If you’re looking for the best zucchini bread recipe that’s lower in sugar but still rich, moist, and full of flavor, this is it. It makes two golden loaves that slice beautifully, freeze well, and taste even better the next day!
Why I Cut the Sugar in Half (and What Went Wrong First)
This recipe started with an old church cookbook that called for 3 cups of sugar. Three cups! It never needed that much, so I kept baking and tweaking. The first time, I just cut the sugar, and the loaf fell apart when I sliced it. Adding yogurt brought back the moisture and held it all together. Now it has half the sugar and nobody misses a thing.
I’m not anti-sugar. I just think we eat way too much of it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kathy raved, “Delicious and I even used a little bit less sugar, one cup at high altitude, and sweet enough for me. Very moist, as Kathleen said! It will be my new go-to!”
Why You Will Love This Zucchini Bread Recipe
Where do I even start?
It’s got about half the sugar of those old-school recipes. Warm cinnamon and cane sugar still make it just sweet enough. You get a soft, tender crumb and can go back for a second slice without feeling like you ate a candy bar.
It makes two loaves. One for now and one for the freezer. Or one for the neighbor who keeps leaving zucchini on your porch!
It works wherever you live. I bake at 5,280 feet, and the high altitude tweaks are all below.
Still side-eyeing a vegetable in your bread? Think carrot cake. Nobody complains about that!
How to prep zucchini for the best zucchini bread recipe
How you grate your zucchini makes or breaks this bread. Too wet and it’s soggy. Too dry and it’s, well, dry. Here’s my method:
- Pick small to medium zucchini. Better flavor, thinner skin. Stuck with a baseball bat from the garden? Peel it and scrape out the seeds.
- Grate on the medium holes of a box grater.
- Got a zucchini skeptic at the table? Use the small holes. The shreds practically disappear. Fine shreds release more water, though, so blot them a little extra with paper towels.
- Blot, don’t squeeze. If it’s really watery, pat it gently with a clean towel. That moisture is what keeps the bread tender.
- Measure lightly packed. You want about 2 cups, usually 2 small zucchini.
Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe Ingredients
- Eggs: Room temperature, please. They whip up fluffier.
- Sugar: I use all-natural cane sugar for a hint of molasses. Regular white or brown sugar works too.
- Oil: Oil keeps this bread moist longer than butter. Avocado oil is my go-to, but canola, sunflower, or vegetable oil all work.
- Yogurt: This is the secret that let me cut the sugar. Greek, regular, or plant-based all work. I like full-fat.
- Zucchini: The star! No need to peel. Blot if it’s really wet. See my prep tips above.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds everything out.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level it. I use organic unbleached.
- Cinnamon: Warm spice in every bite. Add a pinch of nutmeg too, if you like.
- Baking soda and baking powder: A little of each gives you a good rise and a lighter crumb.
- Salt: Keeps the sweetness in check.
- Walnuts (optional): For crunch. Pecans work too. See variations for more add-ins.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Zucchini Bread
Step 1 | Combine the Wet Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 9×5-inch loaf pans with parchment paper or spray them well with baking spray. (I love using loaf pan liners!)
Beat the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle, or use a hand mixer. Go medium to medium-high for 4 to 5 minutes, until it’s thick and pale yellow. Using cane sugar? Go the full 5 minutes. Don’t rush this part. It’s what gives the bread its structure.
With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Take about a minute. I let it run down the side of the bowl so the beater grabs it little by little. That way you keep all the air you just whipped in.
Turn the mixer to low. Add the vanilla and grated zucchini. Really watery zucchini? Gently blot it first, but don’t squeeze.
Step 2 | Prep the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3 | Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients
With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients about ½ cup at a time. Add a spoonful of yogurt between each one. Keep going until the flour is just mixed in.
A few streaks of flour? Totally fine. Switch to a spatula and gently fold in the rest by hand. Overmixing is how quick bread turns tough.
Adding nuts or chocolate chips? Fold them in now.
Step 4 | Divide the Batter & Bake
Pour the batter evenly into the pans. It’ll be pretty loose, and that’s normal!
Heads up: Using 8×4-inch pans? Set them on a baking sheet in case they overflow.
Bake 45 to 60 minutes. It’s done when the tops are golden, spring back when you touch them, and a skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pans for the last 15 minutes if your oven has hot spots.
Cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Then move the loaves to a wire rack to cool completely.
Zucchini Bread Variations
Want to switch it up? Here are some easy ways to customize your loaves:
- Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for 2 ½ cups King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour plus ¼ cup almond and ¼ cup oat flour (or ½ cup of one or the other). Gluten-free quick breads go from perfect to dry fast, so start checking early. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Made it gluten-free and turned out perfect.” ~ Cheryl D.
- Chocolate Chip: Swap the walnuts for 1 cup dark chocolate chips. Or do half and half. No judgment.
- Coconut: Stir in ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut.
- Whole Wheat: Swap half the all-purpose flour for whole wheat. It soaks up more liquid, so add a few teaspoons of water if the batter looks stiff.
- Fruity: Fold in dried cranberries or raisins. A little orange zest is lovely too.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Chocolate lovers, this one’s for you! It only takes two small changes.
- Cut the flour to 2½ cups (2¾ cups at high altitude).
- Whisk in ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder with the dry ingredients.
That’s it. Keep the oil, yogurt, and zucchini the same. Want to go all in? Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips at the end.
You get a moist, tender loaf with deep chocolate flavor. And nobody will guess there’s a vegetable in there!
How to Make Zucchini Bread Muffins
Want grab-and-go instead of slices? This batter makes about 24 muffins. Same batter, just a different pan.
- Prep the pan. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray it well.
- Fill ¾ full. A large cookie scoop keeps them even.
- Start hot for high domes. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then drop the oven to 350°F. That first blast of heat pushes the tops up tall, just like in my Pumpkin Banana Bread Muffins.
- Bake 16 to 18 minutes total. Ovens run a little differently, so start checking at 14. They’re done when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then move them to a wire rack.
High altitude: Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then drop to 375°F. Start checking at 14 minutes, since that hotter finish can speed things up.
Or split the difference! Bake one loaf and 12 muffins. Busy mornings, meet your new best friend.
Lower Sugar and Sugar-Free Swaps
This recipe already has half the sugar of the old-school versions. Want to go even lower? Here’s what works.
- Cut it a little more. One reader dropped it to 1 cup at high altitude and said it was still sweet enough and very moist.
- Brown sugar. Swaps cup for cup for a little more molasses flavor.
- Monk fruit brown sugar. I’ve tested it, and it swaps cup for cup. It bakes up beautifully, nice and golden.
- Coconut sugar. It’s granulated and should swap cup for cup, though I haven’t tested it in this recipe yet. Expect a darker loaf with a deeper, caramel-y flavor.
- Skip the honey and maple. Here’s why. The secret to this bread’s structure is beating the eggs and sugar until thick and pale. Liquid sweeteners can’t whip up like that, and they add even more moisture to a batter that’s already loose. Stick with granulated.
Tips for the Best Zucchini Bread Recipe
- Use a skewer, not a toothpick. It reaches the very center of a tall loaf. A few moist crumbs? It’s done. Wet batter? Give it 5 to 7 more minutes.
- Browning too fast? Loosely tent the loaves with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes. The inside keeps baking, the top stops darkening.
- Want a crunchy top? Sprinkle a little turbinado sugar over the batter right before it goes in the oven. You get a sweet, crackly crust for barely any extra sugar. If you do, keep that foil handy!
- Want more zucchini? One of my testers used 4 cups instead of 2. It came out extra moist and never soggy.
- Wait until tomorrow. I know, it’s hard! But wrap it once it’s cool and slice it the next day. The flavor settles in and it gets even more tender.
How to Store Zucchini Bread
Once it’s completely cool, wrap it tight in plastic wrap or tuck it into a zip-top bag. It’ll keep on the counter for 2 to 3 days. A warm kitchen means closer to 2.
I usually skip the fridge because it can dry bread out. Quick breads handle it better than yeast breads, though. So if you need more time, a well-wrapped loaf keeps in the fridge for up to a week.
Muffins store the same way.
Can You Freeze Zucchini Bread?
You sure can! This is why I love that the recipe makes two loaves.
- Wrap it well. Once it’s completely cool, wrap it twice in plastic wrap. Then slide it into a freezer bag and squeeze out the air, or wrap it in foil.
- Freeze up to 3 months.
