• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Zucchini Zone
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Newsletter
  • About
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Newsletter
  • About
×
Home » How-To

How To Store Zucchini Bread

Published: Aug 13, 2022 · Modified: Jan 29, 2025 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 1109 words. · About 6 minutes to read this article.

How to store zucchini bread.
How to store zucchini bread.
How to store zucchini bread.

Today we're talking about how to store zucchini bread. How long homemade zucchini bread lasts, how to freeze zucchini bread, and when zucchini bread should be stored in the refrigerator.

Metal loaf pan with zucchini bread.

Made a loaf of zucchini bread and not sure how to store it? Today we're going over how to properly store a loaf of homemade zucchini bread. This advice can also be used for any homemade quick bread or muffins.

First and foremost, if you're following a recipe that gives explicit storage instructions, follow them. Each recipe is unique, and may require specific storage solutions for that particular baked good.

We'll go over this in more detail below, but in short - If you're looking for the safest way to store zucchini bread - just refrigerate it. Seal your bread in a plastic storage container or plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator.

Jump to:
  • Before storing
  • Refrigerating
  • Room temperature
  • Freezing
  • Thawing frozen bread
  • Bread storage solutions
  • Tossing old bread
  • Recipes
  • Comments

Before storing

Allow your bread to cool completely before slicing or storing. Slicing into hot bread releases steam, which is moisture from your bread. Doing so dries out your bread prematurely.

Storing hot bread releases steam into the container and can make your bread doughy and sticky on top.

Instead, allow your bread to rest, uncovered, on the counter top until it has completely cooled to room temperature. A whole loaf of bread will take one to two hours to thoroughly cool.

Refrigerating

Zucchini bread will keep for about one week stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container (or plastic bag).

As stated above, the absolute safest way to store zucchini bread is in the refrigerator. Some zucchini bread recipes make a very moist (and sometimes wet) zucchini bread. If your bread is very moist and wet, it's safest to store it in the refrigerator. Also, if your zucchini bread happens to contain meat, it must be stored in the refrigerator.

Why is my zucchini bread so wet? Depending on the recipe, you may need to squeeze some of the liquid out of your shredded zucchini (always follow the recipe instructions!). Sometimes, your recipe may call for shredded zucchini with the liquid, like my applesauce zucchini bread recipe.

No two zucchini are alike. Your zucchini may contain a lot of extra moisture compared to the author's zucchini. This can cause your zucchini bread to turn out very moist once baked. To help combat this, store your wet zucchini bread on a paper towel to help soak up some excess moisture.

Sliced zucchini bread in a plastic storage container.

Room temperature

Zucchini bread will keep for about 3 to 4 days stored at room temperature in a tightly sealed container (or plastic bag).

If your zucchini bread is on the normal/dry side, like a regular sandwich bread, it can be stored at room temperature. I always store my zucchini bread at room temperature with no issues.

However, once you've reached about day 3 on your homemade zucchini bread, I'd recommend freezing leftovers you don't plan on consuming within the next day. Otherwise, your zucchini bread will start drying out. You want to preserve that moisture as much as possible!

Freezing

Zucchini bread will keep for 6 months or more stored in the freezer, wrapped and stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container or plastic bag.

Whether storing an entire loaf of zucchini bread, zucchini bread slices, or zucchini muffins, I recommend freezing your bread in the same way. Wrap your bread/slices/muffins in either plastic wrap or foil (or both for extra protection), then seal in a freezer-safe container or freezer-safe plastic bag.

Make sure excess air is removed from your container or bag. You'll also want to make sure your bread is completely cooled before storing. Excess moisture or air can cause ice crystals to form.

Zucchini bread slices wrapped in plastic wrap.

Thawing frozen bread

To thaw frozen zucchini bread, transfer your bread (or slices) to the refrigerator to allow to thaw overnight. While it's not required to thaw bread in the refrigerator, it's an easy way to do so when you don't need your bread until the next day.

Or, transfer to the counter top and allow to come to room temperature. A whole loaf of bread can take 3 to 4 hours, but a single slice will thaw in about 30 minutes.

