Lemon Zucchini Bread is a moist, flavorful quick bread topped with a sweet lemon glaze. It’s a summertime favorite that’s delicious for breakfast, snack time, or even dessert!
I have to say… I’m a huge fan of quick breads. From Strawberry Bread to Zucchini Bread and everything in between, I’ve never met a quick bread I didn’t adore. And really, what’s not to love!? It’s as easy as measuring, mixing, and baking, and the end result is always perfection.
This Lemon Zucchini Loaf is one of the BEST… and not just because it’s so incredibly easy. It’s also absolutely delicious! Between the fresh zucchini, the fresh lemon, and the sweet lemon glaze, it really is the best of both worlds.
We especially enjoy this bread in summer, but truth be told, we make it all year round. And once you try it… I have a feeling you will, too!
what you’ll need for this recipe
Flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt – This recipe starts with all the usual suspects: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Granulated sugar – I added 3/4 cup granulated sugar for sweetness. For a sweeter bread, add more.
Zucchini – I added 1 cup of finely grated zucchini. I left it unpeeled for color and texture, but you can peel it if you prefer. *Do not squeeze excess water from zucchini.
Oil & egg – I added 1/4 cup canola oil and 1 large egg for moisture. Substitute vegetable oil or any other mild cooking oil.
Lemon – I added 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest to the bread batter for delicious lemon flavor. *For more intense lemon flavor, add 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract.
Powdered sugar – I used 1/2 cup powdered sugar in the lemon glaze. For the lemon flavor, I added 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
how to make lemon zucchini bread
Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl combine sugar, shredded zucchini, cooking oil, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
Combine them together. Add dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture; stir just until combined.
Bake. Spray an 8×4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan; bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool. Remove from oven. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 min, then remove from pan and cool completely.
Glaze. Once cool, whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the bread.
Recipe Variations
- Add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon lemon extract for more intense lemon flavor
- Add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add ground cinnamon or nutmeg
- Add 1 cup granulated sugar for a sweeter bread
- Double the glaze for more sweetness OR omit the glaze for less sweetness
- Use a muffin pan and make lemon zucchini muffins
storing & freezing tips
Zucchini Lemon Bread can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in aluminum foil. It will last up to 1 week at room temperature or longer in the fridge. To freeze this bread, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Lemon Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini (do not squeeze or dry shredded zucchini)
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl combine sugar, zucchini, cooking oil, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture; stir just until combined.
- Spoon batter into greased 8×4 inch loaf pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 min, then remove from pan and cool completely.
- Once cool, combine ingredients for glaze and drizzle over bread.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
Love the idea of lemon! I also love that it is in the bread and in the glaze!
Maria Pilot says
The video clip says baking powder to use for ICING – think it should be Icing sugar. tks
mary says
yes you need to change the icing from baking powder to powered sugar
Pierrette Fugere says
p
owder sugar
Pierrette says
it is a very good bread i give a 5 stars
Nan says
I read powdered sugar!
Lisa says
On the video it says baking powder for the glaze, but on the recipe ingredient lust, it said powdered sugar.
Kari says
I just made this bread. Allowed it to slightly cool then iced it. It is so good!!! The lemon taste is not overpowering as some recipes are. I’m trying to restrain myself from eating another slice.
Amanda says
I seen that too im thinking eww. This says powered sugar
Nancy Pasco says
It did say baking powder instead of powdered sugar in the video. The printout was correct though. I added 1 tsp. Of poppy seeds to the recipe. It was awesome and I’ll use this recipe again.
Sue Thompson says
The recipe says powder sugar in icing and baking powder for cake.
KarenRust says
I caught that also. Should be Powdered Sugar
Brad says
So you gave it 3 stars for a typo?? smh
I thought reviews were for what someone thought of the FINISHED product and not 1 simple mistake.