- Thaw on the counter for a few hours, still wrapped. It stays moist that way.
- Freeze slices or muffins for grab-and-go snacks. Pull one out in the morning and it’s ready by lunch.
Can You Use Frozen Zucchini in Zucchini Bread?
Yes! I bake with frozen shredded zucchini all the time. Just treat it a little differently than fresh.
- Thaw it completely. Set it in a colander over a bowl in the fridge or on the counter.
- Drain it really well. Press it gently, then pat it with paper towels. Freezing breaks down the zucchini, so it releases way more water than fresh. This is the one time you don’t want to keep all that moisture, or your loaf may sink.
- Measure after draining. You still want about 2 cups.
- Freezing your own? Pack it in 2-cup portions so it’s ready to go when the craving hits.
High Altitude Zucchini Bread Recipe
I bake at 5,280 feet, so every recipe I share gets high altitude tweaks. But I don’t stop there. I have a wonderful group of volunteer recipe testers all around the country. They’ve baked this zucchini bread from sea level to the mountains, and it turns out great everywhere!
- Flour: Keep it at 3 cups, spooned and leveled.
- Sugar: Cut it to 1¼ cups. Still sweet enough, promise.
- Baking soda: Cut it to ¾ teaspoon. Leave the baking powder alone.
- Oven: Bump it to 375°F (190°C). Start checking at 45 minutes. Mine was done at 52.
- Above 7,000 feet: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or milk with the yogurt and flour. Liquids evaporate faster up high.
- Making muffins or chocolate zucchini bread? Their high-altitude tweaks are right in those sections above.
Zucchini Bread Recipe FAQs
Beat the eggs and sugar longer than you think. A full 4 to 5 minutes, until it’s thick and pale. That’s your structure. Drizzle the oil in slowly so you don’t knock out all that air. Then go easy once the flour hits the bowl. Overmixing is how quick bread turns tough. And if you can stand it, let it sit overnight before slicing. It really is better the next day.
Start with the zucchini. Don’t squeeze it! Just blot it if it’s really wet. Oil instead of butter keeps the crumb soft for days, and the yogurt helps too. That combo matters here because sugar holds on to moisture, and this recipe uses less of it than most. Then pull the loaves when your skewer still has a few moist crumbs on it. Once they’re cool, wrap them tight and skip the fridge if you can.
Nope, not usually! On small and medium zucchini the skin is thin. It softens right into the bread and gives you those pretty green flecks. The one exception? Those giant garden zucchini that hide under the leaves until they’re the size of a baseball bat. Their skin gets tough, so peel it and scrape out the seeds first. See my zucchini prep tips above.
Not really! My oldest son was not a zucchini fan growing up. So I grated it fine, and he never even knew it was in there. Zucchini is so mild that what you mostly taste is cinnamon, vanilla, and a soft, sweet crumb. He’d gobble this bread up as a kid, and he still does.
Melted butter or coconut oil swap one for one. Applesauce, mashed banana, or more yogurt work too, but lower-fat swaps make a denser loaf. Still delicious, just a little heartier.
Check your baking soda and baking powder first. If they’re old, they won’t give you much lift. Overmixing and underbaking are the other usual suspects. And too much wet zucchini can weigh the batter down, so give it a gentle blot. Baking up high? See my high altitude tips.
Why Does My Zucchini Bread Sink After Baking?
This has happened to me at least a hundred times! So I went on a mission to figure out why.
Then one of my recipe testers had a loaf sink after baking. But when she sliced it, it was baked all the way through. So underbaking wasn’t the problem.
The culprit? Extra-wet zucchini.
Zucchini holds a lot of water, and hers was just a little too juicy. A gentle blot with a clean towel fixed it. Not a squeeze, just a blot. You still want most of that moisture in there.
Other reasons your loaf might sink:
- Too much leavening. Measure carefully. Too much makes it rise fast, then fall.
- Overmixing. It builds too much gluten, and the loaf can’t hold its shape.
- High altitude. Loaves rise faster up here, then collapse. Follow my high altitude tips.
- Frozen zucchini that wasn’t drained well. It carries way more water than fresh. See how to use frozen zucchini.
So if your loaf flops a little, don’t worry. It still tastes great! Next time, just give that zucchini a gentle blot first.
