Oatmeal zucchini bread is a tender and chewy quick bread that's filled with shredded zucchini, oats, and warm spices. It makes a great breakfast paired with a cup of morning coffee.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Tender, sweet zucchini bread filled with oats and cozy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Pan size: 9x5 loaf
Similar to: Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies and Amish Zucchini Bread
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Zucchini - You'll need 1 ½ cups of finely grated zucchini for this recipe. Do not drain or squeeze the liquid from your zucchini, this liquid adds moisture to your bread. Shredded zucchini should be lightly packed into your measuring cup. For this recipe, you'll need about 1 to 1 ½ medium zucchinis.
- Oats - Old fashioned oats add chewy texture to the bread and help balance with the wet ingredients. Quick cooking oats will also work, but will add less noticeable texture since they're thinner and powdery.
How to make oatmeal zucchini bread
- Add wet ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to a separate bowl and whisk to remove clumps. Add to wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Pour batter into a 9x5 loaf pan and top with more oats.
- Bake until golden brown across the top and the center pops back when gently pressed.
Tips and tricks
Oat topping - Reserve two tablespoons of your measured oats to sprinkle on top before baking.
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.
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
Frequently asked questions
No, this recipe was developed to use a combination of oats and all-purpose flour for the proper structure and texture. Using all oats will result in an unstable bread that doesn't rise properly when baked.
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?
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
Oatmeal Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups (220 g) finely grated zucchini, do not drain liquid out
- ½ cup (106 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (89 g) old-fashioned oats, divided
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 (with liquid - do not squeeze out), brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of oats to use as a topping. Add remaining oats to the batter and stir to incorporate.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan. Add reserved oats to the top of the batter.
- Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, OR until bread pops back when gently pressed on top and reaches 200 to 205℉ 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.
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.
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!