Supremely moist and soft inside, this classic zucchini bread truly is the ultimate! Spread individual slices with a tropical orange cream cheese for an indulgent summer breakfast/brunch.
Sneaky veggie baking continues. In other news, I’ve got a boatload of zucchini. ZE-RO complaints here, people. I’m preeetty sure I could live off this green stuff forever.
Scratch that. I could live on this zucchini bread for-EVER.
So in retrospect, zucchini bread sounds like a terrific idea to use up your mountains of zucchini AND store it as quickie breakfast in the freezer, amiright? But how many of you have baked up a few loaves of zucchini bread, were super-proud of yourself and then sat down to enjoy that first slice only to discover that it was dry, crumbly and pretty much tasteless?
Even a cream cheese spread wouldn’t take away the loathsome texture of dryness. And then you still had 5 other loaves that still had to be eaten.
Now, imagine an unbelievably-moist, perfectly flavored with just a hint of cinnamon, and dotted-all-over-with-crunchy-walnuts slice of zucchini bread.
And, of course generously slathered with a luscious cream cheese spread.
Sink your teeth into that why dontcha? 😉
I’ll let you guess which of those two types of zucchini bread I’m sharing with you today. I’ll give you a hint though: I despise dry zucchini bread.
I know a lot of people hate the word, “moist” but really, MOIST quick bread AAAAALL the way.
I’m gonna lay a big secret on you guys: This zucchini bread is SUPA-healthy, low-fat, and SUPER-low in calories!
Seriously, there are only 101 calories in each slice. Therefore, you have my go-head to eat the entire loaf in one sitting. Piece by piece. 😉 You’re definitely gonna want to, trust me.
This recipe easily doubles or triples, so feel free to make several loaves of this bread for the freezer. It freezes beautifully, so you could still be enjoying zucchini bread in December!
You know, just to remind you of those carefree summer days that you miss so much. WAAAHH.
I made a few loaves of this bread the other day for photographing and then I planned to throw them in the freezer, buuuuut somehow one of those slices didn’t make it to the freezer.
Sneaky little zucchini bread slices.
P.S. This recipe is 100% goof up-proof. I’ve literally made this bread 4 times in the past week. NO joke.
Ultimate Zucchini Bread with Orange Cream Cheese Spread
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup tightly-packed shredded zucchini
- 1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- CREAM CHEESE SPREAD:
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 2 tablespoons xylitol or sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk sugar, egg, oil, yogurt, vanilla, and shredded zucchini until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Gently fold flour mixture into liquid mixture until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in chopped walnuts.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake zucchini bread at 350F 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool bread in pan 1 hour before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Make the cream cheese spread: Place all ingredients in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Serve with zucchini bread.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Looking for more ways to use up that zucchini? Gotcha’ covered!
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Now that I have your permission to eat to eat the entire loaf, let me go stuff my face now! 🙂 This bread looks fantastic, Sarah! I am amazed at how low in calories and moist this bread looks. And that cream cheese?! Yum! What a fun topping! Pinned!
Sarah says
Thanks for the pin, Gayle! You’re gonna ADORE this bread, girl!
marcie says
Keep these zucchini recipes coming — I will never tire of them, especially when they have that delicious spread! Terrific and tasty idea! 🙂
Sarah says
I will definitely never tire of zucchini either! Just one of those veggies. 😀
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says
The orange is such a great addition here! I can’t wait to try it because I have had some seriously disappointing zucchini bread! Pinned bc you know the next time I go to the store I’m going to end up with a huge bag of zucchini and no plan!
Sarah says
Don’t give up on zucchini bread yet, Lindsey! You TOTALLY need to try this recipe. Next time, I’m thinking about topping it with your gorgeous meringue buttercream. 😀
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says
Lol. DO IT!!!!!
Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life says
Oh man, I know people don’t like it, but I love the word moist. Seriously, that word makes my quick breads, because dry is just wrong, plain wrong. You are speaking to my quick bread heart right now Sarah! Zucchini, walnuts, coconut sugar – breakfast all the way! And gorgeous photos. Pinned!
Sarah says
Seriously, my family DESPISES the word moist, but I personally LOVE it. Aaaand I love saying it in front of them just to gross them out. Mwahaha! Thanks girl! You’re the sweetest. 🙂
Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Cooking & Creating says
Zucchini bread is one of my favorite things to bake in the autumn! Love this low fat version!
Sarah says
Thanks Kelly! Definitely one of my fav end-summer, early-fall breakfasts too!
Karen @ Lushious Eats says
Oh please, don’t even mention December….my finger tips are freezing just thinking of that outrageous word!
Oh and btw, as I sit here wondering what to do with my zucchini tonight, I now wonder why the hell I just didn’t come here sooner!!! La-La-La-LOVEEEEE Zucchini bread!
Sarah says
Hahaha! Ooh I’m right there with ya, girl! December can just stay faaaaar away. 😉 And oh, gosh that is like PERFECT timing! You so need to bake up a loaf of this bread, Karen!
Danielle says
I love zucchini bread! I’m so giddy over how healthy it is too, I won’t feel so guilty eating an entire loaf now ha 😉 Pinning!
Sarah says
Hahaha! You KNOW it, girl! Zero guilt whatsoever. 😉
Isadora says
Zucchini bread has always been one of my favorites, even when I was a kid and thought I hated zucchini, I could always be tricked into eating zucchini bread! And this orange cream cheese spread???! I want to slather it all over this bread plus all the other bread I have in my house, plus eat it with a spoon 🙂
Sarah says
Hahaha! My family doesn’t even question those “suspicious” green specks in their bread. They just shove it in their faces at top speed. LOL. And oh my gosh, the spread is SO good, Izzy! I’ll admit I stooped to spoon-worthy level too. 😉
Joanne says
If quickbread isn’t going to be moist, then what’s the point?!? Love how perfectly spiced this is. And the orange cream cheese spread is such a great way to top it off!
Sarah says
Thanks, Joanne! And YES. Moist quick bread all.the.way.
Kelly @ Trial and Eater says
I love a good zucchini recipe! And this cream cheese makes it sound extra good – it makes me want to try it raw zucchini!
Sarah says
Thanks, Kelly! 🙂
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
Having too much zucchini might be one of the worst problems ever! Do you grow zucchini in your garden? I did one year, but the dang plant got gigantic and took up the whole planter box! I have a kind of small garden, and didn’t realize how huge the leaves get on the zucchini plant. It totally blocked out the light for all my herbs. Lesson learned!
Sarah says
Oh, man the leaves totally get HUGE. Luckily we have a fairly large garden with plenty of room for gigantic zucchini leaves! I can see why in your garden that might have been a small problem! LOL. 😉
Mrs. Berry says
Love good, moist Zuke Bread! I stepped mine up and replaced the vegetable oil (have you seen how they make that stuff?) with coconut oil. Perfect! I love that the yogurt helps with the moisture so that we can get away with less oil than older recipes. Try yours with ginger next time!
Sarah says
Thanks for the feedback! I love your idea of switching out the veggie oil for coconut oil and adding ginger!
Claudia says
So yummy! That appears to be amazing.
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
This zucchini bread looks so moist Sarah! I am loving the orange cream cheese spread!
Sarah says
Thanks, Christin!
Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats says
Love love love zucchini bread!! Probably one of my favorites in the “bread world” can’t wait to try this Sarah, gorgeous photos too girl! Just keep getting better and better!
Sarah says
Thanks so much, Krista! Your comments are always the sweetest! You definitely need to try this bread, girl—it didn’t disappoint all 1.5 billion times I tested it! LOL.