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This delicious Lemon Zucchini Bread is topped with a homemade glaze making it irresistible! We love a simple no-yeast quick bread recipe!

If you love bread (especially quick bread recipes), you’ll love this sweet bread! It’s perfect for leftover zucchini in the garden and is as classic and delicious as our go-to Zucchini Bread and Chocolate Zucchini Cake.

Three slices of lemon zucchini bread on a white plate.
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The Perfect Sweet BREAD!

When it’s cold, I find myself wanting to bake ALL the time. It’s almost like I just love having something sweet and warm to eat on a cold day. This zucchini lemon bread makes the perfect dessert or even an afternoon snack.

This next recipe was one that my mom and I tried out years ago that we fell in love with. It was so delicious and one that we will be making again and adding to our favorite breads rotation.

The recipe turned out perfect with zucchini and lemon flavor combined into a fluffy bread. The glaze is my favorite part (how could it not be?) and was the perfect addition for this lemon zucchini bread recipe!

Zucchini on cutting board for lemon zucchini bread.

Using Zucchini in Bread

There is no need to peel the skin of a zucchini before using it in baking. Zucchini peels are already thin and soft enough that they wonโ€™t affect the texture of your bread.

You can use any cheese grater that you have on hand to grate your zucchini – a food processor with a grating attachment would also work well.

Dry the Zucchini: I mention below how important it is to DRY your zucchini. Since some zucchinis, like home grown garden zucchinis, have more moisture than others, I would suggest placing the grated zucchini in the center of a tea towel, fold up the towel, and wring out by twisting over the sink.  This is a great way to prepare grated zucchini for most baked goods.

Grated zucchini to use in lemon zucchini bread recipe.

How to Make Lemon Zucchini Bread

BATTER. Begin by mixing the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Then add oil and sugar until well blended. Add lemon juice, buttermilk, and lemon zest to this mixture and blend all together.

ZUCCHINI. Fold in shredded zucchini (that is drained and dry) until it is mixed well. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend all together until well combined.

(*Note*: It is really really important to be sure you remove excess water from the zucchini. Zucchinis are over 90% water which is why they make a great addition to moisten up baked goods. However, too much water from the zucchini can alter the bread a great deal. Read more on this below in the tips.)

BAKE. Pour batter evenly into one greased 9×5 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Let the bread cool a bit in the pan before removing to finish cooling on a wire rack.

GLAZE. Place bread on a cooling rack and while still warm, make lemon glaze and drizzle or spoon over the bread. Let the glaze set up before cutting and serving.

Dress it Up

I love this recipe as is, but sometimes it’s fun to add little something extra to dress up a dish. Here are a few ideas you can try: 

  • 1-2 tablespoons of poppy seeds
  • add dried berries such as cranberries or blueberries
  • add dark or white chocolate chips
  • sprinkle lemon zest on top
A baked loaf of zucchini lemon bread recipe in a loaf pan.

TipS, TRICKS, + STORAGE

This recipe isn’t hard AT ALL, but we wanted to share our TOP tips for making sure it turns out perfect. ๐Ÿ˜‰

To prevent your zucchini lemon bread from falling, pay attention to these 3 things:

  1. Make sure your oven is at the correct temperature. If itโ€™s too hot it might get crispy on the outside but sink in the middle. If it isnโ€™t hot enough it wonโ€™t rise as desired.
  2. Make sure you arenโ€™t over mixing your ingredients. Use the lowest speed on your mixer or even mix by hand for this recipe.
  3. Make sure you are using the right size pan. If your pan is too small the bread will rise and then sink in the middle without enough support on the sides.

If your bread comes out of the oven with a crack in the middle, this isnโ€™t a sign that something has gone wrong. It usually means your bread is well baked, has risen properly and steam has escaped from the center.

When STORING, this bread keeps at room temperature for 3-4 days, for about a week in the fridge, or up to 4 months in the freezer.

The best way to FREEZE this bread would be to wrap it in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. I recommend freezing it without the glaze, thawing, and then adding glaze just before eating.

Zucchini bread with lemon glaze poured over the top.

Substitutions

Though I will occasionally add little extras to dress up a dish, I really try not to alter the main recipe. However, sometimes I get started on a recipe to find I don’t have a certain ingredient. In this case I use a substitution if I can. Here are a few for this recipe that might come in handy:

  • Several readers commented that they have successfully used coconut oil, olive oil and even applesauce in lieu of canola oil. Substitute it at a 1:1 ratio. 
  • Make your own cake flour: To make your own cake flour all you need is cornstarch and all purpose flour. For every cup of all purpose flour remove 2 tablespoons, then add in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift together. 
  • Lemon juice: You can use fresh lemon juice or store bought.
  • Buttermilk: See our post on buttermilk substitutes.

