Lemon Zucchini Bread

You’re going to love this bright and zesty twist on classic zucchini bread! One slice of this lemon zucchini bread and you’ll be hooked for life.

The added lemon really brightens and brings an extra tasty layer of flavor to this loaf. It is a phenomenal way to use up those overflowing zucchini that you have gathered from your garden, I can’t be the only one with zucchini coming out of my ears! For more tasty ways to use those green veggies, try Baking with Vegetables, Lightened up Zucchini Bread, or Zucchini Bread Bran Muffins.

Lemon Zucchini Bread slices on a plate

Zesty Lemon Zucchini Bread

I know this is kind of a trendy recipe right now, but I’ve been testing lemon zucchini bread recipes for over two years now, and I’ve finally found the one! Today I’m finally sharing it with you!

Over the past few years I’ve whipped up probably 6 batches of lemon zucchini bread and 2 batches of muffins. Some were total flops, some were ok, but none of them were just right. I’m kind of a perfectionist (which is why I really try hard to test & retest recipes), so you know this one is good!

It’s light and fluffy (without it being crumbly), not dense and rubbery. It’s bursting with lemon and zucchini flavor. Plus it has a nice deep golden crust on it, which I absolutely love!

Lemon Zucchini Bread Loaf

Baking with Zucchini

You don’t need to peel zucchini before using it in the bread. In fact, a lot of people prefer to keep it in for those beautiful green flecks of dark green. It is perfectly safe to do, especially if you wash your zucchini before using it.

Grate the zucchini: You can grate zucchini with a food processor or a simple box grater. When using either method, you do not want to puree your zucchini. When using a box grater, grate the zucchini over some paper towels or over a bowl.

Drain the zucchini: After grating your zucchini you will begin to notice how much water an actual zucchini can hold. Some people recommend just letting it sit in a bowl for 5-10 minutes for most of the water to “leak out”. At this point, you can place the grated zucchini in a cheese cloth or paper towel to squeeze the remaining water out.

Lemon Zucchini Bread cut into slices

How to Make Lemon Zucchini Bread

INGREDIENTS: You’ll only need one medium zucchini for this Lemon Zucchini Bread recipe, unless you plan on doubling in. You will however, need about 3 lemons to get enough zest to make this bread really shine.

WHISK & FOLD. Everything comes together by hand, no mixer required. Simply whisk the wet ingredients together, then the dry. Fold the dry ingredient into the wet just until you no longer see flour pockets

BAKE. Pour our into the prepared METAL pan and bake! I highly recommend using metal pans for baking breads and desserts, I think the results are always better than using glass. Save the glass for casseroles and crisps! Just my 2 cents.

GLAZE. (optional) We made a small amount of glaze for this bread but I didn’t end up photographing it because half of us wanted it with glaze, and the other half wanted it without. Go figure. So, if you want to add a little more zest adds sweetness to this quick bread, feel free to use the recipe/directions given below. I made sure to include it. Enjoy!

Lemon Zucchini Bread slices on a plate

Storage Tips

Storing: You should store the bread in a sealed container with a paper towel on the bottom of the container and on top of the Lemon Zucchini Bread. Keep this at room temperature. It will last 2-3 days at room temperature if properly stored. If you want to make this the night or day before for an event, it will keep just fine.

Freezing: You can freeze this bread very easily! Wrap the completely cooled loaf (unglazed) in plastic wrap and then in foil. Place the bread in the ziploc bag and remove all the air. Put this in the freezer and keep it there for about 3 months. At this point defrost it unwrapped at room temperature to avoid getting a sticky top.

For more quick breads, check out:

 

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Lemon Zucchini Bread | lifemadesimplebakes.com

Lemon Zucchini Bread Recipe

You're going to love this bright and zesty twist on classic zucchini bread! One slice of this lemon zucchini bread and you'll be hooked for life.
4.84 from 6 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 165kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp (¾ stick) unsalted butter - melted
  • 3/4 cup +2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1/3 cup sour cream or Greek Yogurt - plain or lemon
  • 1 cup grated zucchini
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher sea salt

Optional Glaze

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice - fresh
  • 1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5-inch metal loaf pan with baking spray (or use butter and flour), set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, milk and sour cream. Add the zucchini, lemon zest, vanilla and egg, mix until combined.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread the top of the batter to create a smooth, even layer.
  • Place in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and transferring the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Optional Glaze
  • In a small mixing bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Drizzle over the warm (but not hot) bread. Let set for 15 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition

Serving: 16serving | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

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About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

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Comments:

  1. I’m ctuAlly out of regulAr A/P flour but I have self-rising flour- mistaken buy- will this work if I just leave out – or scale back-the baking powder & salt ingredient given in the recipe? If the latter, how much less of them would I use? Would it affect my baking time? I LOVE this revamp idea alot, btw!

  2. Hi! Can I sub plant based milk for the whole milk instead? And brown sugar instead of white? Am really looking forward to making this recipe!