour, or use a gluten-free flour blend that you prefer. I haven’t tested with other flours like almond flour or coconut flour, so can’t say how those flours would work. Flours like almond flour can dry out the batter, so you may need to add additional buttermilk. If you try let me know in the comment section!
- Add Other Spices – This is one of the versatile quick bread recipes I made. You can add different spices or herbs like onion powder, or red pepper flakes, etc. It will depend on your taste and preferences.
Recipe Tips
- There’s no need to peel your zucchini. It will become tender anyways when your zucchini bread is baked.
- Measure your ingredients accurately, especially our flour. Adding too much or too little flour will make your quick bread too dry, crumbly, or wet. You can use the spoon and level method. Check out the How To Measure Flour to learn how.
- Don’t over-mix your batter. I used a spatula to mix my ingredients. When the ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing. Over-mixing your batter will lead to gluten formation which will result in chewy zucchini bread. That’s why, don’t mix your ingredients too much!
- To make your fresh bread more cheesy, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese and chopped fresh chives at the top of the baked quick bread. Place it under your broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheddar cheese is melted.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you do need to wring out the water from your shredded zucchini for this zucchini bread recipe. I know it might seem like a bit tedious, but otherwise your bread will be too wet and gummy after baking. By wringing it out, it makes the zucchini bread perfectly moist.
You can store this zucchini bread at room temperature or inside your fridge. Wrap it with parchment paper or plastic wrap and place it inside an airtight container or sealed bag. If stored at room temperature, this zucchini bread can last up to 2 days. But if stored in the fridge, it can last up to 5 days.
Yes, you can freeze your zucchini savory or sweet quick bread for up to 3 months. However, you need to properly store your quick bread to avoid contamination, drying out, and freezer burn. I wrapped my zucchini cheddar chive bread with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Then, place it inside an airtight container or a sealed freezer bag. Squeeze out excess air as much as possible and seal. To thaw frozen quick bread, transfer it to your fridge and leave it to thaw overnight. Or you can unwrap your frozen bread and let it thaw at room temperature. Heat it up in your toaster oven or microwave and enjoy.
Your savory zucchini bread needs more time in the oven. Before removing your zucchini quick bread in the oven, check its doneness. If the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs, your fresh bread is ready and cooked. But if the toothpick inserted has a wet batter, bake your zucchini cheddar cheese bread more in the oven.
Remember, every oven runs at different temperatures. Always check the temperature using an oven thermometer to prevent your quick bread from sinking.
More Recipes To Try
Zucchini Cheddar Chive Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini about 2 small (squeezed out)
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- â…› teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 Tablespoons fresh, chopped chives
- 1 large eggs room temperature room temperature
- 1/4 cup (½ stick, 57 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan. Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃). Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan. I like to line mine with parchment paper as well and grease lightly again.
- Shred zucchini. Using a box grater, shred the zucchini. Then place the zucchini in a paper towel or clean dish towel and squeeze out the excess water. Place zucchini in small bowl and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir in cheese and chives.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, and milk.
- 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, cheese, and chives.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 350℉ (177℃) oven for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of bread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it (no wet batter) and top springs back to the touch when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- Storage: You can store this zucchini bread at room temperature or inside your fridge. Wrap it with parchment paper or plastic wrap and place it inside an airtight container or sealed bag. If stored at room temperature, this zucchini bread can last up to 2 days. But if stored in the fridge, it can last up to 5 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze your zucchini savory or sweet quick bread for up to 3 months. However, you need to properly store your quick bread to avoid contamination, drying out, and freezer burn. I wrapped my zucchini cheddar chive bread with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Then, place it inside an airtight container or a sealed freezer bag. Squeeze out excess air as much as possible and seal. To thaw frozen quick bread, transfer it to your fridge and leave it to thaw overnight. Or you can unwrap your frozen bread and let it thaw at room temperature. Heat it up in your toaster oven or microwave and enjoy.
- Butter: You can replace the melted butter with oil.Â
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can replace with a homemade buttermilk. Add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to a 1/2 cup of milk and let sit for 10 minutes before using in the recipe.
Comments & Reviews
Type your question or comment below, and tap "Post Comment". I welcome constructive criticism, but please be respectful. Rude or inappropriate comments will not be published. Thank you!Baking isn't always easy! So if you had any issues, I'd appreciate the chance to help you troubleshoot before you rate.