Aaahhh I love this time of year! All the amazing produce spilling off the stands at farmers markets makes me happier than I can express. Even the regular old grocery store has gorgeous fruits and veggies that make me want to run to the kitchen and bake up a storm.
I’ve been meaning to make zucchini bread since last summer. At one point I even bought the zucchini. But then I stuck it in the fridge and forgot about it until I was looking for some carrots to snack on and found my sad, shriveled zucchini wasting away in the vegetable crisper. (It was anything but crisp at that point.)
So I waited and waited and waited for what seemed like foreverrrrrr for good zucchini to show up in the store again. And it’s here! And I made this bread and it was soooo worth the interminable wait. This bread is just packed with fresh zucchini flavor and the crunchy walnuts are perfection in the moist bread. Chocolate chips obviously don’t hurt either.
This bread is, without a doubt, the best way to use up the surplus of zucchini I know a lot of you will have in your gardens this year. If I had any ability to grow anything I’d have a garden full of it just so I could make extra loaves to keep in the freezer. (Yes, the bread freezes well and I actually really like it right from the freezer. It has a lovely texture.)
If you’re not a fan of walnuts you can sub in any other nut, or just leave them out. Or add a few more chocolate chips! Don’t want the chocolate in there? Leave it out, add more nuts, maybe swap in some butterscotch chips. Butterscotch would be a fun twist. And I just might have to make some butterscotch zucchini bread soon. Why can’t I just leave a good recipe as-is? Life’s rough some days ☺.
A word of warning: this bread needs to be refrigerated overnight before serving so the flavors develop fully, so be sure to plan that time into any bread-baking plans you might have.
What does it say about me that three of the four pictures in this post contain butter? Nothing good, I’m sure.
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated zucchini (from about 7 ounces zucchini)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9- by 4-inch loaf pans.
- Whisk together the oil and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously until creamy and light in color. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again until well combined.
- Place grated zucchini on several paper towels and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. Stir zucchini into the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Add the zucchini mixture and stir to combine. Continue stirring just until flour disappears in the batter. (Be sure to scrape the flour up from the bottom of the bowl.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 65 to 75 minutes, until the top is firm and loaf pulls away from the sides of the pan. A cake tester inserted into the middle of the bread should come out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before serving.
My mom used to make this for me when I was a kid!! One of my faves by far. That and banana chocolate chip bread. Thanks for the reminder. I need to whip some up soon. I like to toast it if the loaf is around for more than a couple days. So delicious. Butter is always a good thing! Always!!
You know, I’ve never made (or eaten) banana chocolate chip bread. I might have to try that soon! And thank you for validating my butter love :)!