Lemon Zucchini Bread

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.

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Quick and easy to make, this glazed lemon zucchini bread is the perfect summer dessert. Fresh and zingy and perfectly moist, this is one delicious bite!

Lemon zucchini bread drizzled with glaze on cutting board
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Ingredients & substitutions

  • Zucchini: Use a box grater to grate the zucchini. There’s no need to peel it.
  • Sugar: Light brown sugar adds a nice rich and complex sweetness due to the molasses. You can use white in a pinch, but brown adds a much better flavor.
  • Oil: Oil helps to keep the loaf cake nice and moist. Olive oil works great, or you can use a neutral oil like canola if that’s what you have.
  • Greek yogurt: This adds a nice tangy richness as well as moisture, plus you get a nice boost of protein. Plain yogurt will also work well.
  • Eggs: Used to bind the ingredients together.
  • Lemon zest: The zest of fresh lemons adds a bold flavor. For a different flavor zucchini bread you could use oranges instead of lemons.
  • Vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt: For flavor.
  • Flour: This recipe is made with all purpose flour. If you have a gluten intolerance, you can make this with a 1:1 GF flour.
  • Baking powder and soda: To help the bread to rise when it is being baked.
  • Chopped Walnuts: These are optional, but the add a great texture and nutty flavor.
  • For the lemon glaze: Confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt.
Ingredients to make the recipe

How to make lemon zucchini bread

  1. Add the zucchini, sugar, oil, yogurt, eggs, zest and vanilla to a bowl.
  2. Fold together until well combined.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet.
  4. Fold together until combined and add in the walnuts if using.
  5. Pour into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
  6. Bake until golden brown and cooked through.
6 image collage to show how to mix the ingredients and then bake in the loaf pan

Tips for baking zucchini bread

  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 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
  3. Don’t over mix the batter. When you add the dry ingredients, fold them in rather than stir. This will keep the gluten from over developing
  4. Let the loaf fully cool before glazing it. If it is still warm, the lemon glaze will slide off of it. You can even consider baking the cake the day before and adding the glaze the next day before serving so that it’s definitely cooled.

Frequently asked questions

How do you know when the bread is cooked?

Check that the bread is fully cooked through when the top is browned and set, this will take around 45 to 50 minutes. Use a toothpick to insert into the center of the cake, if it comes out clean then it is ready to come out of the oven. If your bread is browning too quickly, you can loosely cover the top with foil.

Can you make this with other fruits?

This lemon zucchini is so fresh and zingy, but you can easily swap and add ingredients to suit your tastes. You can swap the lemon for orange or lime, or instead of walnuts, fold in some blueberries.

Is this a dessert?

Yes, this is a quick sweet bread and it’s perfect to serve as a dessert or as a mid afternoon snack with a cup of coffee.

Sliced lemon zucchini bread on board with knife next to it and bowl of glaze

This zucchini lemon bread is wonderful, fresh and zingy. The lemon glaze adds a rich and subtle sweetness and of course, it is perfectly moist.

More quick bread recipes:

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Lemon Zucchini Bread

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.
5 from 189 votes
Servings 12 servings
Course Dessert, Snack
Calories 235
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
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Video

Ingredients
  

For the lemon glaze:

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 until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, rotating the pan halfway through, 45-50 minutes. 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.

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze the bread for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 307mg, Potassium: 160mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 75IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 1mg

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

Cuisine American
Course: Dessert, Snack
5 from 189 votes (180 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 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!

  2. Cass says:

    I have just made this loaf again for the third time. Thanks for a delicious recipe, it’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!

  3. 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.

  4. Zhila says:

    Recipes was excellent👌🏻👌🏻
    Thank you for your excellent page❤️🙏🏻

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yay! Thank you!

  5. Peggy says:

    What size of loaf pan did you use?

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