Zucchini Carrot Bread — 🥕💚🧡🎉 This is a fast, EASY, one bowl, no-mixer recipe for the BEST zucchini carrot bread! It’s super soft, moist, and tastes so good you’ll forget it’s on the healthier side! If you’re trying to take advantage of an abundance of summertime zucchini or just have a craving a fresh and warm quick bread, this one is PERFECT! As a bonus: even picky eaters don’t seem to notice the zucchini! 😉
Table of Contents
I loved this moist zucchini carrot bread recipe so much. It’s so soft, tender, uber-moist, dense enough to be satisfying, but still light.
It’s just sweet enough to taste like a dessert and not like you’re eating vegetables. But you are, so feel free to have seconds.
I adapted my Carrot Apple Bread recipe and it’s an easy, no mixer recipe that goes from bowl to oven in minutes.
Baking with carrots and zucchini not only adds chewy texture, but so much moisture is imparted that it’s impossible to have a dry loaf.
The zucchini carrot bread was so flavorful and moist that I didn’t even need butter. Although a browned butter or cream cheese glaze can never hurt!
Zucchini Carrot Bread Ingredients
To make this fun spin on traditional homemade zucchini bread, you’ll need:
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Coconut oil
- Granulated sugar
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Grated carrots
- Grated zucchini
- Walnuts, raisins, etc. (optional)
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Zucchini Carrot Bread
- Stir together the sugars, cinnamon, and wet ingredients.
- Mix in the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the grated carrots and zucchini, then pour the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Bake until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Storage Instructions
Room temp: Store airtight at room temperature for up to 7 days.
In the fridge: You can store the bread in the fridge, although I don’t prefer it that way. I like my quick breads kept at room temp.
In the freezer: Store in a freezer bag for up to 4 months. Thaw on the counter when ready to eat.
Recipe FAQs
I used liquid-state coconut oil so there’s no butter to cream and no mixer to dirty. Oil keeps bread softer and springier than butter, and I prefer it.
Coconut oil adds a nearly imperceptible undertone that’s sweeter and more fragrant than canola or vegetable oil, but substitute with them if you’d like.
I grated the carrots and zucchini by hand using the coarsest blade on a box grater. It only takes a few minutes and I’d spend much more time washing food processor parts than doing it the old-fashioned way.
I omitted the usual carrot cake mix-ins, but you’re welcome to add chopped walnuts and/or raisins if desired.
Bake the bread until the top is set and golden in color, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Zucchini is a very moisture-logged ingredient and baking time can vary dramatically based on just how wet yours is. Don’t be afraid to bake longer than my estimate, if necessary. Carrots are also moist, so there’s that aspect too.
Note that you may need to tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped loosely over it at the 35 minute-mark to prevent top and sides of the bread from becoming overly browned before center cooks through.
Short answer: NO. Make sure the bread is completely done before you remove it from the oven. You can’t re-bake bread that you decide 15 or 20 minutes later (that falls as it’s cooling) that you want to pop it back into the oven. This never works, the bread will never set up correctly, and it’s also dangerous because the eggs were never fully cooked so from a food safety perspective, you need to toss it, sadly. Be sure when you take it out of the oven that it’s actually done.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Zucchini Carrot Bread
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup liquid-state coconut oil, canola or vegetable may be substituted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cup sour cream, lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 cup grated carrots, laid loosely in cup and not packed (about 1 large/2 medium peeled and trimmed carrots)
- 1 cup grated zucchini, laid loosely in cup and not packed(about 1 medium/large trimmed zucchini)
- ½ cup walnuts, raisins, etc., optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside. Note – Loaf is not very tall as baked in a 9×5 pan, but I fear an 8×4 pan will be a bit too skimpy.
- In a large bowl, add the the egg, brown sugar, oil, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Add the carrots, zucchini, optional walnuts or raisins, and fold gently to combine.
- Turn batter out into the prepared pan (it’s quite thick, this is what you want), smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 52 to 58 minutes (I baked 54 minutes) or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Optionally, serve with or glaze with
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Easy Zucchini Bread Recipes:
Zucchini Bread Recipe — Super moist, tender, loaded with chocolate chips, and so EASY to make!! One bowl, no mixer, and THE BEST zucchini bread you’ll ever try!!
Blueberry Zucchini Bread— This blueberry zucchini bread is a quick, no-mixer recipe that’s sweet, but not too sweet. Each bite is bursting with fresh blueberries!
