Every home cook must have a zucchini bread recipe. Here’s mine: I like to mix in some grated apple, applesauce, and olive oil. That turns this everyday quick bread into something just a bit more lovely. Zucchini apple bread and a hot cup of coffee is one of my favorite breakfasts. I also like to take a slice on the road as a snack.
Zucchini Apple Bread
Course: Breakfast, BrunchCuisine: American2
loaves40
minutes20-40
Ingredients
Butter for the pans
½ cup chopped walnuts
3 cups +1/2 tsp all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp ginger
1½ cups grated (unpeeled) zucchini
1 cup grated (unpeeled) apple
1¼ cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup oilive oil
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup apple sauce
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Coat 2 loaf pans (4.5 x 8.5 inches, measured from the bottom) with butter. (Line the pans with parchment paper and butter the paper. See notes.) Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Toss the nuts with the 1/2-teaspoon of flour; set aside. In a medium-size mixing bowl, blend together remaining flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the zucchini, apple, brown sugar, both oils, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients; stir and fold gently until all dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in the nuts.
- Divide the batter between the 2 loaf pans, about 1 lb. 11 oz. per pan. Place the pans in the oven, close the door, lower the temperature to 350°F, and bake until a tester inserted in the middle of each loaf comes out perhaps a little moistened, but definitely without any trace of batter or crumbs, 40-45 minutes. Cool just until you’re able to handle the pans (5 minutes), then remove the breads from the pans and cool on a wire rack.
- Once fully cooled, wrap in parchment, and then in foil. Keep at room temperature or refrigerate. Slice with a serrated knife, using gentle sawing motions.
Notes
- Substitutions: raisins for the nuts, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract for the 1 teaspoon vanilla, swap out all the spices with 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon, pare the brown sugar down to 1 cup and add up to 1 cup of granulated sugar.
- The first time you try this recipe, use the parchment pan lining. If you find that the loaves come out effortlessly, skip the parchment next time. Whether or not your loaves will stick to your pans depends a lot on your particular pans.
The apple and the spice combination set this bread apart from most zucchini breads. As with any zucchini bread, I love it spread with butter because of the hit of creaminess and salt. But I also love to slice a banana (or any other kind of fruit) on top of a piece.
The loaves will last more than a week. If you’re going to have them around that long, I recommend refrigerating them. Regardless of how they’re stored, by the end of a week, they’ll have started to dry out. Time to heat up a griddle. Cut a double-thick slice and, as you hold it in your nondominant hand, generously slather both cut sides with very soft butter. Place the slice on the griddle and check it every minute or so until you see some nice browning. Flip to brown the other side. Plate it, and drizzle a tablespoon of pure maple syrup over it. So good!
Social Learning
This is a nice way to use up apples that have moved past their prime and might be mealy and unappealing. The apple, depending on what type, may make this bread sweeter than most zucchini breads, which is part of the reason why I’ve used a lot less sugar than many quick breads of this sort. If I were buying an apple just for this purpose, I’d go with a Granny Smith – but any apple will work just fine.
If you have leftover grated zucchini and apple, refrigerate them and use them to make more bread in a few days. This bread is good enough that you’ll want more, but if for some reason you don’t, take freshly baked loaves to your neighbors. In the fridge, the leftover zucchini and apple with produce a significant amount of juice; strain that off before using. The apple will have turned seriously brown, but it’s still perfectly fine to bake with.
You’ll easily get 10 standard-size slices from each loaf. If you cut those slices in half – which would be a nice, brunch buffet serving – that’s how you come to 40 servings.
Adult Lunchbox
You may feel that the amount of nuts is too small. If you add too many, the bread will rise less – not to the point that it’s problematic … but I prefer the lighter texture of a more-risen bread.
Zucchini Apple Bread
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I love the idea of using olive oil and apple in the batter. It looks perfectly dense and flavourful with all the wonderful spices.
Thanks!
It’s kind of funny, I think, that zucchini would be used to make bread. It’s not an obvious thing to do. But, whoever first came up with that notion deserves to be immortalized in the annals of cooking. Your version looks delicious.
Right? It’s ubiquitous. Although there are also carrot cakes, and beet cakes, and pumpkin cakes, so I guess someone’s been thinking along those lines.
This bread is a nice transition into autumn breads. In the summer I do more lemon, strawberry and blueberry quick breads. In fall, more chocolate zucchini, banana nut, or apple like this one.
Cool!
