Lemon Zucchini Bread

5 from 189 votes

Simple and quick to make, this Lemon Zucchini Bread is bursting with flavor - great to bake if you don't know what to make with zucchini!

Jump to Recipe โ–ผ
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Comments
31

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Lemon zucchini loaf on a platter drizzled with icing and garnished lightly with lemon zest. A few thick slices cut and leaning forward.
Save this recipe!
Type your email & I’ll send it to you!

Use Zucchini to Make Bread

If you don’t know what to make with zucchini, turn it into a Lemon Zucchini Bread, which pretty much tastes like cake thanks to the lemon glaze. This is one of my favorite ways to use up zucchini during the summer. And the best part is that you’re sneaking in extra vegetables into a sweet loaf, but no one can taste the zucchini!

Happy Baking!
– Yumna

Lemon Zucchini Bread Ingredients

Ingredients before prepped.
  • Dry Ingredients: You’ll need flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. You can substitute 1:1 gluten-free flour if you’d like.
  • Wet Ingredients: Use granulated sugar to rub into lemon zest to make the whole loaf taste extra lemony. Then mix that with eggs, oil, yogurt and vanilla extract.
  • Glaze: The glaze is optional, but my family will tell you it’s the best part of the Lemon Zucchini Bread. You just need powder sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract all mixed together.

How to Make Lemon Zucchini Bread

Sugar and lemon zest in a bowl.
Step 1: In a large bowl, place the sugar and lemon zest.
Hands rubbing them together the ingredients in the bowl.
Step 2: Use your fingers to rub them together until well blended and fragrant.
Eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla added before mixing.
Step 3: Add the eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla, and whisk to combine.
Eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla added after mixing with dry ingredients added.
Step 4: Transfer the dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until no streaks remain.
After combining with zucchini added.
Step 5: Add the grated zucchini on top of the batter. There’s no need to strain it.
After folding together.
Step 6: Fold the zucchini into the batter until well combined.
Batter added to prepared loaf pan before baking.
Step 7: Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
After baking.
Step 8: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Drizzle the glaze over cooled bread and serve immediately.
Lemon zucchini loaf on a platter drizzled with icing and garnished lightly with lemon zest. A few thick slices cut and leaning forward.

Lemon Zucchini Bread

Author: Yumna Jawad
5 from 189 votes
Simple and quick to make, this sweet loaf is bursting with flavor. This lemon zucchini bread is fresh and zingy and makes for a wonderful dessert.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Servings12 servings
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and I’ll send this directly to you. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!

Ingredients
 
 

For the lemon glaze:

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In another large bowl, place the sugar and lemon zest and use your fingers to rub them together until well blended and fragrant. Add the eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla, and whisk to combine.
  • Transfer the dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until no streaks remain. Fold in the zucchini.
  • Transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the top, and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. If necessary, tent the pan with foil after 45 minutes of baking to prevent the top from browning too much.
  • Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack. Once cooled, remove the loaf.
  • Meanwhile, make the glaze. Whisk all ingredients until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled bread and serve immediately.

Notes

My Top Tip: Don’t squeeze the zucchini of excess water. This helps to keep the bread nice and moist. If your zucchini is particularly watery (if it is larger), you can dab it lightly with a paper towel
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: You can freeze the bread for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
 
This recipe has been updated in May 2026, but if you like the original version, you can still find it here:
Cooking spray
1 ½ cups zucchini grated, about 1 ½ medium zucchinis
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup olive oil
⅓ cup full fat Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons lemon zest about 3 lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup chopped walnuts optional
For the lemon glaze:
½ cup Powdered sugar
½ lemon juiced
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper and cooking spray.
In a large bowl, fold together zucchini, sugar, olive oil, Greek yogurt, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Fold dry ingredients into wet and mix until incorporated. Fold in walnuts (if using).
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45-50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, rotating the pan halfway through. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and slice.
Meanwhile, make the glaze. Whisk all ingredients until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled bread and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 218kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 193mg, Potassium: 85mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 72IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Recipe Tips

  1. Don’t peel the zucchini skin. As the zucchini bread cooks, the skin dissolves into the bread and is barely noticeable after baking, even for your pickiest eaters. It would be an unnecessary step.
  2. Don’t squeeze the zucchini to remove excess water. This helps to keep the bread nice and moist. If your zucchini is particularly watery (if it is larger), you can dab it lightly with a paper towel
  3. Don’t overmix the batter. When you add the dry ingredients, fold them in rather than stir. This will keep the gluten from overdeveloping
  4. Let the loaf fully cool before glazing it. If it is still warm, the lemon glaze will slide off of it.
Lemon zucchini loaf on a platter drizzled with icing and garnished lightly with lemon zest. A few thick slices cut and leaning forward.

More Bread Recipes

5 from 189 votes (180 ratings without comment)

Rate and comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Nadine says:

    Are we squeezing out liquid from zucchini? Recipe looks nice, plan on making tomorrow!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Unless your zucchini is especially large and watery, I actually don’t recommend squeezing out excess water. It helps to keep the bread nice and moist. Enjoy!

  2. Eleanor Matteson says:

    I had this delicious bread at one of my church’s functions. It was delicious. I am looking forward to making it. Thank you.

    1. Yumna says:

      Aww, so glad you got to try it and can now make it at home! Enjoy!

  3. Cass says:

    I have just made this loaf again for the third time. Thanks for a delicious recipe, itโ€™s such a hit with my family.
    I slice and freeze half the batch for school lunch boxes, it thaws beautifully from frozen.

    1. Yumna J. says:

      I am so happy to hear that you like the Zucchini bread! I’d love for you to try my Avocado Quick Bread or Carrot Banana, and let me know what you think!

  4. Rhonda says:

    Oh my goodness! Just made this recipe. So moist and full of flavor! Delicious. Thank you!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      I’m so glad you thought so! Yay!! You’re so welcome.

  5. Zhila says:

    Recipes was excellent๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป
    Thank you for your excellent pageโค๏ธ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yay! Thank you!

  6. Peggy says:

    What size of loaf pan did you use?

See All Comments