Zucchini Loaf

This zucchini bread recipe makes two full loaves, which is exactly right because one will disappear before it cools. Grated zucchini melts into the oil-based batter, creating a crumb so moist it barely needs anything on top.

The recipe gives you a choice between raisins and dates, and that choice matters. Dates make a noticeably moister, stickier loaf with a deeper caramel sweetness. Raisins add chewier pops of fruit that hold their shape better. Either way, walnuts bring the crunch that keeps the texture interesting.

Cinnamon and nutmeg keep the spicing warm but restrained. This isn’t a spice cake pretending to be bread. It’s a loaf where the zucchini moisture and the toasty nuts are the stars.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t squeeze the water out of the grated zucchini. Unlike in fritters or pancakes, you want that moisture here. It’s what makes the loaf so tender.
• Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Fine shreds disappear into the batter completely, but larger shreds give the loaf more visible green flecks and texture.
• Check at 75 minutes with a toothpick. The baking time range is wide (75 to 90 minutes) because moisture content varies with the zucchini and your choice of fruit.
• Wrap cooled loaves tightly and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature and they taste just as good as fresh.

Variations

• Chocolate zucchini bread: Add half a cup of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and swap the raisins for chocolate chips.
• Lemon zucchini loaf: Add the zest of two lemons to the batter and drizzle with a lemon-powdered sugar glaze after cooling.