Description
A delightful and easy-to-make quick bread featuring shredded zucchini for moisture and a sweet, spiced cinnamon sugar swirl.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar (for batter)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for batter)
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini, lightly packed (about 1 medium zucchini)
For the Cinnamon Swirl:
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the longer sides to help lift the bread out later.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: In a separate medium bowl, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix; a few streaks of flour are fine. Fold in the shredded zucchini.
Step 5: In a small bowl, mix together the ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for the swirl.
Step 6: Pour half of the zucchini bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over the batter.
Step 7: Carefully spoon the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar layer, spreading it gently to cover. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon swirl mixture on top.
Step 8: Using a butter knife or a skewer, gently swirl the cinnamon sugar into the batter with a few passes, creating a marbled effect. Be careful not to overmix.
Step 9: Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean with no wet batter. A few moist crumbs are acceptable.
Step 10: Let the bread cool in the loaf pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before carefully lifting it out using the parchment paper overhang. Transfer to the wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
For an extra treat, add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter along with the zucchini. You can also drizzle a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and milk over the cooled bread.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60-65 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 45mg