Brad says
(I actually made the bread and thought it was delicious)
jo Ann says
I think it was fair to mark it 3 due to a typo! If I didn’t catch it and made it, I’d be unhappy.
Deb says
Should be POWDERED SUGAR not baking powder…
Abbey says
Yes, it should be powdered sugar.
Laura says
Hi, well I don’t know what everyone else is reading, but I do
read Powdered sugar, this recipe sounds fantastic, I am going to
make it this week for sure,
And I will be using Powdered sugar, just like it says.
Have a great day
Ann says
The video that advertises this (shared on Facebook, etc) has “BAKING POWDER” in the caption for the icing. Thankfully the recipe is correct! 🙂
PAT MARSHALL says
It did have baking powder in the first one!
Elaine says
Silly billy! ????
Marilyn McNalley says
It’s the video that lists baking powder not the actual recipe.
Jamie B. says
It was in video
shiree says
i saw that and thought oh no!! but figured it was a mistake. ha!!!
Remy says
But in the video says baking powder. If you are not an experience baker you would not know that.
Cathy Trochelman says
You can’t make a recipe based on a video….sorry for the video typo, but the typed recipe on the blog is correct.
Marcelle Cady says
what kind of cooking oil. I am not used to baking with oil.
Abbey says
When you watch the video it says baking soda. I feel for the non-baking person. It will be a hot mess.
Cyndy says
I have made this recipe several times and LOVE it. Bakes well and is easily doubled. One of my husband’s favorites! I don’t glaze it and will try orange juice and zest soon and see how that goes. THANKS for a terrific recipe????????
Sheri Hoover says
This is pretty much excellent! Made a loaf, had a few slices, shared with family and friends, and now sorry I shared! Super easy, delicious and love the moistness, tartness and the zucchini punch to get our green vegetables in at breakfast! Am making again tomorrow!
Sally says
Recipe calls for baking powder in the icing. I’m sure you meant powdered sugar?
kaitlin says
Your photos are gorgeous! And so is your bread 🙂 I love the combination of lemon and zucchini–reminds me so much of summer! Can’t wait to try.
– Kaitlin, findingbeautyinbalance.com
Sheila @ Life, Love, and Good Food says
This bread is so bright and sunny — would be perfect for a Spring brunch!
MARLENE says
AND IT EVEN BETTER WITH BLUEBERRIES I ADD I CUP SO GOOD GREAT RECIPE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT RECIPE IM A COOK AND BAKER
Chere says
Oooh. I am sooooo trying that next time. Thanks for sharing!
Jess says
You know I LOVE lemon and this looks great – pinning!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wow, that looks absolutely perfect!
Michelle says
YUM! I love this bread…I know my family will love it! I’m lucky, my kids love veggies, but I tend to add them to things anyway…nothing wrong with getting an extra serving!
Brandy | Nutmeg Nanny says
I love everything about this! I have just enough extra zucchini to make this happen!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
It looks like perfection. I’d eat it ALL!
Michelle @ The Complete Savorist says
The flecks of green, while nutritious, add such a pretty contrast to the loaf. Love it.
Kara says
How finely do I grate the peel and do I use the white too in the peel portion?
Cindy says
Use a zester, only the yellow
lois schoening says
whats the difference? in the bread it calls for lemon peel and in the glaze it calls for lemon zest?
Mary Lou Manus says
Grate the zucchini like you would cheese. Use the whole zucchini. The Lemon would be only the yellow of the peel, not the white pith, that would make it bitter. I have baked this for my husband and also for my co-workers. BIG HIT! LOVE IT!
Debra says
Just made this today- can’t wait to eat it for dessert tonight!
Barbara says
Great recipe..didn’t change a thing..perfect!
Nana says
Did you use baking power for the glaze? The video shows to use baking powder? This blogger needs to proof read her recipes!
Mindy Mymudes says
Recipe is correct.
Lina says
Recipe is correct not video
Cathy Trochelman says
The typo was only in the video…sorry for the confusion.
