Apple Zucchini Bread is made with fresh apple chunks and zucchini, which provide a moist and flavorful base for the bread. This easy zucchini bread is a great way to use up any excess zucchini from your garden and add some extra nutrition to your diet.
The combination of apples and zucchini in this homemade bread recipe provides a unique and satisfying flavor. The sweetness of the apples complements the mild taste of the zucchini, making for a perfect balance of flavors. This zucchini apple bread is perfect for breakfast, as a snack, or even as a dessert.
Zucchini and Apple Bread
Apple zucchini bread has a delicious taste and amazing texture that makes it a popular choice for breakfast or as a snack. The bread has a sweet and slightly tangy flavor that comes from the combination of grated zucchini and grated apples. The texture is moist and dense, with a slightly crunchy crust.
The grated zucchini and apples in the bread add moisture and sweetness to the batter, making it a healthier alternative to traditional bread recipes. The bread is also loaded with nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
When preparing the bread, it is important to use fresh and ripe apples and zucchini to ensure maximum flavor and texture. The bread can be served warm or cold, and it can be enjoyed plain or with a spread of butter or cream cheese. Apple cinnamon zucchini bread may be perfect for the fall season, but you can enjoy this treat all year round!
Tips for Making Perfect Bread Every Time
Making apple zucchini bread can be a fun and rewarding experience. Here are some tips to ensure that your bread comes out perfect every time:
- Measure ingredients accurately: Use measuring cups and spoons to measure ingredients accurately. Too much or too little of any ingredient can affect the texture and flavor of the bread.
- Use fresh ingredients: Fresh ingredients like zucchini and apples will give your bread the best flavor. Avoid using ingredients that are past their prime.
- Mix ingredients properly: Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately and then combine them together. Do not overmix the batter as this can result in a tough bread.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to the specified temperature before baking. This will ensure that the bread bakes evenly.
- Bake the bread properly: Bake the bread until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake the bread as this can dry it out.
- Allow the bread to cool: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely. This will prevent the bread from breaking apart.
Apple Zucchini Bread Ingredients
Sugars: You will need 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar to make this bread perfectly sweet with deep flavors.
Eggs: Use 3 large eggs to help bind the batter together so that the bread doesn’t crumble apart when sliced.
Oil: The bread needs fats to stay moist, so add in 1 cup of vegetable oil. You can also replace the oil with ½ a cup of applesauce for a healthier twist.
Vanilla: Use 3 tsp of vanilla extract to help enhance all the flavors in this bread.
Flour: The structural base of this bread recipe is 3 cups of all-purpose flour.
Cinnamon: You need 3 tsp of ground cinnamon to help spice this bread wonderfully.
Salt: Adding in 1 tsp of salt will help to make the flavors in this bread even more pronounced.
Leavening agents: To help the bread rise as it bakes, add 1 tsp of each baking powder and baking soda.
Zucchini: Use 2 cups of grated zucchini so that there is plenty in every slice.
Apple: Add 1 cup of diced, peeled apple for an amazing taste and texture to this bread.
Walnuts: You can add in 1 cup of chopped walnuts for added crunch and texture in your loaf.
How to Make Apple Zucchini Bread
Prep
Start by greasing the inside of two 8×4 inch bread loaf pans, then set them aside.
Next, start preheating the oven to 325 degrees F.
Also, grate the zucchini using a box grater and then peel, slice, and chop one medium-sized apple it into small chunks. Set these ingredients aside.
Bread batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir to mix ingredients together.
Then, in a separate small bowl, beat the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and both white and brown sugar together until well combined.
Proceed to add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir together until combined.
Lastly, fold in the grated zucchini and apple pieces, along with the nuts. Stir to just combined, be careful not to over stir.
Let the batter rest for 5 minutes and then divide and pour into the prepared bread pans.
Bake
Place the bread into the oven and bake for 40-60 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.
Mini loaf pans will cook for 35-40 minutes, and larger loaves will take about 55 minutes.
When finished cooking, let the bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Variations of Apple Zucchini Bread
Apple zucchini bread is a versatile recipe that can be modified to fit different dietary needs. Here are a few variations to try:
Gluten-Free Variation: For those who are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, this variation uses gluten-free flour instead of regular flour. Here’s how to make it:
- Replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour.
- Add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the dry ingredients. This will help the bread hold together without gluten.
The rest of the recipe can be followed as usual.
Vegan Variation: To make apple zucchini bread vegan, you’ll need to replace the eggs and butter with vegan alternatives. Here’s how to do it:
- Replace the eggs with a flax egg or applesauce. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Replace the butter with coconut oil or vegan butter.
The rest of the recipe can be followed as usual.
Apple Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil (or applesauce for 1/2 the oil)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 cup apple, diced and peeled
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Prep: Grease two 8 x 4 inch pans or 6 mini loaf plans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Grate the zucchini using a box grater and set aside. Peel 1 medium apple, then slice and chop into small pieces. Set aside.
- Batter: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
- In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and sugars together.
- Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add the zucchini and apples to the bread batter, along with the nuts, and stir until well combined. Let the batter sit 5 minutes, then pour the batter into the prepared pans.
- Bake: Place bread into the oven and bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. My mini-loaf pans take about 35-40 minutes. Large sized loaves take about 55 minutes.
- When done cooking, cool in the pan on rack a for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Should you squeeze water out of zucchini for bread?
If your zucchini is excessively juicy or watery then squeezing out some moisture using paper towels or cheesecloth can help you to avoid dense bread. Zucchini is naturally very watery, you want some moisture but overly so could create dense bread. If you leave the zucchini in a bowl and let it rest, water will start to accumulate. Before adding to the bread batter, just drain the excess water out first. This can be considered an optional step, it may not be needed.
How long is zucchini bread good for?
