Grandma's Recipe For The Best Zucchini Bread - Midwest Life and Style Blog (2024)

Nothing says summer like fresh-baked zucchini bread straight out of the oven, and my grandma’s recipe is the best! Grab some produce from the garden and bake up a few loaves of this summer classic.

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Old Fashioned Summer Inspiration

This summer seems to be flying by, and it has me wishing there was a way to push the pause button to make time slow down. Even if for just a bit.

It also has me thinking back on nostalgic memories of summers past. Catching fireflies out in the backyard. Making mudpies after a good ‘ole Midwest thunderstorm. Running through the sprinkler on hot, sunny days. And weeks spent at my grandparent’s farm helping grandma pick fresh produce from the garden just steps from their house.

Today, I’m excited to join five bloggers to share ideas for some old-fashioned summer inspiration with you. Thank you to my friend Heidi at Eleanor Rose for inviting me to join in on the fun.

You can find each post at the bottom of the page, so be sure to scroll through so you don’t miss out on any of the summertime classics.

The Best Zucchini Bread

Nothing says summer like the smell of warm zucchini bread fresh out of the oven. And my grandma’s is the best!

This is the recipe that she wrote on a notecard and gave to my mom almost 40 years ago. As you can see, it’s been well-loved over the decades.

My mom made this recipe often for my sister and me growing up, and today, I’m going to share my grandma’s cherished recipe for the best zucchini bread with you.

Ingredients For My Grandma’s Zucchini Bread

• 3 eggs
• 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

How To Make My Grandma’s Recipe For Zucchini Bread

To start, preheat your oven to 350℉ and use a stick of butter to lightly grease an 8-cavity mini loaf pan.

Next, in a medium glass mixing bowl, crack three large eggs. To the eggs, add one cup of vegetable oil, two teaspoons of vanilla extract, and one and a half cups of granulated sugar.

Stir with a wooden spoon until all of the ingredients are well combined.

In a new bowl, dump the dry ingredients, including the baking soda, baking powder, salt, flour, and ground cinnamon.

Stir the dry mixture together, and then add it to the bowl with the wet mixture.

Slowly mix the batter until everything is just combined. Then stir in two cups of grated zucchini. I like to leave mine zucchini unpeeled, but peeled is fine too.

At this point, you can also add some chopped nuts if you want. I love to use walnuts in my quick bread. But, since I didn’t have any on hand when I baked this, I made this batch of zucchini bread without them.

Baking The Bread

Once the batter is mixed pour it into an 8-cavity mini loaf pan or two full-sized loaf pans. Fill each tin until it is about three-quarters full.

Then place the pan in the oven and bake the mini loaves of bread for 30-35 minutes (60 minutes for full-sized loaves) or until they are golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the loaves.

When the zucchini bread is done, let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then invert the pan and carefully remove each loaf. Place them on a baking rack until they are fully cooled.

Once the bread has cooled, slice and enjoy! You can eat it as is, or eat it my favorite way, warmed up and spread with a bit of butter.

Fresh Zucchini Or Frozen?

The short answer is you can use either! I always think that fresh is best. But if you have an abundance of zucchini from your garden, you can always grate it and freeze it.

Frozen zucchini is perfect to bake muffins and bread including some of my other favorites,double chocolate zucchini bread and chocolate chip zucchini muffins with streusel.

Before you bake with frozen zucchini, let it defrost in the fridge first. Then remove the grated zucchini from the bag, drain it, and blot off any excess water before you use it in your recipe.

How To Store Zucchini Bread

To keep your zucchini bread fresh, wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight food storage container.

You can keep it on the counter for a few days, or store it in the fridge to help it keep longer.

To freeze your baked zucchini bread wrap the completely cooled loaf in aluminum foil. Baked zucchini bread can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Grandma’s Recipe For The Best Zucchini Bread

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Do you have a favorite family recipe? I’d love to hear more about it in the comments.

And don’t forget to see all the other old-fashioned summer recipes and ideas linked below.

More Old Fashioned Summer Inspiration

The Tattered Pew | Eleanor Rose Home | Midwest Life and Style | Green Valley Gable | Our Tiny Nest Blog | White & Wood Grain

Recipe for My Grandma’s Zucchini Bread

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