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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 won’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. 😉

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 it’s too hot it might get crispy on the outside but sink in the middle. If it isn’t hot enough it won’t rise as desired.
  2. Make sure you aren’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 isn’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!! 😉

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
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 1⅓ cups sugar
  • ½ 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 50–60 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 3–4 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 17–19 minutes. Makes 12–14 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 I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” 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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Recipe Rating




852 Comments

  1. Jane Koon says:

    5 stars
    This recipe looks amazing, we usually make zucchini bread the original way. Now with the Lemon Zucchini Bread recipe, we can add more “flavor “ to our Holiday table!

  2. Amalie Ader says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious.my whole family loves it. I used the suggestion to add poppy seeds.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      The poppy seeds look so pretty in this recipe! Thanks for trying it!

  3. Maureen says:

    5 stars
    Everyone who tastes this bread just raves about it.
    I found the recipe easy to follow.
    Definitely a keeper.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yay!! I love to hear that!! Thank you so much!!

  4. Megan mazingo says:

    5 stars
    Made this today with a couple modifications… wanted two loaves, and since it seems (in the comments) the recipe is enough for one, I doubled and it made two good size loaves. Though… I only had one lemon, so I added a teaspoon of lemon extract AND a package of instant sugar free lemon pudding mix. Bread came out perfectly sweet and moist.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for sharing what you did! So glad to hear the bread turned out delicious and was a success!

  5. Liesl says:

    I made this today and it was delicious. However, my two loaves would’ve been better off as one big one! Both were rather flat. But an easy, delicious recipe I’ll make again!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for the feedback. So glad to hear you enjoyed the bread!

      1. Mary H says:

        Please correct your recipe to say Makes ONE loaf.

      2. Lil'Luna Team says:

        Thanks for the feedback.

  6. Angel says:

    4 stars
    I wish I would have read the other comments first.
    When I pour this batter into 2 pans I thought I read directions wrong.
    This batter does NOT make 2 loads 😡
    Now while it’s baking I find I have to do the guessing game to when it’s done.
    While I was waiting I watch your video. You made one loaf and put one loaf on cooling rack!!!
    I hope I don’t end up throwing away all these ingredients 😪

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Hi Angel! Curious to hear how the bread ended up turning out for you?

  7. Lisa Dixon Mahoney says:

    5 stars
    Glad I read some of the reviews. I only used one pan and it made a lovely loaf. Two pans would have resulted in two very small loafs. Baked it for almost 1 hour. Delicious!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for sharing what you did! Glad the one loaf worked out for you and that you enjoyed the bread!

  8. Kitty says:

    5 stars
    This bread was so moist and delicious. So easy, too. The lemon taste was great. I made two small changes which did not affect the entire recipe. I used more zucchini than called for, and I poked holes in the bread before pouring the icing over it. That way, some of the icing went into the bread, adding a bit more moisture (not that it needed it). I only baked for 50 minutes but found some of the center was not cooked through. Next time, I’ll go for 55 minutes. I only used one bread pan, which was just right. I think the breads would have been rather flat had I divided the batter into two pans. Thank you for a great recipe! Definitely a keeper.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for sharing what you did! I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread.

  9. Kerry S says:

    5 stars
    I made this bread today and forgot to add the buttermilk. 😞
    It still came out delicious!
    I added fresh blueberries so maybe the moisture from those saved me from disaster.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      So glad to hear the bread still turned out great! The blueberries sound tasty in it too. Love a good lemon/blueberry combo.

  10. DB says:

    3 stars
    The texture was lovely. The flavor was a bit lacking. I’m an experienced baker but I will follow the author’s recipe once. My gut told me that the amount of batter was insufficient for (2) 9×5 loaf pans… and it was. My loaves were about an inch high – and my baking powder was fresh.

    1. Meghan Shaffer says:

      4 stars
      I thought the same. The recipe was really good for one pan not two. I followed the recipe and it turned out light and delicious, but it was about half the height of what is shown in the image.