Heather McDermott says
Looks yummy and have a bunch of zucchini from a co-workers garden. Question – any recommendations on cooking time / temp if make smaller loaves or make muffins instead of one large bread?
Veronica says
In my experience, mini loaves take 25-30 min and muffins 18-22 min. I would start at the lowest time and check with a toothpick. Good luck!
Valerie says
Thank you! Wanted to make muffins instead of a loaf!
Rebecca McCarver says
I just made double chocolate zucchini bread and poured the batter into my eight-pan mini loaf pan. They cooked for 30 min at 350 and turned out perfect
Janet Spence says
Love this recipe, thanks for posting it 🙂 You might want to edit your video though, I saw it on facebook, and the glaze calls for baking powder instead of powdered sugar. I back tracked twice to make sure I was not reading it wrong.
Joyce says
I also noticed that the instructions did not mention heating the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan…….just a given, though. 😉
Kathy says
You just stir the glaze ingredients together, no heating needed.
Ajmal Khan says
Hi Kathy – how much is a cup? In terms of mug/teacup or better still; grams
Mary Kay says
You need to purchase measuring cups and measuring spoons.
Cathy Trochelman says
No heating necessary!
Becky deVries-Wong says
How is the grated peel different from zest?
Sharon says
It’s not, use the fine grade
Kimberly Hughes says
It is different in that the larger pieces of peel will have more lemon oil for flavor unless when you zest you do a good job of not losing the oil.
Carolyn says
Has anyone used almond flour instead of regular flour?
wanda says
I haven’t but will be trying it w/ an all purpose GLUTEN FREE BLEND..( NAMASTE ) here shortly..
Tara says
how did it turn out with gluten free flour ? 🙂
christine davis says
I threw this together while making dinner last night. Glazed it this morning. It’s amazingly good! So good that I shared your link on my blog this morning! Thank you!
Janet says
Have 2 Loaves in the Oven Now, Can’t wait, easy to make!!
Shelby says
Would love to try but swap out something for the white flour and sugar, any suggestions?
Laurie says
Try a mix of equal parts almond flour, coconut flour and golden flaxmeal for the flour. Use xylitol or erythritol for the sugar (see Internet for substitution amounts) remember xylitol is lethal for dogs. You could also try ground up oatmeal for the flour
Martha says
I am vegan so looking for alternative ingredients for the flour and sugar. Could Agave be substituted for the sugar?
Bridgett Beardsley says
Wasn’t aware vegans can’t eat flour or sugar? Eggs, sure. Flour seems odd. Can you explain this to me?
charlotte says
Can you give me the right mats of the almond flower and coconut flower
Maria Lybrand says
I am gionna use 1 cup of almond flour and 1/2 cup of coconut flour, I believe that us the substitute ratio. (2 parts akmibd dmiur to 1 part coconut flour. I will try it and report back.
Stacy says
Hi there? Did you try the switch out? How did it turn out? I would think you would have to add additional liquid also since the almond and coconut flours are liquid hogs.
Thanks
Cindy Dolezalik says
The video I saw on FB showed the ingredients, egg, sugar, etc. Then when it showed you making the glaze rather than powdered sugar it said Baking Powder, lemon juice and zest.
Cathy Trochelman says
Yes, that was a typo in the video. The glaze is made with powdered sugar, NOT baking powder. Sorry for the confusion!
Donna Queen says
Can I also use white whole wheat flour?
Laurie says
Yes but it will be more dense. Try half whole wheat and half white
Vicki Saunders says
You could also try whole wheat pastry flour.
Beverly says
MISTAKE ON VIDEO
Glaze does not contain baking powder, it should be CONFECTIONER’S SUGAR.
Barbara J Fatkin says
does zucchini have to be dry or put in wet
Cathy Trochelman says
I did not dry the zucchini….just use as is!
Barbara J Fatkin says
Do you wring out the zucchini to have dry?