This zucchini bread can be kept stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage wrap it well in plastic wrap after it has completely cooled and then store it in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months, thaw before eating.
What are some tips to prevent zucchini bread from falling in the middle?
To prevent zucchini bread from falling in the middle, make sure you don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing can cause the bread to become dense and heavy, which can lead to it sinking in the middle. Also, make sure you don’t overfill the pan, as this can cause the bread to rise too high and then collapse in the middle. Finally, make sure you’re using fresh baking powder, as old baking powder can cause the bread to fall.
Best Apples for Cooking
Often times cooking with apples requires firm, crisp apples like Fuji, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith. Remember that each apple varies in tartness! Granny Smith apples are most tart, whereas Fuji apples are very sweet. You can use softer apples such as Red Delicious or Golden Delicious, but you’ll drastically reduce the cooking time, or else your apples might turn to mush!
AVOID SUNKEN BREAD
The easiest and best way to avoid sunken bread is to use a cooking thermometer to check the inside of the loaf. Fully cooked bread will register 200°F on a thermometer. My all-time favorite thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great cooking thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well.
BEST BREAD PAN?
I bake a lot of bread and the pans I prefer are either ceramic, glass or cast iron. These pans will bake bread more evenly and release the bread more easily after baking. I don’t like using dark or nonstick pans because the bread cooks unevenly. It darkens on the outside before the bread is cooked on the inside, so the coloring is uneven. Read more about which bread pan is the best here!
Check out these other great quick bread recipes you will love!
- LEMON BLUEBERRY POUND CAKE
- FRESH CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD
- CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BREAD
- FROSTED GINGERBREAD LOAF
- SWEET IRISH SODA BREAD
- PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE BREAD
- PINEAPPLE QUICK BREAD
- PINEAPPLE ZUCCHINI BREAD
- EASY CINNAMON ROLL QUICK BREAD
- PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE GINGERBREAD
- DUTCH APPLE BREAD RECIPE
- LEMON ZUCCHINI BREAD
- CINNAMON YOGURT BREAD
Apple Zucchini Bread is an easy bread that is loaded with fresh zucchini, apple, and crunchy walnuts! This recipe for apple zucchini bread is a wonderfully spiced treat that will surely become a new family favorite!
Gretchen says
In the instructions you call for nutmeg , but nutmeg is not listed in the ingredients.
Nicole says
Im sorry! You can either omit it or add about 1/4 teaspoon of it if desired.
Glenda says
Very very good apple zucchini bread our grandkids love it too.
I will be saving this recipe for sure thank you 😊
Nicole says
Aw so happy to hear that!
Nancy says
Came out great and my family loved it. Thank you!
Nicole says
Happy to hear that 🙂
Fluff says
Worst recipe i have ever accidently printed,
Directions have ingredients that are not listed in the ingredients,
no mention on how to keep apple from going brown while you do all the rest of the preparation
no real instructions, like beat the eggs with the oil before you add them into the already beat together sugars, …
a 20 minute cooking window is just ridiculous.
Get it together before you post a recipe, not everyone is a chef.
Nicole says
Sorry to hear you didnt enjoy the recipe
Liz White says
Can i bake this bread in a 9×5 loaf pan?
Jessica says
You sure can!
Mary says
Made this for my quilters group and it was a huge hit!!
Loved that it made two loaves! Will make this again.
Nellie says
So glad everyone loved it!
Pam says
Turned out great! Loved it.
Jessica says
So glad to hear Pam!
Shannon says
I made this recipe today and it was delicious! I did make one small change. My zucchini plant kicked out some ginormous ones while we were on vacation, so I was looking to use as much as I could. I had read where diced zucchini could substitute for apple in baking recipes, like breads and cobblers, so instead of adding a diced apple, I just added a cup of diced peeled zucchini (in addition to the 2 cups shredded). Even my super picky eaters declared it the best “apple” cake they’d ever had. Thank you for the great recipe!
Rita says
Great recipe, absolutely delicious! My kids & husband devoured this, will definitely be making this again as we have an abundance of zucchini in the garden
Melissa says
Really really good the only thing the amount of nutmeg not in recipe so I guessed lol
Chele says
I made this recipe, but halved it. I ended up shedding the apple with the zucchini, and also added dried cranberries. I also added a streusel topping to the bread. Turned out sooo yummy! Thank you!
Jessica says
Sounds amazing Chele!!
Debra says
I can use applesauce instead of oil. The same amount of applesauce as the oil.
Nellie says
Yes, applesauce is a great substitute for oil. It does change the consistency of the bread a bit and will cause it to be more dense.
Therese says
1st time I made this recipe it turned out perfect! The bread did need to be left in a longer to firm up in the middle and have a good looking outside color. I’m making it for a second time today and can’t wait to see what it tastes like with the nutmeg (didn’t have any the first time). Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!
Jean says
It looks like you put a light glaze on it. Was just thin powdered sugar and water.?
Jessica says
Yes! It’s optional, but delicious, of course.
Vicki says
This is a 10 out of 10! Added chopped almonds, a little pinch of cloves and nutmeg. Delicious!
Nellie says
Those additions sound perfect Vicki! Thanks for sharing!
Le Ann says
I just made this bread and it is delicious!! One of the best zucchini breads I have made, I did make a small change, I replace 3 teaspoons of cinnamon with 3 teaspoons of apple pie spice, which has cinnamon in it, wonderful flavor!!
Jessica says
Oooh such a good idea Le Ann!! Glad you liked it!
AJH says
Does the shredded zucchini need to be squeezed before adding to the other ingredients?
Jessica says
I never squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini. Even from my garden zucchinis which generally have way more water in them. Some people say they do every time and swear by it, ha! I’d say don’t worry about it, unless you have a monster garden zucchini that pools with water after you shred it!