Doesn’t it looks fabulous?? It’s an easy recipe to make, and I can’t wait to try it out again… it’s been too long!! And for me, breads that require no yeast are always the easiest!! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Three slices of lemon zucchini bread recipe on a white plate.

For more great quick bread recipes, check out:

Or, check out our full collection of Quick Bread Recipes!

4.93 from 390 votes

Lemon Zucchini Bread Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Delicious Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread Recipe that is soft, moist, filled with grated zucchini and lemon juice and topped with a lemony glaze.
Servings: 1 loaf
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour

Ingredients 

Bread

  • 2 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ยฝ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 1โ…“ cups sugar
  • ยฝ cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup grated zucchini

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 5-x-9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs with a an hand mixer. Then add oil and sugar and mix until well. Add lemon juice, buttermilk, lemon zest to this mixture and blend all together.
  • Wring out zucchini to remove moisture. Fold the zucchini into wet ingredients.
  • Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
  • Pour batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50โ€“60 minutes.
  • To make the glaze, stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Spoon over the bread while still warm. Let the glaze set for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Video

Notes

Make Ahead: Place in a large resealable plastic bag and store at room temperature for 3โ€“4 days or in the refrigerator for 7 days. This bread also freezes well. Wrap each unglazed loaf in plastic wrap, then place in a resealable plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature before warming to your liking.
Wringing Out Zucchini: For this recipe, it is important to remove excess water from the zucchini so the batter is not too runny. To do that, place grated zucchini on the center of a tea towel, fold up the towel, and wring out by twisting over the sink. This is a great way to prepare grated zucchini for most baked goods.
GLAZED LEMON ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
To make Lemon Zucchini Muffins, use the recipe above but divide the batter among the wells of a lined 12-cup muffin tin. Fill each well two-thirds full and bake at 350 degrees F for 17โ€“19 minutes. Makes 12โ€“14 large muffins.
SMALLER LOAVES: To make 2 smaller loaves, split the batter evenly into two 4 x 8 loaf pans and bake for 40 minutes. To make 3 mini-loaves, split the batter evenly into three 3 x 5 mini-loaf pans and bake for 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1loaf, Calories: 1837kcal, Carbohydrates: 295g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 66g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g, Monounsaturated Fat: 38g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 173mg, Sodium: 734mg, Potassium: 1048mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 200g, Vitamin A: 614IU, Vitamin C: 33mg, Calcium: 336mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and Iโ€™m the mom of SIX stinkinโ€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinโ€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momโ€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iโ€™m one of the many crafty โ€œLilโ€™ Lunasโ€ in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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4.93 from 390 votes (121 ratings without comment)

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852 Comments

  1. KATHY CARDIFF says:

    5 stars
    We loved it!! I baked it in a glass loaf pan and it came out perfectly, although it needed quite a bit of additional baking time. You could halve the glaze, too. This will be a favorite sweet bread recipe for company and as gifts.

  2. C.l.bradbury says:

    4 stars
    Looks very good. I love put zucchini in cakes and breads

  3. Abby says:

    4 stars
    I was so excited to make this bread because I love the flavor of lemon. The bread tastes very good. I cooked it for the allotted time and tested it with my tester stick. It was done. It flatten out when I removed it from the oven. The main problem is its gummyy/rubbery texture. Yes, I did squeeze the liquid from the zucchini before adding. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

    1. Deb says:

      Abby, it be your baking powder. Try making it with a fresh container.

  4. Sherrie L. says:

    My friend made this recipe and passed it along to me. For 2 loves, the bread doesn’t rise at all, so the bread is only about a inch-2 inches thick. Almost like a pound cake. Before the lemon glaze I tried it and it wasn’t very lemony. I even added almost a 1/2 tsp of lemon extract to the bread. Easy recipe but not enough batter for 2 loaves or it needs more leavening agent in it, and not enough lemon flavor.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for the feedback and sharing your experience!

    2. Abby says:

      4 stars
      Mine didn’t rise much either. However, that would be too much batter for one loaf pan. Mine is rubbery in texture. I think maybe as soon as I shredded the zucchini and squeezed out the water I should have used it. I squeezed it out but let it sit in a bowl for a couple of hours. It got watery again even though I repeated the squeeze.

  5. Kathy a Baker says:

    5 stars
    one of the best recipes I have ever made

    One of the best recipes I’ve ever made! Moist and incredible taste…and I didn’t even make the icing because it was sweet enough. I will be making several for gifts.

  6. Laurie C says:

    5 stars
    The best bread!! Easy to make and so delicious!!!