Zucchini Banana Bread — This Zucchini Banana Bread is so soft, tender, uber-moist, dense enough to be satisfying, but still light! It’s just sweet enough to taste like a dessert and not like you’re eating vegetables.
Blueberry Banana Zucchini Bread — This is an easy zucchini bread recipe that’s packed with bananas and juicy blueberries. I guarantee this will be your new favorite quick bread!
Frosted Apple Zucchini Bread — 🍏😋Super soft, moist, and topped with the BEST frosting ever!! One bowl, no mixer, EASY recipe for the best apple zucchini bread that everyone LOVES!!
Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread — 🍋🎉🍞 This EASY, no-mixer homemade quick bread combines tangy lemon flavor with tender zucchini which keeps it so incredibly soft, tender, and moist!
Originally published 2016, and republished July 31, 2020 and republished July 26, 2024 with updated text.
I’ve made this recipe twice now! Both times as muffins. Sometimes I replace the white sugar with a banana or the oil with a whole avocado and it’s turned out awesome! Thanks for the great recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Danielle, and I’m glad you’ve made these twice and both times awesome as muffins! Great to know you’ve had luck replacing the sugar with banana and avocado for the oil. Thanks for sharing!
This is a great recipe! I substituted the coconut oil for butter and it turned out great.
This is a great recipe! I substituted the coconut oil for butter and it turned out great.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad your swap worked great!
Way too wet. Didn’t cook at all
Enjoyed discovering yet another way to use my garden yucchinis!
As followed the bread took quite a bit longer to firm up but stayed moist on my counter in a glass dome for days.
Everyone enjoyed !
Enjoyed discovering yet another way to use my garden yucchinis!
As followed the bread took quite a bit longer to firm up but stayed moist on my counter in a glass dome for days.
Everyone enjoyed !
Thanks and I am glad everyone enjoyed the bread!
I love this recipe! So easy, so moist and & delicious! Reminds me of a carrot cake recipe. Yum!
I love this recipe! So easy, so moist and & delicious! Reminds me of a carrot cake recipe. Yum!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that you love the recipe!
This bread is soooo good! I’ve made it several times and keep coming back to it over other zucchini bread recipes. This time, I made a double batch and split it between two 8×4 pans. They didn’t come close to spilling over and I liked the taller loaf rather than the one that I got with a 9×5 pan. I meant to freeze one loaf for later, but it never made it to the freezer because we ate it all in a couple of days!
I made this today and it is hands down my favorite zucchini bread. So moist and such good flavors with the carrot. I used coconut oil and nonfat Greek yogurt. If I have one critique, I wish it was a larger size of bread and I should have used my smaller 8 inch bread pan, I used the 9 inch. For sure a 5⭐ recipe.
I made this today and it is hands down my favorite zucchini bread. So moist and such good flavors with the carrot. I used coconut oil and nonfat Greek yogurt. If I have one critique, I wish it was a larger size of bread and I should have used my smaller 8 inch bread pan, I used the 9 inch. For sure a 5⭐ recipe.
Thanks and I am glad to hear this is hands down your favorite zucchini bread!
Some recipes call to squeeze some of the liquid from the zucchini, I’m assuming, since you didn’t mention to do that, that we don’t?
This is a recipe where no, you don’t have to wring it excessively or really at all. You can squeeze it a bit if you want (it will shorten the baking time because there is less moisture to bake out) but really the recipe was developed not actually wringing.
Just made this recipe last night. Used a little more zucchini and carrot than the recipe asked for since the zucchini i bought when shredded gave me about 1.25 cups. I added the same amount of carrot to match the zucchini to carrot ratio. I also used dried cranberries instead of raisins. Came out wonderful. Has a very slight sweetness and goes great with coffee. Makes for a good breakfast, it’s moist and dense enough to be satisfying. Will definitely make again.
Just made this recipe last night. Used a little more zucchini and carrot than the recipe asked for since the zucchini i bought when shredded gave me about 1.25 cups. I added the same amount of carrot to match the zucchini to carrot ratio. I also used dried cranberries instead of raisins. Came out wonderful. Has a very slight sweetness and goes great with coffee. Makes for a good breakfast, it’s moist and dense enough to be satisfying. Will definitely make again.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you will definitely make it again! And that you were able to tweak the recipe for your tastes, too!
great
The best bread I’ve ever made! I followed the recipe exactly and just added some walnuts, chocolate chips, and coconut flakes. Super moist and delicious.