Classic One Loaf Zucchini Bread Recipe

Looking for a perfect loaf of homemade zucchini bread that’s easy, super moist, and ready for your favorite mix-ins? This recipe is a winner!

No fuss, no frills, just cinnamony goodness in a sweet bread that can be enjoyed any time of day.

I’ve made a lot of different zucchini breads over the years. From lemon zucchini bread to pumpkin zucchini bread, you can find a recipe for zucchini bread in just about any flavor.

But I realized that I haven’t actually shared a recipe for a basic loaf of zucchini bread flavored with fall spices. Everybody needs one of those in their recipe stash, don’t you think?

So if you just want a traditional loaf with no fancy flavors, this moist zucchini bread recipe is for you!

How to make classic zucchini bread (one loaf)

1. PREP – Wash, dry, and grate the zucchini either by hand or with a food processor. Line the bottom of a 4×8″ loaf pan with parchment or aluminum foil; spray with nonstick spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
2. WET INGREDIENTS – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sour cream, sugar, egg, zucchini, and vanilla.
3. DRY INGREDIENTS – Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Stir gently into the zucchini mixture, then fold in the pecans if desired.
4. BAKE – Pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to 325°, then bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
   
5. COOL – Let the bread sit in the pan for about 10 minutes, then release from the sides of the pan and transfer to a wire rack. For easiest slicing, let the bread cool completely. (But we can never wait that long at my house!)

Leftover bread can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can either wrap it in plastic wrap, or place it in an airtight container. It will last a few days longer in the refrigerator, but I like to let it come to room temp before serving so it’s softer.

This bread also freezes well. I like to first wrap it in plastic wrap, then put it inside a heavy-duty freezer bag. It will last for 3-4 months in the freezer.

PRO TIPS:

• You do not need to peel the zucchini before you shred it. Do not drain or squeeze off the liquid, you want that moisture in your loaf of bread!
• Turning the oven down halfway through baking ensures that the bread will cook in the center without the edges getting too brown.
• If you don’t have sour cream on hand, you can omit it and increase the amount of oil to 1/2 cup.
• This bread is tasty with any mix-ins you like. Just keep in mind that the loaf will take longer to bake the more ingredients you add.
• If you use a 9×5-inch loaf pan, your bread will bake a bit faster, and you will end up with a shorter, wider loaf.

VARIATIONS:

• In addition to or in place of the nuts, stir in chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or cinnamon chips.
• Dried fruit such as craisins, dates, or raisins can also be added.
• Try sprinkling cinnamon sugar on top of the batter before popping it into the oven. It will bake up with a crackly sweet crust on top. Delish!
• Instead of making 1 loaf zucchini bread, you can divide the batter into three mini-loaf pans and bake it at 350 for about 30 minutes.

MORE ZUCCHINI RECIPES:

• Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Cinnamon Zucchini Muffins
• Chocolate Zucchini Cake
• Zucchini and Carrots

MORE QUICK BREAD RECIPES:

• Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Strawberry Bread

1 Loaf Zucchini Bread

Kara

When you just need one loaf of zucchini bread, this is the perfect recipe! It's moist and perfectly spiced. It's also tasty with chocolate chips instead of nuts.

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Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Bread: Quick Breads

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices (1 loaf)

Calories 247 kcal

Equipment

• USA Nonstick Loaf Pan, 8×4″ Aluminized Steel
• OXO Good Grips Coarse Grater
• Progressive Nut Chopper

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
• ⅓ cup sour cream or greek yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¾ cup chopped pecans optional

Instructions

 

• Wash and grate the zucchini. Spray an 8×4" pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350°.
• Whisk together the oil, sour cream, sugar, egg, zucchini, and vanilla in a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to the wet ingredients.
• Stir the batter together gently, then fold in the pecans.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Turn the oven down to 325° and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Let the bread cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then invert and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• There is no need to peel the zucchini, but you can if you don’t want green flecks in your bread.
• Don’t squeeze water out of the grated zucchini, you want the moisture in the bread.
• Feel free to add any mix-ins you like – chocolate chips, craisins, etc. Just keep in mind that adding ingredients slightly increases the baking time.
• You can also divide the batter into three mini loaves (5×3″) and bake them for about 30 minutes at 350°.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 247kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 188mgPotassium: 137mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 124IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg

Keyword one loaf of zucchini bread

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 When you just need 1 loaf of zucchini bread, look no further. This easy zucchini bread recipe calls for simple ingredients, but everyone loves it!