Zucchini Bread

 

I should really call this the O.G. zucchini bread.  This was one of the very first breads I made when I was young and it is still one my absolute favorites.  I love other zucchini breads, this chocolate one is absolutely amazing, but they will always be the others.  This is my mom’s zucchini bread, and like so many mom recipes, it will always, always be a favorite.

This zucchini bread is like most other quick breads in that you can reasonably eat it for breakfast, for dessert, with tea, or really anytime.  I love to make it in loaf pans, or, in a bundt pan for a nod to the fact that it is indeed a cake.  When company comes to stay, I like to have one of these sitting on the counter along with lots of fresh fruit, so hungry visitors can easily grab a slice.  And this breakfast-dessert hybrid may make an appearance on the first day of school next week as a special sorry the summer is over for you treat for the kids.

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Zucchini Bread

This is, as far as I am concerned, the original zucchini bread.  If I only could only have one zucchini bread for the rest of my life (shudder), this would be it by a landslide.  It is dense, sweet, finely crumbed and plain delicious.  Please, please don't skip the chopped dates.  Chopping by hand is a bit of a pain, but the food processor makes short work of it--just remember to buy pitted dates!

This can be baked in a bundt pan or two standard sized loaf pans.  

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour, all purpose
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2-3 cups zucchini, grated
  • 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare your pans, either 2 loaf pans, or a single bundt pan, with either butter and flour or nonstick baking spray.

  2. Mix the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon together until thoroughly mixed.

  3. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and then mix together.  It will seem very thick and almost like it will not come together.  When it is almost all mixed, add in the grated zucchini.  As the zucchini starts to leach out some of its water, the batter will come together easier and you can add in the chopped dates.

  4. Pour the batter into the loaf pans or bundt cake pan.  Shake or tap the pans to make sure the batter is evenly distributed and put in the oven.  Bake for 55-65 minutes, depending on the pan size.  Bake until toothpick comes out clean.