Vegetables are the unsung heroes of the quick bread world; they bring subtle flavor and keep breads moist. This zucchini bread is made with olive oil and is only lightly sweet, which makes it a great bread to top with butter and a drizzle of honey for breakfast. Try combining two different vegetables in one loaf to add depth of flavor (see “Adding Grated Vegetables to Quick Breads,” page 584).
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 0.175 cup fresh orange juice or milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- ½ cup chopped pecans
How to Make It
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with oil.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Beat the oil, zest, juice, and eggs together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring just enough to combine. Do not overmix; it’s okay if the batter is not perfectly smooth. Fold in the zucchini and pecans.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost entirely clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then carefully turn it upside down to release the loaf. Serve warm or at room temperature. Or wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature for a couple of days.
- VEGAN ZUCCHINI BREAD Substitute 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoons water for the eggs; let sit for at least 3 minutes, until the mixture has a gel-like consistency. Use orange juice or substitute the milk with soy or almond milk. V
- CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD Sounds weird; tastes delicious: Replace ½ cup flour with Dutch process cocoa powder. Fold up to 1 cup chopped dark chocolate (about 6 ounces) into the batter. 5 Additions for Zucchini Bread 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, added to the wet ingredients Up to 1½ teaspoons mixed ground spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, and/or cloves (cloves are powerful, so go easy on them), added to the dry ingredients Up to ½ cup chopped candied ginger, folded into the finished batter Up to 1 cup chopped toasted nuts, folded into the finished batter Up to ½ cup dried fruit, chopped or sliced as needed, folded into the finished batter