Barb says
Zucchini juice is what helps make the bread moist. Always include it! Same with frozen shredded zucchini.
Cathy Trochelman says
Do not wring out the zucchini…the moisture is necessary!
susan cramer says
My only comment about these recipes is that it would be SO nice to be able to read only those who actually MADE the recipe instead of all who are hopeful to do so in the future. How am I able to “rate” it below before trying it out? Just on its looks? Oh well.
Mary says
I agree. You can’t rate a recipe on pictures only. I prefer reading ratings after recipe is tried, baked and eaten.
Connie says
Me too! I do like to read if someone altered the recipe and how it turned out. I wonder how many people read the comments before, as so many keep talking about the baking powder mistake instead of powdered sugar. Enough about that already!
Ellen Norton says
I AGREE!!!! This should be true for all recipes. It’s so annoying to see, ‘that looks great!’ or ‘I’m going to make this next week”, etc. etc. etc.
Suemo says
I also agree emphatically, always very frustrating. We can all see most of the recipes look amazing. There can be 20 comments declaring this and such a waste of time reading through these. What is the point? Make it!!! Then comment. Plus there are those who cannot seem to bear to follow the recipe without changing and substituting ingredients etc never having used the original first.
Sue Thomas says
My dad is a huge fan of the zucchini bread that you can purchase at Sams Clubs, but it’s seasonal. However, he’s not a big fan of lemon. What do you think of the idea of replacing the lemon with cinnamon? Any feedback?
Barb says
maybe try blueberries or blackberries?
gloria says
I make it with cinnamon all the time and I also include cinnamon chips. Very good.
Pam says
Cinnamon chips.. I hadn’t thought of that. Sounds like a perfect addition to “regular” cinnamon bread! Thanks!!
layne says
how much cinnamon do you add and does it replace any of the original ingredients? How much Cinnamon Chips do you add, and does that replace anything else? Thanks!
Lori says
I use grated orange peel in mine, so if he likes orange, it’s delicious! I don’t normally make a glaze for it, but the recipe I have says to use the orange juice concentrate mixed with powdered sugar.
Sherri says
I make a zucchini bread with mini chocolate chips and one with carrots, apples and zucchini. I found the recipes on Pinterest!
Cathy Trochelman says
You can absolutely use cinnamon in place of lemon, but will need to add some moisture (even water) in place of the lemon juice.
julia says
I Can’t Wait To Try This.. It Looks Delis his….. <3
Anna says
the video has a mistake the icing ingredient baking powder should be confectioner sugar
Barbara says
I made this today and it turned out very dense. Why?
Tracy says
If the zucchini was very wet it will be more dense. I always put my grated zucchini in a towel and squeeze out as much water as possible.
Barbara says
Ok I will try that next time. Thank you
Candice says
I squeezed out the zucchini and it was very dry. Ended up having to add an additional egg still not “batterlike”. Came out okay.
Cathy Trochelman says
The zucchini does not need to be squeezed.
Peggy says
I didn’t squeeze the zucchini but it was definitely not pourable. Very heavy and thick. Doesn’t look yellow either. What did I do wrong?
terri says
I make zucchini bread all the time, i never never squeeze water out of it…there’s hardly any water to begin with but what little water there is leave it in…never squeeze it out!!!!
TS says
Can you make this with yellow zucchini?
Philip Daivd Kinzli says
I made it with my golden Zucchini …I pressed out some of the juice …And it turned out beautiful and very delicious .
Tamara says
I baked this yesterday and it was lovely. The actual bread isn’t overly sweet but the glaze balances everything out so nicely and shouldn’t be skipped. I was a little worried that it ,Ishtar be a very dense bread but it was lovely. Will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing!
Jam says
Can’t wait to make this. By the way, for the icing, the video says baking powder instead of powdered sugar. Just thought you might want too know. 🙂
Ruth E says
Easy recipe, too sweet for my taste, maybe 1/2 cup less sugar to start….
