Zucchini Nut Bread with Pecans

This recipe for zucchini nut bread is perfect for those who love a good dessert bread. Maybe you have zucchini leftover in the freezer from the previous year’s harvest or visits to the farmer’s market or just picked some in your own garden. Either way, it’s time to put that vegetable to good use and bake some bread.

Zucchini Nut Bread with Pecans

One of the reasons I love this zucchini bread recipe is it doesn’t use traditional walnuts as the nut part of the bread. Instead, I’ve substituted pecans, which add a nice crunch and extra sweetness. I’d also considered using almonds and may try that with the next batch.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups shredded zucchini about 4 zucchinis
• 1 1/4 cups pecans roughly chopped and divided

Instructions 

1. Place top oven rack in the center position and preheat oven to 325 F. Generously grease two 9-inch loaf pans with butter and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract just until blended.
3. Add the flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, a little at a time, and mix to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed, to make sure the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated into the batter.
5. Add the shredded zucchini and one cup of pecans to the mixing bowl and fold into the batter. Don’t overmix.
6. Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans and place it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining pecans on top of each pan.
7. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes before checking for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of each loaf. If necessary, continue baking until the toothpick comes out clean. Depending on how much moisture is in the zucchini, it may take an hour or slightly longer for the loaves to finish baking.
8. Remove from the oven and cool for several minutes. When cool enough to handle, transfer the loaves to a wire rack or cutting board. Slice and serve immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap once cooled and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes

Remember to drain the zucchini properly. So if you’re defrosting it from the freezer, put it in a colander and put that colander in the sink. Then, let it thaw that way so the extra liquid drains away from the fruit.

If you’re using fresh zucchini, shred it and use the same colander trick. Or spread paper towels on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and then put the shredded zucchini on the paper towels for 30 minutes to an hour. This will give it time to have the moisture leech out onto the paper towel. Don’t worry: even with these hacks, your zucchini nut bread will still come out moist and flavorful.

Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing the batter can lead to a tough bread. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, mix just until the ingredients are well combined.

This recipe calls for applesauce, which adds some moisture and definitely some sweetness to the recipe. If you don’t have applesauce, you can always substitute mashed bananas. In fact, banana zucchini nut bread almost sounds as good as banana bread made with cake mix!

Speaking of substitutions, consider some of the following as well:

• If you don’t have pecans, you can substitute them with other types of nuts such as walnuts or hazelnuts.
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter for a warm and cozy flavor
• Use honey or maple syrup instead of regular sugar.
• Stir 1/2 cup of chocolate chips into the batter before baking.
• You can substitute the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour or a gluten-free flour, such as coconut flour or almond flour.

Zucchini Nut Bread with Pecans

This recipe for zucchini nut bread is perfect for those who love a good dessert bread. Maybe you have zucchini leftover in the freezer from the previous year's harvest or visits to the farmer's market or just picked some in your own garden. Either way, it's time to put that vegetable to good use and bake some bread.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Course Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 428 kcal

Equipment

• 2 9-inch loaf baking pans

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups shredded zucchini about 4 zucchinis
• 1 1/4 cups pecans roughly chopped and divided

Instructions

 

• Place top oven rack in the center position and preheat oven to 325 F. Generously grease two 9-inch loaf pans with butter and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract just until blended. 
• Add the flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, a little at a time, and mix to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed, to make sure the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated into the batter.
• Add the shredded zucchini and one cup of pecans to the mixing bowl and fold into the batter. Don't overmix.
• Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans and place it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining pecans on top of each pan.
• Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes before checking for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of each loaf. If necessary, continue baking until the toothpick comes out clean. Depending on how much moisture is in the zucchini, it may take an hour or slightly longer for the loaves to finish baking.
• Remove from oven and cool for several minutes. When cool enough to handle, transfer the loaves to a wire rack or cutting board. Slice and serve immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap once cooled and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 428kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 6gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 230mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 2gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 190IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 2mg

Disclaimer

Please note that nutrient values, if included with the recipe, are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability/substitution and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.

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