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Classic zucchini bread is made a little more bright and delicious with a pop of citrus flavor in this Lemon Zucchini Bread. Don’t forget the easy glaze for that extra hit of lemon flavor and sweetness!
This whole staying at home situation has basically turned me into a small scale farmer and sourdough bread baker.
I have mentioned numerous times that I can barely keep air plants and succulents alive. Needless to say, gardening is most definitely not my forte.
However, this summer I’ve had all the time in the world to tend to my little garden and I’m proud to say that I’ve only lost one tomato plant and some cilantro. Guys, this is a pretty big deal considering I have a history of killing mint.
I honestly don’t even like tomatoes, but my local greenhouse had some container tomatoes that caught my eye, so I figured I’d give them a go and just load my tomato-loving dad all summer long.
Since I know I can actually keep things alive, I’ve got big plans for next season including cucumbers, more herbs and zucchini.
GLAZED LEMON ZUCCHINI BREAD
I’ve gotta confess that I’m not the biggest fan of zucchini on its own. It just doesn’t have that much flavor to me.
But in baked goods? I adore it.
Not just because butter and sugar make everything better, but because the kind of neutral flavor makes it perfect for adding to all sorts of desserts and even breakfasts.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, Lemon Zucchini Cake, Zucchini Cookies, and Zucchini Bread Pancakes are all excellent ways to use up any excess zucchini this summer.
This glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread is equally great.
This quick bread isn’t your typical zucchini bread – it’s loaded with lemon zest and topped with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze. It’s perfect for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack with a cup of coffee
HOW TO MAKE LEMON ZUCCHINI BREAD
Just like most quick breads, Lemon Zucchini Bread is easy to make and doesn’t dirty up a lot of bowls in the process.
The first step to making this recipe is to rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar with your fingertips.
This might seem like an unnecessary step, but I promise you it isn’t. Taking the time to do this really brings out the oils in the zest and makes it more fragrant.
After that, the recipe is pretty much a straightforward quick bread:
- Whisk together the wet ingredients, including the zucchini
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture
- Pour into a 8×4-inch loaf pan and bake
Once the bread is baked and has cooled, whisk together the glaze and drizzle it over the top of the bread. The glaze will harden and add a lovely texture and flavor to the bread.
HOW TO STORE ZUCCHINI BREAD
Because the zucchini in this recipe makes the bread pretty moist, I recommend storing the Lemon Zucchini Bread in the refrigerator.
Just wrap it tightly in foil or put it in an airtight container and it will stay good in the fridge for about 3 days.
You can also freeze this zucchini bread if you want to keep it for longer. You can either freeze the loaf whole, or cut it into thick slices and freeze those individually.
Wrap the whole loaf or the individual slices in foil and place them in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
If you freeze the loaf whole, move the bread to the fridge to thaw overnight before serving.
If you freeze individual slices, you can unwrap the slices as you want them and microwave them for 30-60 seconds to thaw.
Lemon Zucchini Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest about 2 medium lemons
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini packed and undrained
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Glaze
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8×4 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest, mixing with your fingertips until fragrant. Add the egg, vegetable oil and vanilla and whisk to combine. Stir in zucchini. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake 50-55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove pan to wire rack and cool in pan for about 10 minutes before turning out onto the wire rack to cool completely.
- Once bread is cooled, prepare the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Drizzle the glaze over the bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Beautiful and moist! A bit sweet for me even though I cut the sugar to 1/2 cup. I zested two lemons but they didn’t yield 2 tbs. having tasted it the 2 tbs would have been better. I’ll add more zest to the glaze. Finally I went equal parts wholemeal and plain flour to make up the recipe’s 1 1/2 cups. Lovely and fluffy! Thanks for sharing, I’ll bake this again!
So happy to see that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
This bread is absolute delicious!! Could it be made into muffins?
Hi Katelyn โย Yes, you could certainly put it in muffin tins. Muffins usually need around 18-22 minutes to bake, although you will want to keep an eye on them to confirm. Happy baking!
Jamie
My go to recipe for Zucchini bread. I make a double batch and give one to my elderly Mom. She Loves it. Thank you
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for stopping back and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
This was my first-time ever making zucchini bread, and this recipe did not disappoint! My partner and I are both big lemon lovers, so I added an extra half tablespoon of zest to the batter and it was glorious. He told me it was the best zucchini bread he’d ever had, and I’m on the same page! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m going to continue to bake more loaves with the ridiculous amount of zucchini my stepdad gave me from his garden.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the bread, Emily! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
Beautiful recipe and easy to follow. Thank you
So happy to hear you enjoyed the bread, Emmah! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
Can your Lemon Zucchini bread be made with grated frozen zucchini?
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe with frozen zucchini, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
@Jamie,
I have not tried THIS recipe with frozen zucchini, but a trick that works for other recipes is to freeze shredded zucchini in proper proportions with the oil for a specified recipe.
I will have to give this a try! Thanks for the tip!
-Jamie
Can I replace the vegetable oil with apple sauce?
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe with this substitution, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Hi Jamie,
This was soooo goooood! This one is a keeper.
Laura
So glad you enjoyed it, Laura!
First, greetings from a fellow Toledoan! I don’t live there anymore, but my family is still there–and lived through the “bloom” as well. Ick!
Second, this is EXACTLY what I’ve been planning for my next baking effort this weekend. I do “Baked Good Mondays” for my husband’s office, and I plan on a double batch this time! Thanks for thinking of what I already wanted! :o)
Dee Dee-
I hope you get the chance to try it. Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
I made it this weekend and sent it off to work with my husband this morning–but not before I got a sneak taste. This is SO good. In fact, I’m going to be posting it on my blog today! I’m going to make sure to link back to your page and credit My Baking Addiction for the inspiration!
Thanks so much, Dee Dee. I am glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
-Jamie
Wow this recipe was amazing! My boyfriend literally ate half the loaf in under ten minutes! Looks like I’ll have to start making this more often…and a double batch! Thanks :-)
I’m so glad the recipe worked for you. Thanks for stopping by!
-Jamie