This post was first shared in 2025 and updated in 2026 with new muffin directions, lower-sugar and sugar-free swaps, tips for baking with frozen zucchini, and answers to more of your most-asked questions. Same tried-and-true recipe, just more ways to make it!
More of our Favorite Quick Breads
More Recipes from The Fresh Cooky
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Video
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (I use all-natural cane sugar; 1¼ cups for high altitude)
- ¾ cup vegetable oil I use avocado oil
- 1 cup plain yogurt any type of yogurt (Greek, regular, plant-based, I used full-fat)
- 2 to 4 cups grated zucchini lightly packed (about 2 small; up to 4 cups, see notes)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (no change high altitude)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (¾ teaspoon for high altitude)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 – 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 9×5-inch loaf pans with parchment paper or spray well with baking spray. (I love using loaf pan liners!)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar together on medium to medium-high speed for 4 to5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. If using all-natural cane sugar, beat on the longer side.3 large eggs, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- Slowly drizzle in the oil while the mixer is running. This should take about a minute. I let it drizzle against the side of the bowl, so the beater can grab it and incorporate it. This step keeps all that lovely air you just beat into the eggs without deflating them.¾ cup vegetable oil
- With the mixer on low, mix in the vanilla extract and grated zucchini (if your zucchini is really watery, pat lightly dry any excess water, but don’t press)1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 to 4 cups grated zucchini
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in ½-cup increments, alternating with a small amount of yogurt between each addition. Keep alternating until the flour is just incorporated. A few streaks are okay. Finish folding the batter gently by hand with a spatula to avoid overmixing. If adding chopped nuts, fold them in by hand now.1 cup plain yogurt, 1 – 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pans. (The batter will be quite fluid.) Caution: If using 8×4-inch pans, place them on a baking sheet in case of overflow.
- Bake for 45 to60 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, they should also spring back when touched. Rotate the pans during the last 15 minutes of baking if needed for even browning.
- Cool the bread in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove from pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Zucchini: No need to peel unless it’s a giant garden zucchini with thick skin. Scrape out the seeds on those too. Grate on the medium holes of a box grater. Don’t squeeze it dry; that moisture keeps the bread tender. Measure it lightly packed. Want more zucchini? You can use up to 4 cups. Using frozen? Thaw it, press gently, pat dry, then measure.
- Batter: It’ll look loose. That’s normal! Trust the process.
- Loaf Pans: Using 8×4-inch pans? Fill them no more than ⅔ full and set them on a baking sheet in case of overflow. Extra batter? Bake it in a muffin tin using the muffin directions below.
- Muffins: Makes about 24. Fill the cups ¾ full. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then drop the oven to 350°F. Bake 16 to 18 minutes total, checking at 14.
- Gluten-Free: Swap the flour for 2½ cups King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour plus ¼ cup almond flour and ¼ cup oat flour (or ½ cup of either). Start checking early; GF breads dry out fast.
- Lower Sugar or Sugar-Free: Monk fruit brown sugar swaps cup for cup. Skip honey and maple syrup; liquid sweeteners won’t whip up with the eggs.
- High Altitude: Use 3 cups flour. Reduce sugar to 1¼ cups. Reduce baking soda to ¾ teaspoon (keep baking powder the same). Bake at 375°F (190°C) and start checking at 45 minutes. Above 7,000 ft, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or milk with the yogurt and flour. Muffins: bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then drop to 375°F. Start checking at 14 minutes.
- Storage: Wrap tightly and keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. The fridge can dry it out, but a well-wrapped loaf keeps up to 1 week there.
- Nutrition: Includes walnuts. If you skip them, the calories will be a little lower.
Nutrition
Cheryl Dooley
Love this zucchini bread with our garden fresh zucchini! Made it gluten free and turned out perfect.
Yay!! Love hearing that, Cheryl!! Thank you so much!!
Kathy Schunk
Delicious and I even used a little bit less sugar… one cup at high altitude, and sweet enough for me… Very moist as Kathleen said! It will be my new go to!
Fantastic Kathy!! Thank you for your sweet comment!
natalie
I love that this recipe made two moist loaves! we enjoyed one immediately and froze the other for another time. Next time I will try with chocolate chips. Yum!
Perfect, it’s yummy with chocolate chips!