Orange Zucchini Bread with Orange Glaze

If you love citrus, this orange zucchini bread is going to be your new favorite way to put those zucchini plants to good use! A simple orange glaze makes it extra sweet and yummy, but it’s plenty delicious without it.

It makes two loaves, so it’s a great recipe for sharing, or you can just freeze one loaf for another day.

I love just about all quick breads, but I really love zucchini breads. I’ve already shared over 15 variations of zucchini bread, from classic zucchini bread to chocolate, and everything in between!

Zucchini not only adds nutrition to quick breads, it makes them extra moist without adding extra calories, and it helps them stay moist for days!

This orange version is a family recipe that was given to my by my mom, who got it from her sister. She makes it with chopped dates and pecans. Delish! I’ve been making it for decades, and it’s still one of my favorites!

I love the bright flavor of citrus, and I want it to shine through, so this recipe doesn’t call for cinnamon or other warm spices.

I’m glad Costco sells great quality zucchini year round so I can whip this bread up any time of year!

How to make orange zucchini bread

1. PREP – Coat two 8×4-inch loaf pans with cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grate the zucchini. Zest and juice a couple oranges.
2. WET INGREDIENTS –  Whisk together the cup of oil, sugar, eggs, thawed orange juice concentrate, orange rind, zucchini, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
3. DRY INGREDIENTS – Sift or whisk together flour, soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. COMBINE – Add the flour mixture to the large bowl. Stir gently just until combined. If you want to add any mix-ins, fold them in.
5. BAKE – Divide batter between the two prepared pans. Bake at 325° for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. COOL – Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then dump out. Remove the parchment and let cool on a wire rack.
7. GLAZE – Simply whisk together the powdered sugar, salt, orange juice, and zest until smooth.
   Drizzle over the loaves either while they are warm or after they have cooled completely.

We can never wait for the bread to cool completely before tasting the first slice warm. But you will have a much easier job cutting clean slices if it has cooled.

Do you have to peel zucchini before grating it for bread?

Peeling zucchini is not necessary before using it in bread. The skin adds lovely green flecks, and is filled with fiber and nutrients. So save yourself some time and use the skin!

Of course, if you want to hide zucchini in your baked goods, you can peel off all of the green skin. It will add moisture to your baked goods, but no one will know it’s there!

PRO TIPS:

• If you have kids that turn their noses up at any green veggie, you can peel the skin off the zucchini before you grate it. They will never know it’s there!
• For extra easy grating, you can use a food processor. But if you don’t have one, a coarse hand grater works perfectly, and it makes for easier cleanup.
• Don’t have a 4×8″ loaf pan? You can bake it in a larger 9×5-inch pan. Your loaf will be wider and flatter, and it will bake faster. Start checking it at 45 minutes.

VARIATIONS:

• I usually make the orange zucchini bread without the glaze, and it is still perfectly sweet and yummy.
• You can replace up to half of the flour with freshly ground whole wheat flour and people won’t notice. If you’re using bagged whole wheat flour, I’d start with just replacing a cup.
• You can add any mix-ins you want. We’ve tried mini chocolate chips, chopped dates, and toasted pecans. They are all delicious!
• If you want a more fall flavored loaf, you can decrease the orange zest to a tablespoon and add a couple teaspoons of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and cloves.

More Zucchini Bread Recipes:

• Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Zucchini Carrot Bread
• Lemon Zucchini Bread with Glaze
• One Loaf Zucchini Bread Recipe
• Zucchini Pineapple Bread Recipe
• Pear Zucchini Bread
• Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread
• Pumpkin Zucchini Bread
• Chocolate Cream Cheese Zucchini Bread

Orange Zucchini Bread Recipe

Kara

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Bread: Quick Breads

Cuisine American

Servings 20 slices (2 loaves)

Calories 269 kcal

Equipment

• USA Pan Nonstick Standard Bread Loaf Pan, 1 Pound, Aluminized Steel
• IMUSA Lime or Lemon Manual Squeezer, Citrus Juicer, Yellow
• Microplane Zester/Grater

Ingredients

  

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Zucchini Orange Bread:

• 1 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate thawed
• 3 Tablespoons fresh orange zest
• 3 cups grated zucchini
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Fresh Orange Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
• ½ teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

 

• Spray two 8×4" with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 325°.
• Wash, dry, and grate the zucchini. (You can peel it first if you don't want your bread to have green flecks.) Wash a couple oranges and use a zester to remove the orange outer layer.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, orange juice concentrate, zest, zucchini, and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until there are no streaks of flour.
• Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 60-65 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let the loaves cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove. If they stick, you can run an offset spatula around the edge of the loaf.
• Remove the parchment and place the loaves on a wire rack to finish cooling. (We like the bread warm, but it does slice more cleanly after it is completely cool.)
• For the glaze – whisk together the powdered sugar, salt, orange juice, and zest in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the loaves. If they are slightly warm, it will melt into the bread; if they are cooled, it will hold its shape. Both ways are tasty!

Notes

• You can add a cup of chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or chopped dates- delicious! You will need to slightly increase the baking time as you add extra ingredients.
• Leftover bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days. You can also double wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for 3-4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 189mgPotassium: 150mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 128IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg

Keyword orange zucchini bread

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This sweet, citrusy orange zucchini loaf is a heck of a great way to use fresh zucchini! Serve it alone for a delicious snack, or add the icing for a great light dessert.