If you're like some people (me), you may have started a pandemic garden. And like some people (also me), you may have planted zucchini thinking it was an easy and delicious choice, but now have serious zucchini surplus (and you just can't have zoodles for dinner again). Well, no worries, because I have a delicious zucchini bread recipe that can help cut down your mountain of squash. And for any doubters, this zucchini bread has it all: it's moist, buttery, and topped with a brown sugar oat crumble.
What will you love about this recipe?
- This one loaf recipe is easy to make and comes together in just 15 minutes.
- The zucchini not only makes this bread moist but you are basically hiding veggies in your baked goods; it’s a win-win.
- The brown sugar oat crumble levels up this bread up giving it an added sweet crunch in each bite.
- Melted butter is used instead of oil to give it a delicious nutty flavor and tender crumb.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Zucchini
- Oats (Quick or old fashioned)
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- All-Purpose flour
- Ground cinnamon
- Butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
How to make this recipe:
Start with the brown sugar oat crumble: You can pull this together quickly using a pastry cutter or even just your fingers. You can also use a food processor, but it does affect the texture of the crumble style, as it breaks down the oats.
Shred Zucchini: wash and cut off the ends. Leaving the skin on, shred the zucchini using a cheese grater or a food processor.
Make the batter: it is essential to not overmix the batter. Overmixing equals more gluten formation, which results in a drier and denser bread. The below steps (also in the recipe directions) help ensure that you are less likely to overmix.
- Mix all wet ingredients, including the shredded zucchini: if you add the zucchini after the batter is already mixed, there’s a higher chance of overmixing.
- Mix all dry ingredients: this ensures that the flours, sugars, cinnamon, leavens, and salt are thoroughly combined.
- Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients: combining in this order gives more control over how the dry ingredients are incorporated into the batter.
Prepare bread loaf: Ensure that your bread loaf is evenly greased. I prefer to use a cooking oil spray or melted butter.
Pour batter into loaf pan: the batter should fill the pan about ⅔ full. Ensure that you don’t overfill your loaf pan as you need to leave room for the oat crumble. Additionally, overfilling can result in the batter spilling over the edges while baking and an undercooked or sunken middle.
Add oat crumble evenly across the top of the batter.
Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Every oven is different, so it is important to keep an eye on your bread while baking. If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent foil around the edges to continue to cook without it continuing to brown.
Tips:
- Properly measure out flour: if you have access to one, I recommend using a kitchen scale. It is much more accurate, and it makes cleaning a breeze with no measuring cups to clean. If you don’t have a scale, no worries; just use the spoon and level method.
- Don’t squeeze out the moisture from zucchini: this is what makes the bread moist. However, depending on the amount of water your zucchini has, you may see a pool of liquid after you’ve shredded it. Pour this off and lightly pat the zucchini with a paper towel.
- Mix batter by hand: this helps prevent overmixing the batter which can lead to a dense and drier bread.
In an airtight container or securely wrapping the bread pan. Bread can be stored up to 2-3 days at room temperature or 1 week in the refrigerator.
Steam is one of the main components that allow the bread to rise. Giving time for the bread to cool allows the steam to escape helping prevent a gummy or damp texture. However, I understand freshly baked bread is hard to resist. So, if you must cut into it before it’s done cooling, it is not the end of the world. Just make sure that the bread is completely cool before wrapping and storing.
You do not need to peel the zucchini before shredding. Leaving the skin makes it easier to prep and also has nutritional benefits, bonus!
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Did you enjoy this zucchini bread with brown sugar oat crumble? Tag me @nightowlsbakingco on Instagram and leave a review below. For more recipes and ideas, follow me on Pinterest.
Happy Baking!
Print
Zucchini Bread with Brown Sugar Oat Crumble
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 - 8.5 x 4.5 in loaf 1x
Description
Moist zucchini bread topped with a buttery brown sugar oat crumble. This recipe is an easy-to-make, one loaf recipe made with butter instead of oil to give a delicious nutty flavor and tender crumb.
Ingredients
Brown sugar oat crumble:
- ⅓ cup quick or old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup Brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon All-Purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon Butter, cold & cut into cubes
Zucchini bread
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup shredded zucchini (about 2 medium)
- 1 ¾ cup All-Purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan.
Make oat crumble topping:
- In a medium bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
- Add cold cubed butter (~1 in./2.5cm) into dry ingredients.
- Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles a coarse crumb. Set aside.
Make zucchini bread batter:
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
- Add in shredded zucchini, mixing until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
- Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, folding until just combined. Don’t overmix - similar to muffins, a couple of small flour strikes in the batter is ok. The batter will be on the thicker side.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan; it should be about ⅔ full. Smooth batter to ensure the batter is level.
- Evenly sprinkle oat crumble on top of the batter until evenly distributed.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 60-70 minutes.
- Remove bread from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Allow bread to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Recipe update: this recipe has been updated to include cinnamon within the zucchini bread batter ingredients.
- Prepping zucchini: there is no need to peel before shredding. Use a cheese grater or a food processor to shred the zucchini. If your zucchini has excess water, you may see a pool of water in the container you shredded your zucchini. Pour it out and lightly pat with a paper towel. You don't want to squeeze the moisture out, as this is what keeps the bread moist.
- Edges or top browning too quickly: use foil and tent it around the edges of the loaf.
- Checking if bread is done: insert a knife into the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean or has a couple of moist dull-looking crumbs on it, your bread is done. If it comes out wet, continue baking.
- Removing loaf from pan: before baking, ensure your loaf pan is generously greased. Once done baking, allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes (or cool enough to handle). Release the edges of the loaf with an offset spatula or knife. Carefully turn out onto the cooling rack.
- Storing bread: in an airtight container, bread can be stored up to 2-3 days at room temperature or 1 week in the refrigerator.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
Keywords: zucchini bread, homemade zucchini bread, zucchini bread made with butter, zucchini bread recipe one loaf, moist zucchini bread
Thank you to my significant other, roommates, and co-workers for being the taste testers…your sacrifice does not go unnoticed.
Execellent! Very moist and the crumb is delicious!! I poured mine into min loaf pans. I put 1 cup of batter and they cooked for 38 minutes. Just thought I'd share in case others want to make smaller "gift" loaves.
★★★★★