Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Zucchini (or Courgette) Bread is one of the most delicious pleasures in life. A sweet treat that has a full and complex flavor and texture profile – sweet, moist, nutty, earthy tastes. It is a dessert that even people who don’t like desserts enjoy. And it is substantial and nutrient-rich enough to make a wonderful breakfast or healthy snack.
For those who don’t know zucchini bread, it may seem unusual to have a vegetable squash as the defining ingredient in a sweet treat. And, don’t confuse this with sandwich bread, this is closer to a yummy carrot cake or banana bread. The zucchini element adds wonderful moisture to a cake with spice and nuts, like a pumpkin spice treat. If you haven’t tried it, now is your time. You will be surprised and delighted by this little wonder!
Not only delicious healthy treat, but also extends Zucchini life
Wonderfully, zucchini bread is one of the rare ways to extend the life of fresh zucchini. Zucchini bread freezes beautifully and can last for months at the peak of freshness and nutrient value. Great for the gardener who’s harvest just came in of zucchini … and it is always too much to eat at once.
For those of you with too much zucchini, or those who can’t get enough zucchini, try:
- Fried zucchini
- Stuffed zucchini
- Zucchini noodles
- Hot smoked salmon blinis with courgette salad
- Ratatouille
And you still need dessert. Now that you have zucchini, you can make tasty treats to enjoy, for one, for two, for the entire family and even for gifts. Freeze a full loaf or a couple slices individually, so you can have just the amount you want, when you want it.
Step by step video instructions
The Recipe
The recipe which follows also has features to increase or decrease the recipe serving sizes. This will be especially helpful if you want to convert your garden bounty of zucchini into delicious treats for you and your friends – to preserve or gift.
Zucchini / Courgette Bread from Pantry and Garden, Extend the Life of Zucchini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini/courgette, about 1 medium size grated using large hole grater
- 1½ cups walnuts chopped chunky
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda / bicarb do not add bicarb if using self-rising flour
- 1½ cups sugar granulated or caster
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup oil, neutral or nut safflour or mild vegetable oil or walnut oil preferred
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C
- Prepare 2 loaf pans, greased with oil & (optional) lined with parchment paper
- In medium mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour and baking soda (or alternatively self-rising flour) with sugar, salt and cinnamon. Whisk together and set aside
- In large bowl from stand mixer, beat eggs with mixing attachment (not whisk) on high for two minutes until fluffy
- Add oil, vanilla and grated zucchini and mix together on medium speed about 3 minutes until well combined
- While mixer is on medium-low, add dry ingredients bit by bit until just combined. Scrape bowl to ensure all is combined evenly. Be very careful to minimize mixing to keep the cake tender
- Take off mixer, stir in chopped walnuts until well dispursed in the mix
- Divide evenly into two prepared loaf pans
- Bake 55 minutes, they are ready when the top springs back and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
- Remove from loaf pans onto a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing or freezing
- Serve and enjoy! Delight your friends and family with an unexpectedly delicious, sweet cake made from garden vegetables!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy your snacking, gifting and bringing out a piece or loaf of zucchini bread whenever you want a tasty treat!
What’s next?
For more tips on preserving food at its peak of freshness and nutrients, bookmark readyandthriving.com Extend Food Life page. Look for easy Pantry Recipes to use the food you have on-hand and avoid wasting food.
Also, if you don’t have your zucchini harvest yet, check out my sustainable gardening articles for inspiration.
