Lemon Zucchini Bread

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The perfect summer snack for lemon lovers, today’s Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread is a tender, sweet and tangy quick bread that makes the best use of the bountiful lemons and zucchinis of summer.

Tender, light and fluffy lemon zucchini bread is a sweet and tangy treat perfect for when that next lemon dessert craving hits! The optional 2-ingredient glaze makes this simple loaf cake incredibly decadent.

Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread Recipe

Whether you call these quick breads, loaf cakes, tea cakes, snack cakes or just simply.. bread, it’s one of my favorite baked goods to have on hand as an afternoon snack or an easy lunchbox treat.

This lemon zucchini bread has all of the indulgent flavor of a slice of lemon cake but with way less sugar and calories.. allowing me to not feel so guilty when I inevitably go back for a second slice.

The quick 2-ingredient lemon glaze is optional but really amps up the tangy lemon flavor and adds a more sweetness to the recipe. I don’t always add it, but I’m never disappointed when I do!

While the zucchini does add some health benefits to this recipe, the real reason zucchini is used to make bread is that it adds moisture, resulting in a tender, light bread. Zucchini is about 90% water, which steams away as the bread is cooked, aerating the bread and helping it rise (since there is no yeast in this recipe).

Lemon Zucchini Bread Variations:

  • add poppyseeds for a lemon zucchini poppyseed bread!
  • mix in 1 cup of berries (my trick to preventing the berries from dying the whole loaf is to toss them in a Tablespoon of flour before gently stirring into the batter)
  • add white chocolate chips for an indulgent treat
  • use applesauce in lieu of the oil called for in the recipe
  • swap out the lemon juice and zest for orange juice and zest – or do a mixture of the two


slices of lemon zucchini bread in front of half of a loaf on white platter with lemons and zucchini in the background

Can you freeze lemon zucchini bread? Yes! Wrap the bread with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then store in a ziptop bag or your favorite freezer containers. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.) Store in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw overnight before enjoying.

(You can also wrap and freeze individual slices and thaw in the microwave for 30 seconds for sporadic lemon dessert cravings!)

Is lemon zucchini bread healthy? You do still get the health benefits of zucchini (rich in vitamin A, anti-oxidants, etc) when eating zucchini bread but I would not ever claim that this lemon zucchini bread is exactly healthy because each serving contains about 1 Tablespoon of sugar. It IS a healthier alternative to lemon cake and does contain less sugar than some other recipes. (I plan to try to adapt my sugar-free banana bread to be made with zucchini but I haven’t tried yet.)

More Lemon Desserts:

composite image of slices of lemon zucchini bread in front of half of a loaf on white platter along with three in-process images of how to make the bread

Lemon Zucchini Bread Ingredients

Optional Lemon Glaze:

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: add your favorite mix-ins to make this bread your own: poppyseeds, white chocolate chips, berries, etc.

ingredients needed to make lemon zucchini bread

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

  • Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
  • Wooden Spoon or Spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.
  • 8″ x 4″ Loaf Pan
overhead shot of slices of lemon zucchini bread in front of half of a loaf on white platter

How to Make Lemon Zucchini Bread

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease and line a loaf pan and set aside.

in-process images of how to make lemon zucchini bread

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together until well combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, use your hands to rub the lemon zest into the white sugar to infuse the oils of the lemon zest into the sugar. (Yes you have to use your hands as the warmth helps infuse the flavor into the sugar.)

in-process images of how to make lemon zucchini bread

Pour the vegetable oil into the lemon sugar and beat for 2 minutes until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs for 30 seconds, then add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

in-process images of how to make lemon zucchini bread

Beat in the flour mixture until just combined, then add the grated zucchini and stir or beat until well-distributed.

Pour the lemon zucchini bread mixture into the prepared loaf pan. 

in-process images of how to make lemon zucchini bread

Bake for 45-50 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 2 minutes in the loaf pan and then set on a cooling rack.

in-process images of how to make lemon zucchini bread

For the optional glaze, stir together the ingredients until combined.

Pour the glaze over the top of the bread and allow to set until dry, about 20 minutes.

in-process images of how to make lemon zucchini bread

Makes 1 loaf or 12 slices/servings.

Pin this Easy Lemon Zucchini Loaf for an indulgent lemon treat whenever the your next lemon dessert craving strikes:

The perfect summer snack for lemon lovers, today's Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread is a tender, sweet and tangy quick bread that makes the best use of the bountiful lemons and zucchinis of summer.

Grab your free printable recipe card for our lemon zucchini bread recipe:

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Yield: 1 Loaf, approximately 12 slices

Lemon Zucchini Bread

Lemon Zucchini Bread

Tender, light and fluffy lemon zucchini bread is a sweet and tangy treat perfect for when that next lemon dessert craving hits! The optional 2-ingredient glaze makes this simple loaf cake incredibly decadent.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 cups white sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, approximately 2 medium

Optional Lemon Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup powdered confectioner's sugar
  • 2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Grease and line a loaf pan and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together until well combined. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, use your hands to rub the lemon zest into the white sugar to infuse the oils of the lemon zest into the sugar. (Yes you have to use your hands as the warmth helps infuse the flavor into the sugar.)
  5. Pour the vegetable oil into the lemon sugar and beat for 2 minutes until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy.
  6. Beat in the eggs for 30 seconds, then add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
  7. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined, then add the grated zucchini and stir or beat until well-distributed.
  8. Pour the lemon zucchini bread mixture into the prepared loaf pan. 
  9. Bake for 45-50 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Allow to cool for 2 minutes in the loaf pan and then set on a cooling rack.
  11. For the optional glaze, stir together the ingredients until combined.
  12. Pour the glaze over the top of the bread and allow to set until dry, about 20 minutes.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 224Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 336mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 3g

Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.

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slices of lemon zucchini bread in front of half of a loaf on white platter with lemons and zucchini in the background

I hope your family loves this lemon zucchini bread as much as mine does – you may need to double the recipe!

For more beautiful breads, check out our full bread recipe collection here:

For more decadent desserts, check out our full dessert recipe collection here:

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