Thank you for the recipe, now time to tweak it!
LK says
I read a comment that we should use the liquid from the zucchini and then I read you should wring it out before adding to the the batter.
Could someone clarify that please?
Thanks
Cathy Trochelman says
I did not remove the moisture from the zucchini. Some people prefer to do so; it makes the bread a little less dense. I prefer the moisture 🙂
Lou ann says
I made this today after drooling over it on pinterest. Love it and so easy. Thanks for sharing!
Rhonda says
hi has anyone tried making into muffins ???
Liliana says
Yes, I did. Baked them for about 27-28 mins at 350 F. Came out delicious!
franki says
Is there a way to reduce oil? Zuke is so moist it seems redundant. I often use ground flax seed to replace eggs, it’s actually better in brownies IMHO so I think it would work well here too. I’ve also read that flax can mimic the qualities of oil. Wondering if I can use flax to replace both egg AND oil? I have 3 colors of zuke in my garden, including yellow. Should be pretty with my last home-grown lemon (hope it’s not too soft to zest).
Karen burnham says
I doubled the recipe and added a few blueberries. It is an excellent recipe.
Bridget says
This was fantastic!! Followed the recipe as written.
Cheryl says
Could I use lines in place of lemons??
Louise says
I think limes or oranges would be just as good as the lemon. If ou try it with the lime, let us know how you like it.
Cathy Trochelman says
I would suggest orange instead of lime.
Sam says
Do you have the macros broken out on this?
Olga says
So delicious!!! and very easy!
The only change I made it I reduced sugar to 1/2 cup only. And used Orange peel (because i had no lemons)… but did use lemon juice from a bottle. And added a heaping teaspoon of poppyseeds. Baked it as muffins… perfect texture inside.. and light crust on outside… love them! thank you for the recipe
Cathy says
Thank you for a great recipe, I had to try it before it even cooled (calling it lunch lol). Wonderful lemon flavour and moist, baked up lovely. Doubled the recipe with no problem. I’m thinking it would be better to bake in a smaller loaf pan, 4 x 8 rather than regular 5 x 9 size loaf pan. I had already prepared the pans before realizing this lol so used them anyway, so my loaves look a little ‘flat’! I will know better next time, and there WILL be a next time! Thanks again.
Diane Slaughter says
Followed exactly except used a heaping cup of zucchini. Was not too moist. I did use 4 x 8 pans. Doubled and made 2 loaves. Nice texture. Could use a little more flavor in my opinion, but solved that with a little lemon butter!(zest with a little salt stirred into softened unsalted butter)
Pete says
Mine was so thick it would,t pour. Is it just 1/4 C oil?
Debbie Grimshaw says
Did you miss an ingredient?
Kathy says
You want it to be thick when you first stir it together because of the way the moisture releases from the zucchini. If the batter was thinner it would come out flat and not set as well.
Darlene says
Mine was thick and still had dry flour in the bottom of the bowl. I had to add a tiny bit of water. Hope I didn’t ruin it.
Peggy says
Me too
Pete says
Mine was so thick it wouldn’t pour. Had to spoon out. Just 1/4 C of oil. However, It was delicious
Cathy Trochelman says
It is a thicker batter 🙂
Debbie Grimshaw says
I made this two days ago and it’s delicious. I will make it again!
Eva says
Hi there! This looks fabulous. As a type 1 diabetic I need to watch my carbs. Have you ever made this with almond flour? Or an almond flour/coconut flour combo? I’ve used Swerve in a 1:1 ratio to replace the sugar in other recipes ( with a lot of success). Thanks for your feedback!
Kese says
8/11/2017 Reading Baking Powder for the main ingredient of the glaze
Lynn says
Delicious!!! Mine didn’t bake as “yellow” in color, but the flavor and texture was perfect! Loved the glaze as well.