Peanut butter zucchini bread is a moist, cakey zucchini bread that's perfect for peanut butter lovers. It's made with creamy peanut butter, shredded zucchini, and peanut butter chips.
Zucchini bread is a popular way to use up extra garden zucchini. Zucchini adds moisture and structure, as well as fiber, Vitamin A, and antioxidants. The best part? Zucchini has a mild flavor, so you can't even taste it in your baked bread.
If you love peanut butter, try this bread recipe! It's packed with rich flavor from the addition of creamy peanut butter and peanut butter baking chips. With a moist, cakey texture, it could even be passed off as a dessert.
Serve peanut butter zucchini bread as an after school snack, with coffee for breakfast, or as a dessert.
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Zucchini - You'll need about one medium zucchini for this recipe, which is 1 ½ cups of finely shredded zucchini, or about 220 grams. Do not drain or squeeze the liquid from your zucchini - this liquid adds moisture to your bread. Coarsely grated zucchini will work, but may add a noticeable texture to your baked bread.
- Peanut butter - Creamy peanut butter works best in this recipe. We tested this recipe with Jif Naturals creamy peanut butter.
- Sugar - Adds moisture and sweetness to your bread.
- Milk - Necessary to thin your bread batter slightly. We used whole milk, but milk substitutes like almond milk or oat milk would also work.
- Egg - Add structure and moisture to your bread.
- Flour - I've only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, so I don't suggest substituting with other types of flour. Baking is an exact science, and other types of flours can cause structural issues if substituted at a 1:1 ratio.
- Leavening - We're using a combination of baking soda and baking powder today. Both are necessary to get the proper rise in the oven.
- Salt - Enhances the flavor of your bread without making it "salty". If using a very salty peanut butter, salt listed can be cut in half.
- Vanilla extract - Adds depth of flavor to your bread.
- Peanut butter chips - Make your bread a little sweeter and richer. They can be omitted if desired, or substituted with other baking chips, like chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.
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.
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
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?
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
Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (220 g) finely grated zucchini, do not drain liquid out
- ¾ cup (202 g) peanut butter
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (56 g) whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (127 g) peanut butter chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 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!), peanut butter, granulated sugar, milk, egg, 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. Add peanut butter chips and stir to incorporate.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for about 50 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.
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.
- Zucchini prep: 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.
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