My New Favorite Zucchini Bread
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Author Notes: I think one of my favorite things when it comes to zucchini is a lot of other peoples favorite too...Zucchini bread. It's sweet, moist, and one of the few things I will happily turn my oven on for even on the hottest of days. Besides the taste, zucchini bread does another wonderful thing, it freezes well. So you get to stash a loaf in the freezer for a later date and not feel the need to hoard the one loaf being devoured on the counter. However, sometimes...I find myself wanting it to be a little different. The cinnamon version is wonderful, and I'll always make it, but I was looking at that slice on my plate a couple of weeks ago and wondering what other flavors I could put in there. Don't say chocolate. Go ahead and make a chocolate zucchini cake if you want to, but don't make chocolate zucchini bread...that's just not right. It's like zucchini trying to be something it's not. My favorite zucchini bread recipe is one I found on Smitten Kitchen. It is the moist, flavorful zucchini bread you are craving when you go to make a couple of loaves. Inspired by that recipe, I was looking out my kitchen window into my herb garden and I saw my rosemary plant. Now there's a thought. So I thought a little more and came up with this:
- Dabblings
Food52 Review: WHO: Dabblings is an avid DIY-er, mother, food blogger, and "self-reformed wild child."
WHAT: A rosemary and orange-scented loaf cake that feels both indulgent and virtuous.
HOW: Shred, stir, bake, slice, enjoy.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This is the kind of quick bread we love to keep around the house, to slice for breakfast, for snack, for dessert, for anything. And when we run out, it takes a mere hour to whip up another loaf! - A&M
Makes 2 loaves
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1 3/4 cup of sugar
- 2 cups of zucchini; shredded
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary; finely minced
- Zest of one orange (I used a navel orange)
- Juice from 1/2 of the orange
- 3 cups of flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of toasted pecans; chopped ( Or pine nuts if you can swing that)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans and set them aside.
- In a large bowl beat the eggs. Mix in the yogurt, oil, and sugar. Then mix in the shredded zucchini, rosemary, orange zest, and orange juice. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and toasted nuts.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Once the batter is well combined divide it evenly between the two loaf pans.
- Bake the loaves for one hour, give or take a few minutes, until a tester inserted comes out clean. My loaves took exactly one hour and were perfect.
- Remove the loaves from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes inside the loaf pan before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- This recipe is a Wildcard Contest Winner!
Tags: summer treat, sweet and savory
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7 months ago Matilda Luk
Wonderful zucchini bread--the loaf where I put a handful of chocolate chunks were eagerly devoured by my daughter and her playmates this Sunday. The chocolate-less loaves were appreciated by adults. The rosemary and olive oil is a very sophisticated touch--I love the grassy, herbal note--and was much more pronounced the first day than the second (though still delicious!).
7 months ago cookingintheheights
Still happily munching our way through first batch of this recipe - lovely. Am going to be better behaved next time and use the specified quantity of sugar, rather than half the amount (I always start out halving and it usually works well, but may have overdid it with this recipe).
7 months ago cici
This was a hit at a bridal shower brunch this past weekend. I followed the recipe to a "T," and the loaves were perfect. After they cooled completely, I refrigerated them for about two hours which made them easy to make perfect slices. Such a nice change from the cinammon flavor one usually has with zucchini bread.
7 months ago Dabblings
That is so cool! I'm glad they went over so well.
8 months ago phyllisc
I loved this recipe. I used pine nuts and they are perfect in the bread. This recipe is a sophisticated version of an old standby and so much better. I had to stop my husband from devouring the loaf and he sulked when I gave the 2nd away! Great job Dabblings!
8 months ago Dabblings
Ha! I love that he sulked :)
8 months ago cyndie
made a double batch- substituted the rosemary with fresh savory---brings out the citrus in the orange peel. Also, used less sugar--turned out great!
8 months ago The Cook's Tour
This bread is wonderful! I love that it makes two - I wrapped one & stowed it in the freezer for a cold winter's day!
8 months ago Katrina Yeaw
This bread is lovely. I made two small substitutions. I cut the sugar by 1/4 cup and substituted whole wheat floor for half of the floor. The flavor is delicious. I did have one small problem. Both of my loafs came out rather flat... about the size of half a regular loaf. Any idea why they might not have risen?
8 months ago Dabblings
No idea. That has never happened with mine and I've made this recipe many times. I'm sorry they were flat :( I hope they at least still tasted good.
8 months ago mward
This bread is delicious. I so wish this had been posted (or, if it had been, I had seen it) earlier in the zucchini season!
