Zucchini Nut Bread

This is the zucchini bread that gets you through every August when the garden produces more squash than the neighborhood can eat. Two loaves per batch makes it the right recipe for sharing, freezing, or eating one and giving the other away wrapped in foil.

The squeezing step is the key. Pressing the shredded zucchini in a strainer to release excess liquid keeps the loaves from going soggy in the center. Three eggs, a cup of oil, and a smart hit of cinnamon build the warm spice profile, while chopped walnuts or pecans add the textural counterpoint that separates a great zucchini bread from a sad green-flecked sponge.

Kitchen Tips

• Squeeze the zucchini dry, then squeeze it again. Most home cooks underestimate how much water shreds hold, and even a little excess turns the bread gummy.
• Don’t peel the zucchini. The green skin practically disappears in the bake and adds visible texture and color flecks to the slices.
• Test for doneness with a toothpick at 55 minutes. Loaf shape and pan size affect bake time, and a toothpick check beats the timer for this kind of dense quick bread.
• Cool fully in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Inverting too soon collapses the loaf shape, while waiting too long means the bread steams and goes soggy on the bottom.

Variations

• Add a half cup of sunflower seeds along with the chopped nuts for extra crunch.
• Stir in a half cup of raisins or chocolate chips to the batter for a sweeter, more dessert-leaning loaf.
• Swap half the white sugar for brown sugar for deeper, more molasses-forward flavor.