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Big Batch Zucchini Bread or Muffins
Yield: 2 loaves or 24 standard muffins
Perfectly spiced and classically sweet zucchini bread can be made as loaves or muffins – or both!

Sometimes I top with whole pecans for a pretty look. Using a sawing motion with a sharp, serrated knife will help cut through them when slicing the loaves.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (380g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled; substitute cup-for-cup GF flour if needed—see notes for GF upgrade)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon*
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (I lightly round the spoon)
  • Optional: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries, raisins, or shredded coconut (or a mix)
  • ½ cup (112ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • ½ cup (113g) applesauce (I use an unsweetened 4oz single serve cup)
  • 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup (192g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups shredded zucchini (14 to 15 ounces)**

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9×5 (or 8×4) inch loaf pans. (See notes for 24 muffins. May bake 12 muffins and 1 loaf separately.)
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and optional chocolate chips or nuts until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a separate large bowl, whisk the oil, applesauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, and zucchini together until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (I do it in two additions), and stir until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.
  3. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pans. Bake on the center rack for 45–55 minutes. (Helpful hints: The best method to ensure the loaves aren’t under- or over-cooked is to use a quick-read thermometer. The internal temperature when done should read 205℉ when taken in the bottom third of the loaf. If you find your loaves are browned to your liking but still not done, loosely cover them with aluminum foil. Note that baking times vary from oven to oven, and some ovens cook more slowly when there are two loaves instead of one.) When done, remove the bread from the oven, cool in the pans for 5 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
  4. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The bread freezes well too.

Notes

*Sometimes I use 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

**Fill the cups without packing the zucchini. Also, there is generally no need to squeeze zucchini to remove excess moisture when baking. However, if you are using a large zucchini that is especially watery and is heavy in the measuring cup, you may wish to squeeze it lightly. 

Running low on zucchini? I’ve made this recipe with 2 cups of shredded zucchini and the result is still good. In this case, just be extra careful not to over-bake and dry out the bread. You could also supplement with finely shredded carrot.

To Make Muffins: Grease a muffin pan or line with liners. Prepare batter in step 2, and then spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven and the oven door closed, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, or until the muffins are just cooked through the center. (The higher starting temperature creates a lightly domed instead of a flat muffin top. Internal temperature when done will be 205℉.) Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Prefer jumbo muffins? The full recipe will yield 12 jumbo muffins. I find they only take a minute or two more than the standard-size muffins.

Gluten-free upgrade: I like to use 2¼ cups (286g) GF flour and ¾ cup (84g) fine ground almond flour. All GF flour may be used, although the combination removes the hint of “gluten-free” flavor that may otherwise be detected with some blends.

More recipes at FountainAvenueKitchen.com