8 months ago Dabblings
Yes I posted it last summer along with a recipe for a zucchini slaw that is on my recipes when I was...we'll go with "inundated", by zucchini. I'm glad you liked it, and hey, now you've got it for next year, right?
8 months ago Foodiewithalife
I have a few huge zucchini in my fridge as we speak and don't think I can eat one more meal of it sauteed/roasted/raw. Thanks for the idea!
Christina
www.foodiewithalife.com
8 months ago Foodiewithalife
I have a few huge zucchini in my fridge as we speak and don't think I can eat one more meal of it sauteed/roasted/raw. Thanks for the idea!
Christina
www.foodiewithalife.com
8 months ago janki
i also reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup...might reduce it a bit more next time - not sure yet. very good recipe!
8 months ago janki
Hi! I just made this with no nuts and 1 cup whole wheat flour in place of 1 cup AP flour - incredible. congratulations!
8 months ago Joan Mc
I made this yesterday and it truly is the best zucchini bread I ever had! I used canola oil because I just couldn't bring myself to use olive oil in a sweet bread. I'll have to try sometime. Great way to use my rosemary too. Thanks so much for a fabulous treat.
8 months ago belladinonni
Just made this bread and it was DELIGHTFUL!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!
8 months ago Dabblings
Thank you for letting me know :) I'm so glad you like it.
8 months ago Cristald
If I were to make these in glass loaf pans, would I have to adjust the cooking time?
8 months ago Dabblings
I use glass loaf pans exclusively so you'll be fine with the time stated :)
8 months ago Dabblings
I use glass loaf pans exclusively so you'll be fine with the time stated :)
8 months ago petalpusher
I can't believe I've become a zucchini bread snob! This is such a great combo. Throw in a handful of fresh calendula petals too, for more garden goodness, if you've got them, they'll keep blooming til' frost. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
8 months ago hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.
Well-deserved wildcard win! This sounds like a really delicious take on zucchini bread. I love using rosemary in sweeter applications like this. Can't wait to try it!
8 months ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
This looks phenomenal! I am craving a slice right this instant. Congrats on the wildcard! I can already tell it's well deserved.
8 months ago AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Congrats, dabblings! This looks just wonderful. Oranges aren't in season here, but my current "crop" of lemons are starting to ripen; lemon + rosemary go so well together, so I plan to make this, using lemons instead, over the weekend. And I'll bake it in mini-loaves to freeze, as I generally do with banana bread. I bet it would make excellent muffins, too. Stay tuned. ;o)
8 months ago Dabblings
Thanks! I know it would be good with lemon as well. Let me know how you like it :)
8 months ago lisina
what size loaf pans?
8 months ago Dabblings
I use 8x4 pans.
8 months ago Vicky K
I'm going to try this but using 1/2 or less the amount of sugar, 1/2 whole wheat flour and egg whites.
8 months ago inpatskitchen
Congrats on the Wildcard win! This looks fabulous!
8 months ago EmilyC
Congrats on your WC win, Dabblings! This looks so delicious!
8 months ago sdebrango
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Congratulations, I love this loaf. I made it and it's so delicious, moist and just plain amazing.
8 months ago Dabblings
I'm so glad you liked it I was shocked when I saw I won the wildcard. I'm still so excited about it.
9 months ago scootermagoo
This is AMAZING bread! I reduced the sugar just slightly (about 1/4 cup) and added about a cup of whole wheat flower with 2 cups of white. I also omitted the nuts. Still turned out phenomenal! So moist and such an interesting flavor combo. Love the twist on a traditional. This is a keeper!
9 months ago Dabblings
So glad you liked it :) I'm about to make some this week.
about 1 year ago linenlady
Made this last night as written, only omitting the rosemary because I didn't have any on hand. It was delicious! Very moist and easy to make. Loved that it made 2 loaves so I have one to freeze.
9 months ago Dabblings
It always makes me ecstatic when I hear people make the recipes I create. Thanks for giving it a go!
over 1 year ago peach49
what does the measurement cake mean?? I have not seen that before in reference to sugar and zucchini
over 1 year ago aargersi
Abbie is a trusted source on General Cooking.
I am guessing it's cups and that the drop-down slipped a notch when she entered it
over 1 year ago Dabblings
Yes that is exactly what happened! Fixing it know! Thanks for the sharp eyes :)
over 1 year ago Dabblings
*now* jeez
over 1 year ago sdebrango
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
This looks so delicious, I love that you use olive oil in the batter.