Grandma’s Recipe For The Best Zucchini Bread

Nothing says summer like fresh-baked zucchini bread straight out of the oven, and my grandma’s recipe is the best! Grab some produce from the garden and bake up a few loaves of this summer classic.

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A Taste of Simpler Summers

The older I get, the more I find myself thinking back on the summers spent at my grandparents’ farm, and all the special memories made. Catching fireflies out in the backyard, making mudpies after a good ‘ole Midwest thunderstorm, exploring streams in the pastures, and running around the ponds giggling as all the giant bullfrogs bellowed, clearly annoyed that I had interrupted their sunbathing.

And there was always plenty of fresh produce to help my grandma pick in their little garden just steps from their house.

Nothing says summer like the smell of warm zucchini bread fresh out of the oven, and my grandma’s recipe is the best!

I’ve always been very close to my grandparents, especially my grandma, so making one of her recipes feels like holding onto a little piece of her (and some of my fondest childhood memories).

This is the recipe that she wrote on a notecard and gave to my mom almost 40 years ago. As you can see, it’s been well-loved over the decades.

My mom made this recipe often for my sister and me growing up, and today, I’m going to share my grandma’s cherished recipe for the best zucchini bread with you.

Ingredients For My Grandma’s Zucchini Bread Recipe

• 3 eggs
• 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Equipment Needed

How To Make My Grandma’s Recipe For Zucchini Bread

To start, preheat your oven to 350℉ and use a stick of butter to lightly grease an 8-cavity mini loaf pan.

Next, in a medium bowl, crack three large eggs. To the eggs, add one cup of vegetable oil, two teaspoons of vanilla extract, and one and a half cups of granulated sugar.

Stir with a wooden spoon or mix with an electric hand mixer until all the ingredients are well combined.

In a new bowl, dump the dry ingredients, including the baking soda, baking powder, salt, flour, and ground cinnamon.

Stir the dry mixture together, and then add it to the bowl with the wet mixture.

Slowly mix the batter until everything is just combined. Then fold in two cups of grated zucchini. I like to leave my zucchini unpeeled, but peeled is fine too.

At this point, you can also add some chopped nuts if you want. I love to use walnuts in my quick bread. But, since I didn’t have any on hand when I baked this, I made this batch of zucchini bread without them.

Baking The Bread

Once the batter is mixed, pour it into an 8-cavity mini loaf pan or two full-sized loaf pans. Fill each tin until it is about three-quarters full.

Then place the pan in the oven and bake the mini loaves of bread for 30-35 minutes (60 minutes for full-sized loaves) or until they are golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the loaves.

When the zucchini bread is done, let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then invert the pan and carefully remove each loaf. Place them on a wire rack until they are fully cooled.

Once the bread has cooled, slice and enjoy! You can eat it as is, or eat it my favorite way, warmed up and spread with a bit of butter for breakfast with my morning coffee.

Fresh Zucchini Or Frozen?

The short answer is you can use either! I always think that fresh is best. Fresh grated zucchini naturally holds moisture that keeps the bread soft, so there’s no need to squeeze it dry. If it looks especially wet or is pooling with liquid, just dab it lightly with a paper towel before adding it to the batter.

If you have an abundance of zucchini from your garden, you can always grate it and freeze it.

Frozen zucchini is perfect for baking muffins and bread, including some of my other favorites, double chocolate zucchini bread and chocolate chip zucchini muffins with streusel.

Before you bake with frozen zucchini, let it defrost in the fridge first. Then remove the grated zucchini from the bag, drain it, and blot off any excess water before you use it in your recipe.

How To Store Zucchini Bread

To keep your zucchini bread fresh, wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight food storage container.

You can keep it on the counter for a few days, or store it in the fridge to help it keep longer.

To freeze your baked zucchini bread, wrap the completely cooled loaf in aluminum foil. Baked zucchini bread can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to squeeze the water out of the zucchini?

A: Not usually. The natural moisture in fresh zucchini helps keep the bread soft so you can skip squeezing it dry. If you’re graded zucchini looks especially wet or is pooling liquid, you can lightly dab it with a paper towel.

Q: Can I use frozen zucchini instead of fresh?

A: Yes! Just let it thaw in the fridge first, then remove it from the bag, drain it, and blott off any excess water before adding it to your batter. Frozen zucchini tends to release more liquid than fresh, so the step matters more here than with fresh zucchini.

Q: Do I need to peel the zucchini first?

A: No, peeling is optional. I usually leave mine unpeeled, but peeled works fine too if you prefer.

Q: Can I make this in a regular loaf pan instead of mini loaf pans?

A: Yes, this recipe makes two regular-sized loaves. Bake at 350°F for about 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Q: How do I store zucchini bread?

A: Simply wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. It’ll keep on the counter for a few days, or you can store it in the fridge to help it last longer.

Q: Can I freeze zucchini bread?

A: Yes, baked and completely cold zucchini bread freezes well. Wrap the loaf tightly in aluminum foil, and it’ll keep in the freezer for up to six months.

Grandma’s Recipe For The Best Zucchini Bread

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you enjoy my grandma’s zucchini bread recipe as much as we do.

Do you have a favorite family recipe? I’d love to hear more about it in the comments, or feel free to email me and share a photo and the story behind the recipes passed down through your family.

And don’t forget to see all the other easy old-fashioned summer recipes and ideas linked below.

More Old-Fashioned Summer Inspiration

The Tattered Pew | Eleanor Rose Home | Midwest Life and Style | Green Valley Gable | Our Tiny Nest Blog | White & Wood Grain

Printable Recipe Card for My Grandma’s Zucchini Bread

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