Tomato basil zucchini bread is packed with your favorite summer garden produce. Shredded zucchini, diced tomato, and basil add a fresh and bright savory flavor that you'll love.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Bright and fresh summer flavor. Packed with ingredients from your home garden like tomatoes, zucchini, and basil.
Pan size: 9x5 loaf
Freezes well. Zucchini bread freezes well for up to 6 months. Preserve those fresh summer flavors to enjoy later on.
Great for: Adding a side dish to your next summer meal
Similar to: Savory Zucchini Bread and Bacon Gruyere Zucchini Bread
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Zucchini - You'll need 135 grams or 1 cup of finely grated zucchini (or about 1 to 1.5 small zucchini). After measuring, you'll need to squeeze the excess liquid from the zucchini so that there isn't too much moisture in the recipe. Too much moisture creates a soggy and dense bread.
- Tomato - I used two plum tomatoes for about 1 cup of diced tomatoes, but just about any type of tomatoes can work in this recipe. If your tomatoes are very juicy, discard excess juices before adding to the batter.
- Tomato paste - A bit of tomato paste enhances the tomato flavor in the bread without adding a bunch of extra moisture. If you don't have any tomato paste on hand it can be omitted from the recipe, but know that the tomato flavor will be reduced.
- All-purpose flour - I've only tested this recipe with all-purpose (plain) flour, so I can't say for sure how other flours will turn out. If you have a different type of flour on hand, I recommend searching for a recipe that is developed with that specific flour in mind.
- Whole milk - Adds moisture to your zucchini bread. Using lower fat milk may cause your bread to turn out a little dry.
- Eggs - Add structure and moisture to the zucchini bread.
- Oil - Adds moisture to your bread.
- Leavening - You'll need baking powder for this recipe, not baking soda. The two are not interchangeable.
- Seasoning - Garlic powder and salt enhance the flavor of the bread.
- Basil - Fresh basil adds bright, savory flavor to the bread. I don't recommend omitting it because it's one of the main flavors of the recipe.
How to make tomato basil bread
- Add wet ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into a 9x5 loaf pan.
- Bake until golden brown and loaf pops back in the center 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
Dicing tomatoes - Dice your tomatoes into small pieces to ensure they're evenly distributed throughout the bread. Large chunks can sink to the bottom or make the bread difficult to slice after cooling.
Discard excess tomato juices - If your tomatoes are very juicy, discard extra liquids before adding the diced tomatoes to the batter. Excess liquid can cause your bread to turn out dense and gummy.
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
Tomato basil zucchini bread can be stored at room temperature for 2 days in a tightly sealed container. To keep for a day or two longer, store in the refrigerator.
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.
Yes, for this recipe you'll need to squeeze the excess liquid from the shredded zucchini before adding it to the batter. Too much liquid will make this bread soggy, gummy, and dense.
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, milk, oil, zucchini, tomatoes) were reduced.
Bland baked goods can happen for a few reasons. Omitting the salt 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.
📖 Recipe
Tomato Basil Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup (135 g) finely grated zucchini, after measuring, squeeze liquid out
- 2 plum tomatoes, diced
- ¾ cup (170 g) whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (50 g) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup packed fresh basil, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease one 9x5 loaf pan (or line with parchment paper) and set aside.
- In a bowl, add finely grated zucchini (after liquid has been squeezed out), diced tomatoes, milk, eggs, tomato paste, and oil. Stir until evenly incorporated. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Stir until incorporated. Add chopped basil and stir just until incorporated. Batter will be thick.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan. 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.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Storage: Leftover zucchini bread will keep in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 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!
i love making all different kinds of zucchini bread and i am going to make this one. i love the idea of tomato basil zucchini bread!