Lemon Zucchini Bread

This lemon zucchini bread is light, tender and bursting with flavor from the fresh lemon zest. We love to enjoy it for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Drizzled with a sweet and tart lemon glaze, this easy to make zucchini bread recipe is a great way to use up zucchini from your garden or farmer’s market.

I love baking with zucchini and olive oil! The two paired together really take baked goods to the next level. Zucchini not only has a ton of health benefits but it is composed largely of water, which release during baking to keep your baked goods extra moist. You can’t taste any of the vegetable in this recipe, but you get the most delicious bread!

Whether you are making this quick bread, a decadent cake, breakfast muffins, simple cookies or rich and gooey brownies, zucchini keeps baked goods moist and adds a boost of nutrients to any recipe. Because of this veggie’s mild flavor and with additional ingredients and flavorings, you won’t be able to taste it at all. Chocolate chips, warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg or tangy lemon all turn any zucchini recipe into a masterpiece.

Ingredients needed

This incredibly tender lemon loaf has the perfect soft, tender crumb and bright citrus flavor. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Zucchini. The shining star of this recipe! We’re adding in 3 cups shredded zucchini. The good news is there’s no need to peel this tender-skinned vegetable. Simply wash about 2 to 3 medium zucchinis and grate them with a box grater.
• Sugar. This recipe uses a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar for maximum flavor.
• Eggs. You’ll need three large eggs to help with binding and ensure this loaf bakes properly.
• Lemon zest. Essential to the lemon flavoring of this loaf! Here’s the inexpensive zester I use.
• Vanilla extract. For extra flavor and sweetness.
• Olive oil. For additional moisture and a boost of heart healthy fats. You can sub with melted coconut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil, if you’d like.
• Flour. For best results, use all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour or a combination of the three. I haven’t tried using gluten-free flour, but a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour would probably work. My favorite is King Arthur Measure for Measure flour!
• Baking powder & baking soda. These two ingredients will ensure your loaf has the perfect rise and texture.
• Salt. To bring out all of the delicious flavors.
• Poppy seeds. Totally optional, but I love the extra texture they give this bread.
• Glaze. Powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice is all you need for a bright and flavorful glaze.

Recipe instructions

Like most quick breads, this lemon zucchini bread recipe is easy to make from scratch and requires just a few minutes of preparation. Grab a mixing bowl and your loaf pan!

You can find the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of this page, but let’s walk through all of the steps.

1. Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper (or grease and flour well).
2. Grate the zucchini. Use a standing box grater to grate the zucchini. Then, use a thin dishtowel to wring out most of the water from the zucchini; set aside.
3. Combine ingredients. In a large bowl whisk the sugars, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the olive oil until thoroughly combined. Gently stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold the zucchini into the batter.
4. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake on the middle rack in the oven for about 65 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
5. Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 20 minutes on a wire rack. Use a butter knife to loosen around the edges and carefully remove the bread from the pan. Cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing or adding the glaze.
6. Glaze. Mix lemon juice and powdered sugar together until well combined. With the bread on the cooling rack, drizzle glaze over the bread. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Pro tip: Loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil after about 30 minutes of baking to help prevent the top and sides from getting too brown.

Expert tips

This recipe is really quite easy, and here are our TOP tips for making sure it turns out perfect!

• Dry the zucchini. It is important to DRY the zucchini. Since some zucchinis, like homegrown garden zucchinis, have more moisture than others, I would suggest grating it about 30 minutes before making the recipe. This will allow it time to shed any excess water. Then, wring and pat it dry before tossing it into the mixture. Do not skip this step or the bread will be overly moist and not bake well.
• Measure flour correctly. Too much flour can cause baked goods to be dry and crumbly. Start by whisking the flour, then spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the top (without shaking the measuring cup). If you have food scales, use those for even more precise measuring.
• Do NOT over-mix batter. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together by gently folding them with a large spoon or spatula and mix just until moistened. Do not use a whisk. Over-mixing the batter can produce tough bread.
• Muffins. To make this bread into muffins, pour the batter into a greased muffin tin. Bake at 350ºF for 15 mins. Full recipe will make about 18 muffins. Try these zucchini muffins, if you’d rather not have the lemon flavor!

Frequently asked questions

Storage tips

This quick bread recipe makes twelve slices and only lasted a little over a day in my household. My whole family was pretty fond of the soft, moist bread, bursting with citrus lemon flavor. If you need to store your bread for any length of time, follow the tips below:

• Cover loosely with a tea towel and store at room temperature for 24 hours.
• Like most homemade baked goods, you’ll get the longest shelf life by storing this bread in the fridge. Place the bread into an airtight container, wrap it in plastic wrap or store slices in a zip-top baggie. It should keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can eat the bread straight from the fridge, lightly toast it in the toaster oven or warm it up for about 25 seconds in the microwave.
• To freeze, wrap in aluminum foil, then plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to about 3 months. Defrost at room temperature overnight, remove the plastic wrap, then gently reheat in a 350º oven for 10-15 minutes. I recommend freezing it without the glaze, thawing, and then adding the glaze just before eating.

If you try this incredible bread recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.