Savory Zucchini Bread
Add Preferred SourceWhen the garden or a good grocery deal leaves you with more zucchini than anyone can eat, this savory zucchini bread is where I send it. Sharp cheddar and green onion turn a pile of shredded squash into a cheesy loaf that works for breakfast, lunch, or the side of a soup bowl, and it’s a good deal more interesting than another sweet loaf.
The step that matters most is draining the shredded zucchini before it goes in, so the crumb sets firm around the cheese instead of turning damp. Everything else is pantry basics you’ve probably already got, which makes it a cheap way to use up squash before it goes soft.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a savory loaf, not a sweet one. The sharp cheddar and green onion make it taste like a cross between a soft dinner roll and a slice of cheese toast.
- One medium zucchini is enough for a whole loaf, so it’s an easy way to use up a glut before it turns soft in the drawer.
- The batter is one bowl of dry, one bowl of wet, and a quick stir together, so it’s about as easy as baking gets.
- Beyond the zucchini and cheese, it runs on pantry basics like flour, baking powder, milk, and an egg.
- Drained zucchini keeps the crumb moist and tender without leaving it damp in the middle.
- It freezes well, so a double batch spreads one zucchini haul across several weeks of breakfasts.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what’s worth a note before you start. The printable card below has the full list with quantities.
- Zucchini: there’s no need to peel it. The one thing that matters is measuring it after you drain it, not before, since a watery squash can throw the amount off.
- Sharp cheddar: the sharper the better, because it carries most of the flavor. A milder cheese still works, the loaf just tastes plainer.
- Milk and vinegar: stirred together and left for a minute, they curdle into a quick buttermilk. That bit of acid reacts with the baking soda and helps the crumb rise.
- Green onions: they give a gentle onion note without the sharp bite of raw white onion. Chives work if that’s what you’ve got.
- Melted butter: just enough to enrich the crumb. Melt it first so it blends in evenly rather than leaving streaks.
How to Make Zucchini Bread
It comes together in a few stages, and the order follows the recipe card.
Heat the oven and drain the zucchini
Heat the oven to 350°F (180ºC) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Grate the zucchini, set it in a strainer to drain off some of the water, then measure out your zucchini after draining, not before.
Mix the dry and wet separately
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a second bowl, stir the milk and vinegar and let it sit for a minute until it curdles; then mix in the melted butter and egg until smooth.
Fold it all together
Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir just until combined. Add the zucchini, cheddar, and green onion, and fold until they’re evenly spread through the batter.
Stop as soon as the flour disappears, because overmixing makes the crumb dense.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean
Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for about an hour, checking from the 50-minute mark. It’s done when a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it out, so it sets and slices cleanly instead of crumbling.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Drain first, then measure. A large or older zucchini holds a lot of water, and measuring after you drain is what keeps the batter from going too wet. It’s the difference between a clean slice and a damp middle.
- Mix just until the flour disappears. The more you stir past that point, the denser and more rubbery the loaf gets.
- Start checking early. Ovens vary, so look at it around 50 minutes rather than waiting out the timer. A toothpick that comes up with wet batter means it needs longer.
- Let it rest before slicing. Ten minutes in the pan lets the crumb firm up, and cutting too soon makes it crumble.
Recipe Variations
- Any firm melting cheese stands in for the cheddar. Gruyere or Monterey Jack both melt and bind much the same way, so the method doesn’t change, though I haven’t tested either in this exact loaf.
- Chopped fresh herbs, like dill or chives, fold in nicely alongside the green onion. It’s an untested tweak on my end, but it adds no liquid and changes nothing about the bake, so it’s a safe one.
- For muffins instead of a loaf, spoon the batter into a lined tin. The batter is the same and only the timing shifts, and since I haven’t tested an exact muffin time here, start checking well before the loaf would be done, around 20 minutes.
How to Store Leftovers
You can bake the loaf a day ahead. Cool it completely, wrap it well, and keep it at room temperature overnight, or in the fridge if your kitchen runs warm or the day is humid.
Once it’s cut, wrap leftovers tightly. At room temperature, the loaf keeps for 2 to 3 days, and the fridge extends that to about a week, though cold stales bread faster, so warm refrigerated slices before serving.
To keep it longer, freeze it: wrap the cooled loaf or individual slices well and freeze for up to 3 months; then thaw at room temperature or warm slices straight from the freezer.
What to Serve With Zucchini Bread
This savory loaf fits wherever you’d want a warm roll or a slice of cheese toast.
For breakfast, a thick slice next to eggs and a rack of air fryer bacon makes a quick weekend plate, or serve it alongside a make-ahead breakfast casserole when you’ve got people over.
At lunch, it’s good with a bowl of soup or a crisp broccoli salad, where the cheese in the bread balances the fresh crunch. As a dinner side, it stands in for garlic bread next to something saucy like homemade mac and cheese or a bowl of chili.
FAQs
For this savory loaf, yes, get the water out. Sweet zucchini breads often keep the moisture in on purpose, so many recipes tell you not to squeeze it. Here, though, a drier zucchini lets the crumb set around the cheese instead of turning damp. A firm press in a strainer does it, and there’s no need to wring it bone dry.
No. The skin is thin and softens as it bakes, and it adds little green flecks through the loaf. Just wash it and grate it whole.
It’s usually one of two things: too much water left in the zucchini, or pulling the loaf out too early. Drain the zucchini well, and check with a toothpick from the 50-minute mark rather than trusting the clock.
Not by a simple swap. This recipe is built savory notes, around cheddar and onion, so adding sugar won’t turn it into a sweet loaf. A sweet zucchini bread uses different ratios and is a separate recipe.
Yes, and the variations above cover the timing. For a ready-made savory muffin version, there’s a Zucchini Muffins recipe on my sister site, Splash of Taste.
More Easy Bakes to Try Next
If this one earns a spot in your rotation, here’s where I’d point you next.
- Banana Bread when you want the sweet quick bread this one isn’t. It’s the classic loaf, and a good use for the bananas going brown on the counter.
- Pumpkin Bread with Maple Frosting for a fall bake with a little frosting on top, if you want something closer to dessert.
- Baked Zucchini if you’ve still got squash to use up and want a quick savory side rather than another loaf.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini
- 2 cups all purpose white flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vinegar white or apple cider
- 1 egg
- 3 teaspoons butter melted
- 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350°F) and line a loaf pan mold with parchment paper.
- Grate the zucchini and place in a sieve to remove some of the water. Measure the zucchini once you have removed the water.1 ½ cups shredded zucchini
- Combine dry ingredients in a big bowl.2 cups all purpose white flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In another bowl, combine the milk and vinegar until it curdles a little. Add the butter and egg and mix well.1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 egg, 3 teaspoons butter
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the zucchini, cheese and onions and mix until combined.1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar, 2 green onions
- Pour in the mold and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out dry.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Drain the shredded zucchini well and measure it after draining, not before, so the batter does not get too wet.
- Mix just until the flour disappears, since overmixing makes the loaf dense.
- Start checking for doneness at the 50-minute mark, and look for a toothpick that comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning out, so the loaf sets and slices cleanly.
- At room temperature, the loaf keeps for 2 to 3 days, and the fridge extends that to about a week, though cold stales bread faster, so warm refrigerated slices before serving.