I generally only make sourdough bread or banana bread, but this would have me hooked, I just know it. Definitely time to transition and be adventurous. I just love toasted savoury breads, thanks for the inspiration here Jeff.
Sure thing, Pauline!
Looks delicious. I love zucchini bread but wouldn’t have thought to pair it with apple. Perfect.
Tanks, Judy!
I bet this is good. I love the combination of apple and zucchini. I just don’t bake anymore. I used to bake tons of quick breads when my kids were little. And they were super healthy. But I guess I have just cut back on carbs over the years.
Don’t blame you. I’m a carbaholic.
I’ve never used the combination of apple and zucchini but it obviously works, and works well. It sounds moist and delicious. I never understood why they call them quick breads and not cake? It tastes like cake to me.
You made me curious, so I looked it up on the internet. We all know how reliable that is. But in any case, Wikipedia calls anything leavened with a chemical leavener a quick bread, and goes on to call all cakes, cookies, brownies, and breads like this zucchini bread, quick breads.
I cannot say thar i enjoy zucchini breads often (not too much of my thing, to be honest), but this variation looks and sounds tasty. Loving the use of apples and olive oil for an extra nice and moist texture.
Thanks, Ben!
I love baking with olive oil, and along with the apple, this bread must be the perfect texture. And I have an abundance of zucchini, too! 🙂 ~Valentina
😊
No lo he probado nunca, debe estar delicioso. Besos!
Thank you!
This bread looks so moist and tasty. Love the spices you’ve added, especially the nutmeg. 🙂
Thanks!
Jeff, it’s been awhile since I have embarked on a zucchini bread. I think it’s a fabulous way to use abundant summer squash. The zucchini adds lots of moisture and the apple, ditto, including sweetness. Like you, I would love it with a good cup of coffee in the morning or a snack in the afternoon.
Growing up it was common to take a loaf cake bread, slather it with butter and press it in a skillet. Until I read that in your post, I have not thought about it in what feels like a lifetime.
Great post!
Velva
P.S. I laughed out loud when I read your comment on my blog about losing your mind with 100 degree temps along with 100% humidity. Amen my friend, amen. It’s brutal even for us native Floridians.
I once visited Sarasota in midsummer, and my impression was that at night, it felt like being in a dark but very hot sauna, and in the daytime, it felt someone switched on a heat lamp in that same hot sauna.
This looks wonderful. I especially like the use of olive oil, and the combination of apple and zucchini. I’ve used a recipe for a zucchini chocolate chip cake for years; it also uses olive oil — and, interestingly, buttermilk. As soon as it cools down enough that I can bear to think of turning on the oven, this one will be first in line!
🙂
this sounds so good Jeff! I must make this soon. My hint for apple sauce is to buy apple puree from the baby foods section of the grocery store as it is 100% pure apple. Heaven knows why the adult stuff needs all the additives :=) Cheers sherry
What a great idea!
Oh no… maybe I’m not a home cook. I don’t have a single zucchini-apple bread recipe. Or zucchini bread, or apple bread. So your recipe will be the first in my arsenal. It sounds so delicious and moist! Thanks, Jeff!
Well now you have them all. I didn’t mention it, but I’m pretty sure you could make this bread will all-apple, and it’d be delicious.
I think this could become my favorite breakfast, too. And since I have apples I need to use from my tree, this might be the perfect Fall bread. I love quick breads!
🙂
I generally don’t grow my own veg but I do get some homegrown veg from friends on occasion so I will definitely bookmark this tasty treat. I can tell you right now, this bread is absolutely AWESOME toasted and slathered with butter. It’s one of my favourite ways to have vegetable/fruit breads.
GMTA!
This bread looks so delicious!!
Thank you!
Zucchini bread is one of my favorites. What a great idea to add apple to the zucchini bread. It looks so delicious and moist. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome!
Hey Jeff,
I love hiding veggies in my baked goods too.
It is a wonderful way to feed my kids veggies because otherwise, it is a hassle to feed them those nutritious vegetables.
Keep sharing such lovely recipes
Thank you, Haemi!
I love zucchini bread and your recipe looks great using apples and coconut oil instead of butter.
Thanks!
You’re right about zucchini bread. It’s the same as banana bread and a good chocolate chip cookie – every home baker has their favorite. I like your addition of grated apples here. I’m going to have to try that! And the thought of a buttered, toasted piece of this zuke bread is making my stomach growl right about now. Thanks for that.
Once again I’ll say it, David: if only we were neighbors!
Quite a big ingredient list but a lovely recipe
Thank you, Soma!