Lemon Zucchini Bread

5 from 4 votes
10 Comments

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This Lemon Zucchini Bread is moist and smooth, with a lemon glaze on top. If you are trying to sneak zucchini into everything you are making this time of year, this recipe is for you.

Sliced lemon zucchini bread with a slice on a separate plate.

Lemon Zucchini Bread

This Lemon Zucchini Bread recipe is my new favorite! If I hadn’t put the zucchini in myself, I never would have known it was there! I love zucchini and zucchini bread, and I have tried many versions, but this is the best zucchini bread I have ever had, hands down. I have seriously been eating a slice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is that good. It’s packed with fresh lemon flavor, the richness of cake and of course, vegetables in the form of zucchini. Every time I start to feel a twinge of guilt for eating that much, I remind myself that I’m eating zucchini and it’s healthy, right?

Ingredients in Lemon Zucchini Bread

The base of this bread is a super easy quick bread recipe that can be changed up several different ways. Here’s all you need for the zucchini mixture:

Ingredients to make lemon zucchini bread.


  • White flour – unbleached white flour is best. Avoid using whole wheat flour in this recipe.
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Eggs
  • Vegetable oil or canola oil
  • White sugar
  • Buttermilk – if you don’t have buttermilk, make your own by mixing a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a cup of milk and whisk. Let it sit about five minutes, and bam! You have buttermilk.
  • Fresh lemon juice – if you don’t have fresh lemons, lemon juice from a bottle works too.
  • Lemon zest – use a small grater to scrape a little of the lemon peeling to get lemon zest. 
  • Zucchini – grated. I use a medium size grater but you could grate it smaller if desired.

Glaze for Lemon Zucchini Bread

​And now for my favorite part of this recipe: the glaze! The rich glaze adds another layer of lemon flavor and makes it seem more like a glorious dessert. Just drizzle on top of a cooled loaf of zucchini bread and enjoy!

Lemon glaze for lemon zucchini bread.
  • Powdered sugar – sift the sugar so it’s nice and light
  • Juice of one whole lemon – or about a tablespoon or two of lemon juice
  • Half and half – to thin the glaze. You can use milk too.

How to Bake

Use parchment paper or a good cooking spray and spray the baking pans so the bread comes out clean from the pan. You’ll know when the bread is done, when you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean. To cool, turn the loaves upside down and let them cool on a wire rack so the moisture doesn’t turn the bottom of the bread soggy.

Glazed lemon zucchini bread.

Can Lemon Zucchini Bread be Frozen?

Yes! In fact, this is a terrific recipe to make a double or triple batch, then freeze for later. Just make sure the bread is cooled completely, then tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. You can then cover it in aluminum foil or a Ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to three months.

To thaw, take the bread out of the foil or bag, but keep the plastic wrap on until it’s thawed completely to keep it from drying out. Keep the lemon zucchini bread tightly covered on the counter for up to three days, or in the fridge it’ll stay good for a week.

Bite of lemon zucchini bread on a fork.

READ NEXT: 33+ Breakfast Ideas

Fresh From the Oven

There is something about the smell and taste of baked bread. Whether its a traditional yeast and flour bread, or one of the many other sweet flavored breads, like the ones below, your sense of smell and taste will thank you!

Slices of lemon zucchini bread.

Lemon Zucchini Bread

5 from 4 votes
If you are trying to sneak zucchini into everything you are making this time of year, this Lemon Zucchini Bread is for you. It is smooth, moist, and lemony!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Equipment

  • 9×5 inch loaf pan

Ingredients

For Glaze:

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan – or use nonstick spray.
    Blend flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
    Dry ingredients for lemon zucchini bread blended in a bowl.
  • Beat 2 eggs in another large bowl then add oil and sugar. Blend well.
    Lemon juice and eggs combined in a bowl for lemon zucchini bread.
  • Stir in buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
    Yellow mixture of ingredients for lemon zucchini bread.
  • Fold in the zucchini until well coated.
    Zucchini added to the lemon zucchini bread.
  • Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Fold together until well blended, but do not over mix.
    Batter combined in a bowl for lemon zucchini bread.
  • Pour the batter evenly into loaf pan.
    Batter of lemon zucchini bread in a loaf pan.
  • Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then remove to cooling rack.
    Baked lemon zucchini bread in a loaf pan.
  • When cooled, spread glaze over the top of the bread.
    Top view of lemon zucchini bread.

For Glaze:

  • Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and half and half with a fork until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Add half and half as needed to thicken glaze.
    Lemon glaze for lemon zucchini bread.
  • Drizzle over cooled loaf.
    Drizzled lemon zucchini bread.
  • Enjoy!
    Fork cutting into a slice of lemon zucchini bread.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 266kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 121mgPotassium: 173mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 86IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Echo Blickenstaff

Echo lives in Spanish Fork, Utah with her husband, Todd, who works in advertising. She has four kids: two girls and two boys. She deploys her accounting degree as the blog’s resident problem solver. In her time outside the kitchen, Echo loves to get away from the phones and busy schedules and spend quality time with the family. Anywhere’s great – but getting out into nature in the mountains or on the beach – is the best kind of getaway.

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5 from 4 votes

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Comments

  1. I’m confused on the glaze. I would think that if you add more half & half it would make it runnier. Wouldn’t you add more powdered sugar to thicken it up? I added some more half & half but it didn’t help. Takes good though!

  2. 5 stars
    I found this recipe last summer when I had a ton of zucchini to use up. It truly is the best bread of any type I’ve ever made. Time to pull out a loaf from the freezer I think. 🙂

  3. I made this today. I was skeptical about the 2 teaspoons of salt listed in the recipe, but I forged ahead. Unfortunately, the bread was dreadful—-so salty—and I had to throw it away.
    I went back and checked the Like Mother Like Daughter website where the recipe originated, and they use 1/2 teaspoon salt.
    I suspect that the 2 teaspoons of salt is a typo. So—for anyone who makes this bread in the future—be sure and only use 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

  4. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it is absolutely wonderful! If you haven’t made this, DO! Will be a regular at my house from now on plus in my basket of Xmas goodies for gift giving! Thanks so much for the recipe!

  5. I love your blog! Glad I found this recipe and will make it soon! I’ve tried many recipes for zucchini bread but nothing similar to this one!