Cinnamon swirl zucchini bread is like a cinnamon roll in loaf form! Lightly sweetened vanilla bread is swirled with cinnamon and topped with a sweet icing.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Lightly sweetened vanilla bread swirled with a layer of crunchy cinnamon sugar, topped with sweet vanilla icing. Like cinnamon rolls in bread form!
Pan size: 9x5 loaf
Great for: Breakfast, dessert, snacking.
Can be frozen. Zucchini bread freezes well for up to 6 months.
Similar to: Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread and Applesauce Zucchini Bread
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Zucchini - You'll need about one medium zucchini for this recipe, which is about 1 ½ cups of finely shredded zucchini, or 220 grams. Coarsely grated zucchini will work, but may add a noticeable texture to your baked bread.
- Granulated sugar - This recipe works best with all granulated sugar. Sugar adds moisture and structure to your bread. Reducing or omitting the sugar can cause your bread to turn out dry.
- Vegetable oil - Adds moisture to your bread. Canola oil or light olive oil can work as a substitute.
- Eggs - Add moisture and structure.
- Vanilla extract - Adds vanilla flavor to your bread.
- All-purpose flour - Adds structure to your bread and balances with the wet ingredients. I have not tested this recipe with other types of flour. If you have another type of flour on hand, I suggest searching for a recipe that includes the ingredients you'd like to use. Baking is an exact science, and not all flours can be substituted equally.
- Leavening agents - You'll need both baking powder and baking soda for this recipe. They're not interchangeable, and the recipe is written with the exact amounts needed to give your bread the proper rise.
- Salt - Enhances the flavor of your bread.
- Cinnamon - Adds warm cinnamon flavor to the swirl in the center of the bread. Cinnamon could be substituted with apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for a more complex flavor.
- Confectioner's sugar - The glaze on this bread is optional, but adds a very "cinnamon roll" type quality that makes it a great breakfast treat! You'll need confectioner's sugar to make a smooth glaze.
- Milk - You'll need a small amount of milk to create the icing. Any type of milk will work in this recipe.
How to make cinnamon zucchini bread
- Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls and then combine, stirring until just incorporated.
- Pour half of the batter into a 9x5 loaf pan, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Top with remaining batter and spread to the edges to cover cinnamon sugar layer.
- Bake until golden brown across the top and center pops back when gently pressed.
Heather's Top Tip
Use an instant-read thermometer to test the doneness of your zucchini bread. Quick bread is done when it reaches 200 to 205F in the center. This ensures your bread is perfectly baked, not doughy or dry.
Tips and tricks
Shredding zucchini for bread - I recommend using the small side of a box grater to grate zucchini for baked goods. Finely grated zucchini melts seamlessly into the batter when baked with the only sign of zucchini being the tiny green flecks. The large side of a box grater also works but adds a noticeable texture to your baked bread. Here's the box grater I use: OXO Good Grips Box Grater
Gently mix batter - If the batter is overmixed, the gluten is overworked and your bread can turn out tough. Instead, use a gentle stirring motion with a spoon (no need for a stand mixer or hand mixer) and only stir until ingredients are just incorporated.
Portioning your batter - Add about half of your batter to the pan before adding the cinnamon sugar layer. Top it with the remaining batter and gently spread to the edges to completely cover the cinnamon.
Swirling the cinnamon - Leave your cinnamon swirl as is for a thick ribbon throughout the bread, like shown in the photos. To incorporate the cinnamon further and create more swirls, use a butter knife to gently swirl the batter after you've added the remaining batter to the pan.
Pan size - This recipe makes one 9x5 loaf of zucchini bread. These are the pans I use for all my zucchini bread recipes: Farberware Loaf Pan 9x5, Set of 2
Storage
Cinnamon swirl zucchini bread can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container.
Zucchini bread can be frozen for up to 6 months in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container. To thaw a whole loaf, place on the countertop for up to 3 hours to bring to room temperature. Single slices will thaw in about 1 hour or less.
See my full post for more information: How To Store Zucchini Bread
Frequently asked questions
No, there's no need to peel your zucchini before shredding it for zucchini bread. The skin of the zucchini contains fiber and other nutrients you'd otherwise be missing out on by peeling it off.
Once your bread is baked, the only sign of zucchini is tiny flecks of green throughout. Otherwise, the zucchini (skin included) melts right into the bread.
No, do not squeeze the liquid from your zucchini. For this particular recipe we're utilizing the liquid in the zucchini to thin the batter slightly and add moisture to the bread.
No, zucchini has a mild flavor that makes it ideal for baking. Cucumber has a fresh "melon" flavor that's much more pronounced and not ideal for hiding in baked goods. For more information: Zucchini vs Cucumber - What's the Difference?
Cinnamon swirl zucchini bread is one of the sweeter breads on the site. To make it less sweet, I'd recommend omitting the icing and reducing the cinnamon swirl sugar by ¼ cup. The bread itself is not very sweet, so I don't recommend reducing any sugar in the batter.
Troubleshooting
If your baked zucchini bread turned out soggy or sinking in the center, then it was either underbaked or had too much moisture. Make sure not to add extra wet ingredients to this recipe, like extra zucchini, a dollop of sour cream, applesauce, or extra vegetable oil. This recipe includes exact measurements of wet and dry ingredients to ensure your bread turns out perfectly baked and moist, not wet or soggy.
Dry baked goods can happen for several reasons. Either your bread was overbaked, too many dry ingredients (like flour) were added to the recipe, or the moisture-adding ingredients (eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini) were reduced.
Bland baked goods can happen for a few reasons. Omitting the salt, reducing the sugar, or adding too much flour can cause your bread to turn out bland. Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients - it's not there to make your bread "salty". Measure flour accurately by weighing it using the gram measurements listed in the recipe card. If you don't have a scale, use the spoon and level method. Gently spoon flour into a measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife. Scooping flour with a measuring cup compacts flour into the cup, adding up to 25% extra flour to the recipe. Decreasing the listed sugar can also make your bread turn out bland (and sometimes dry).
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
Bread
- 1.5 cups (220 g) finely grated zucchini, do not drain liquid out
- ¾ cup (148 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon swirl
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Icing
- ½ cup (56 g) confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk, more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease one 9x5 loaf pan (or line with parchment paper) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add finely grated zucchini (do not drain/squeeze any liquid out), granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- In a small bowl, add your cinnamon swirl ingredients: granulated sugar and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- Pour half of the batter into your prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Top with cinnamon sugar. Pour remaining batter into the pan and spread to cover the cinnamon sugar layer. Leave as is for a thick ribbon throughout, or insert a butter knife and make a large swirl throughout the pan (take care not to over-swirl or the cinnamon will become too dispersed throughout the batter).
- Bake for about 48 to 55 minutes, OR until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean/with dry crumbs, or bread reaches 200 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit in the center (baking times will vary based on your oven and type of pan used).
- Allow bread to cool completely on the counter before removing from pan and slicing.
- While your bread cools, add confectioner's sugar, milk, and vanilla to a small bowl and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Add more milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle icing over bread before serving.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Storage: Leftover zucchini bread will keep in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If your bread is very moist/wet, I recommend refrigerating.
- Freezing: Zucchini bread can be frozen for up to 6 months. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap/foil and store in a freezer safe bag or container. Thaw on the counter top for 1 to 3 hours.
- Peeling: There's no need to peel the skin off your zucchini, and no need to drain any liquid from your shredded zucchini. The recipe is written to include this liquid.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!