Frozen bread slices can also be thawed in the microwave or a toaster oven:

  • To thaw in the microwave - Cover with a paper towel and microwave in 15 second increments. Bread slices thaw very quickly in the microwave and don't need as much time as you'd think.
  • To thaw in the toaster oven - Place your zucchini bread slice(s) in the toaster oven and toast for slightly longer than you would a regular piece of bread. All it needs is a bit of extra time - no need to thaw beforehand.

Bread storage solutions

Here are my favorite bread storage solutions, from reusable plastic storage containers, to plastic wrap and environmentally friendly silicone freezer bags. All links from Amazon:

Plastic storage containers:

  • Prep Solutions - Expandable Bread Keeper with Adjustable Air Vent
  • Signoraware - Dual Use Bread Holder/Airtight Plastic Food Storage Container for Dry or Fresh Foods
  • Cheeren - Plastic Rectangular Bread Box with Portable Handle

Glass storage containers:

  • OXO - Good Grips Glass Loaf Pan With Lid
  • Pyrex - Easy Grab 1.5-Quart Glass Loaf Dish

Silicone storage containers:

  • Vremi - Silicone Food Storage Containers with BPA Free Airtight Plastic Lids

Plastic wrap:

  • Reynolds Kitchens - Quick Cut Plastic Wrap

Aluminum foil:

  • Reynolds Wrap Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil

Freezer-safe plastic bags:

  • Ziploc - Gallon Food Storage Freezer Bags

Reusable silicone storage bags:

  • Stasher - Silicone Reusable Storage Bag, Stand-Up Mid
  • Stasher - Silicone Reusable Storage Bag, Stand-Up Mega

Tossing old bread

So, when do you know it's time to toss out that old zucchini bread? Here are a few telltale signs:

  • Mold - Mold is a clear sign that your bread needs to be tossed out. Even if a small amount of mold appears, the FDA recommends throwing out the entire loaf. Bread is porous and fungus can spread throughout the entire loaf quickly.
  • Smell or taste is off - The best way to tell when bread (or any food) needs to be tossed out is if the smell (or taste) is off. Don't risk it! If your bread begins to smell or taste bad, toss it.
  • It's more than a week old - If your zucchini bread has been stored at room temperature or refrigerated for more than a week, it's definitely time to throw it out. Homemade bread does not keep as long as store bought packaged bread. I recommend freezing excess zucchini bread after day 3.

Recipes

Here are a few of my favorite zucchini bread recipes to get you started:

  • A decorative collage of muffin recipes.
    18 Easy Christmas Muffin Recipes
  • A decorative collage of Christmas quick breads.
    20 Easy Christmas Quick Breads
  • A stack of cranberry orange zucchini muffins on a cooling rack.
    Cranberry Orange Zucchini Muffins
  • Slices of bacon gruyere zucchini bread on a wooden serving board.
    Bacon Gruyere Zucchini Bread

More How-To

  • A metal sheet pan filled with thick slices of zucchini.
    How To Keep Zucchini From Getting Soggy
  • Different sizes and shapes of zucchini noodles laying on a metal sheet pan.
    How To Make Zucchini Noodles
  • Large yellow zucchini flowers on a zucchini plant.
    The Difference Between Male and Female Zucchini Flowers
  • A butterfly on an orange marigold.
    Zucchini Companion Plants for the Home Garden

Share this post:

Subscribe

for your weekly recipe fix.

Reader Interactions

Comments

No Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi I'm Heather, and I'm here to share my recipes for all that backyard garden zucchini.

More about me →

Popular posts

  • A pan of pasta and vegetables with sliced chicken breast on top.
    Chicken Primavera
  • Cheesy zucchini bites stacked on a plate.
    Cheesy Zucchini Bites
  • A slice of frosted chocolate cake on a plate.
    Chocolate Zucchini Cake
  • A decorative collage of vegetable smoothie recipes.
    15 Vegetable Smoothie Recipes

Summer Recipes

  • Slices of tomato basil zucchini bread on a wooden serving board.
    Tomato Basil Zucchini Bread
  • A decorative collage of various grilled vegetables.
    21 Best Vegetables for Grilling
  • Slices of pineapple zucchini bread on a wooden cutting board.
    Pineapple Zucchini Bread
  • Grilled chicken kabobs on a white serving plate.
    Grilled Chicken Kabobs

Footer

Explore

  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

About

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Copyright © 2025 Zucchini Zone