Irresistible Zucchini Bread Betty Crocker

I didn’t think I liked zucchini bread until I tried my neighbor’s version at a summer potluck. Turns out, the secret was following a solid, no-fuss recipe instead of winging it like I’d been doing. That’s when I turned to the Betty Crocker method—because honestly, Betty Crocker recipes just work.

This zucchini bread is the kind you can make on a lazy Sunday morning without stressing about fancy techniques or hard-to-find ingredients. You’ve got your garden zucchini (or the ones your neighbor keeps leaving on your porch), some pantry staples, and about an hour. The warm spices make your kitchen smell like fall, even if it’s the middle of July.

What Kind of Zucchini Should I Use?

Any type of zucchini will work great for this bread, whether you’ve got the standard green variety or even yellow summer squash from your garden. Medium-sized zucchini are your best bet since they tend to have fewer seeds and less water content than those giant ones you sometimes find hiding under the leaves. If you do end up with larger zucchini, just make sure to squeeze out some of the excess moisture after shredding – you can do this by wrapping the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and giving it a good twist. There’s no need to peel your zucchini before shredding, as the skin adds nice flecks of color and extra nutrients to your bread.

Options for Substitutions

This zucchini bread is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options:

• Zucchini: Yellow summer squash works just as well as zucchini and you won’t notice much difference in taste or texture. Make sure to squeeze out excess moisture from whichever you use.
• Vegetable oil: You can swap this with melted coconut oil, canola oil, or even melted butter for a richer flavor. Keep the measurements the same.
• Granulated sugar: Try replacing up to half the sugar with brown sugar for a deeper, molasses-like sweetness. You can also reduce the total sugar to 1 ½ cups if you prefer it less sweet.
• All-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour can replace up to half the all-purpose flour for a heartier texture. You might need to add a tablespoon or two of extra liquid if the batter seems too thick.
• Nuts and raisins: Feel free to use walnuts, pecans, or almonds – whatever you have on hand. Dried cranberries or chocolate chips make great substitutes for raisins, or skip the mix-ins altogether.
• Ground cloves: If cloves aren’t your thing, use nutmeg or allspice instead, or just add an extra ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making zucchini bread is not squeezing out the excess moisture from your shredded zucchini, which can lead to a dense, gummy loaf that never fully bakes through – use a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth to wring out as much liquid as possible before adding it to your batter.

Overmixing the batter once you add the flour is another common error that creates tough, rubbery bread, so stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated and you still see a few streaks of flour.

Don’t skip the toothpick test even if your loaf looks golden brown on top, since zucchini bread can appear done on the outside while still being raw in the center – insert a toothpick into the middle and it should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.

For extra insurance against a soggy bottom, try placing your loaf pans on the middle oven rack rather than the bottom, which allows for better air circulation and more even baking.

What to Serve With Zucchini Bread?

Zucchini bread is perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack, and I love serving it with a generous smear of softened butter or cream cheese. A hot cup of coffee or tea makes it even better, especially when you’re enjoying a thick slice in the morning. If you want to make it feel more like dessert, try warming up a slice and topping it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. You can also serve it alongside fresh fruit like berries or sliced peaches for a nice balance to the sweet, spiced bread.

Storage Instructions

Store: Once your zucchini bread has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. It’ll stay moist and delicious on the counter for about 3 days, or you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week if your kitchen is warm.

Freeze: This bread freezes really well, which is great since the recipe makes two loaves. Wrap each loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then again in foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also slice it first and freeze individual pieces for easy grab-and-go snacks.

Thaw: Let frozen zucchini bread thaw at room temperature for a few hours, or overnight in the fridge. If you froze it in slices, you can toast them straight from the freezer for a warm treat with your morning coffee.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3500-3700
• Protein: 42-48 g
• Fat: 125-135 g
• Carbohydrates: 540-570 g

Ingredients

• 3 cups shredded zucchini (squeezed dry)
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Mise en Place

• Loaf pan, greased

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease the bottom of your loaf pans (two 8-inch or one 9-inch).

While the oven heats, measure out all your dry ingredients and set them aside—this ensures smooth mixing and prevents overmixing later.

Make sure your zucchini is already squeezed dry; excess moisture is the enemy of good bread texture and will make it dense.

Step 2: Build the Wet Ingredient Base

• 3 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

In a large bowl, combine the shredded zucchini, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs.

Whisk these together until well combined and the mixture is fairly smooth—this blending creates an emulsion that will help distribute moisture evenly throughout the bread.

The eggs are doing double duty here: they bind the batter together and help create lift during baking.

Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients and Fold Into Batter

• 3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• wet ingredient mixture from Step 2
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and baking powder.

Pour the wet ingredient mixture from Step 2 into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined—don’t overmix, as this develops gluten and makes the bread tough.

The spices should be evenly distributed throughout, creating that classic warm, comforting flavor.

Fold in the nuts and raisins at the very end, being careful not to break them up.

Step 4: Fill Pans and Bake

Pour the batter into your prepared pans, dividing evenly and filling them about two-thirds full.

I like to tap the pans gently on the counter a couple of times to release any large air pockets—this helps you get an even crumb.

Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes if using two 8-inch loaves, or 70-80 minutes if using one 9-inch loaf.

The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Step 5: Cool and Release from Pans

Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

This resting period allows the structure to set just enough so it won’t fall apart when you turn it out.

After 10 minutes, run a thin knife around the edges of each loaf and carefully turn it out onto a wire cooling rack.

I prefer to cool zucchini bread upside down for the first few minutes—it prevents the bottom from getting soggy.

Step 6: Cool Completely Before Slicing

Let the bread cool to room temperature on the wire rack before slicing—this usually takes 1-2 hours depending on your kitchen temperature.

Slicing warm bread can cause it to fall apart or crumble.

Once fully cooled, slice with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion rather than pressing down hard.

Irresistible Zucchini Bread Betty Crocker

Delicious Irresistible Zucchini Bread Betty Crocker recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 17 minutes mins

Servings: 24 slices

Calories: 3600

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups shredded zucchini (squeezed dry)
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease the bottom of your loaf pans (two 8-inch or one 9-inch). While the oven heats, measure out all your dry ingredients and set them aside—this ensures smooth mixing and prevents overmixing later. Make sure your zucchini is already squeezed dry; excess moisture is the enemy of good bread texture and will make it dense.
2. In a large bowl, combine the shredded zucchini, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs. Whisk these together until well combined and the mixture is fairly smooth—this blending creates an emulsion that will help distribute moisture evenly throughout the bread. The eggs are doing double duty here: they bind the batter together and help create lift during baking.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and baking powder. Pour the wet ingredient mixture from Step 2 into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined—don't overmix, as this develops gluten and makes the bread tough. The spices should be evenly distributed throughout, creating that classic warm, comforting flavor. Fold in the nuts and raisins at the very end, being careful not to break them up.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared pans, dividing evenly and filling them about two-thirds full. I like to tap the pans gently on the counter a couple of times to release any large air pockets—this helps you get an even crumb. Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes if using two 8-inch loaves, or 70-80 minutes if using one 9-inch loaf. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
5. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pans for 10 minutes. This resting period allows the structure to set just enough so it won't fall apart when you turn it out. After 10 minutes, run a thin knife around the edges of each loaf and carefully turn it out onto a wire cooling rack. I prefer to cool zucchini bread upside down for the first few minutes—it prevents the bottom from getting soggy.
6. Let the bread cool to room temperature on the wire rack before slicing—this usually takes 1-2 hours depending on your kitchen temperature. Slicing warm bread can cause it to fall apart or crumble. Once fully cooled, slice with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion rather than pressing down hard.