This lemon olive oil zucchini bread is the perfect combination of a moist zucchini bread beautifully infused with the aromatic flavors of olive oil and lemons!
When zucchinis are in season, I simply cannot resist baking zucchini bread. Although, I prefer classic zucchini bread, every now and then, I like to switch things up a bit and add a fun twist. This time I was inspired by the flavors of olive oil and lemons which is a dynamic combination in my humble opinion. The grated zucchini adds the perfect amount of moisture to this lemon olive oil zucchini bread while the lemons add a nice burst of freshness. I cannot express enough how delicious this lemon olive oil zucchini bread is. It most certainly is the perfect summer bake that will not last long!
(NOTE: The full recipe with exact measurements is down at the bottom of this post in the recipe card!)
How to Make Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Bread
Key Ingredients
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Olive Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Grated Zucchini
- Lemon Zest
- Powdered Sugar
- Lemon Juice
How To Make Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Bread
- Preheat – oven to 325F (165C). Lightly grease and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Grate – (1) small zucchini and transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Lightly squeeze out excess liquid. Alternatively, grated zucchini maybe lightly patted dry with a clean kitchen towel. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini and place into a small mixing bowl until ready to use.
- Whisk – in a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk ingredients together to combine.
- Incorporate – in a separate medium mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use fingertips to incorporated lemon zest into sugar until sugar becomes fragrant with the smell of lemons and takes on a yellow-tinted color.
- Whisk – add the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract into bowl with lemon-sugar mixture and whisk to combine, about 1 minute.
- Mix – add wet mixture into bowl with dry ingredients. Using a wooden/large spoon, gently mix just until there is no more presence of flour. Take care not to overmix batter.
- Fold – using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the grated zucchini into lemon olive oil zucchini bread batter.
- Spoon – lemon olive oil zucchini bread batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer using the back of a rubber spatula.
- Bake – lemon olive oil zucchini bread batter for 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through bake time. Lemon olive oil zucchini bread is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool – allow lemon olive oil zucchini bread to rest in pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- Whisk – in a small mixing bowl, add powdered sugar and lemon juice. Whisk ingredients together to combine into a smooth glaze.
- Drizzle – lemon glaze over cooled lemon olive oil zucchini bread before serving.
How to Store Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Bread
- Refrigerator – sliced lemon olive oil zucchini bread stored in an airtight container will last up 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezer – sliced lemon olive oil zucchini bread individually wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a large dated Ziplock bag will last up 1-2 months in the freezer. When ready to eat, simply thaw lemon olive oil zucchini bread in the refrigerator overnight.
Tips for the Perfect Quick Bread
- Properly Measure Out Ingredients – for the most accuracy, use a kitchen scale to measure out dry ingredients. If using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method for measuring out dry ingredients. For example, use a spoon to add flour into measuring cup and a knife to level off extra flour.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients – when all ingredients are relatively at the same temperature, it will make it easier to mix ingredients together without overmixing quick bread batter.
- Test Raising Agents for Freshness – since quick breads rely on baking powder and baking soda to rise as it bakes, it is important check the freshness of these ingredients before baking with them. This can easily be done by checking the expiration date on containers. The freshness of baking soda can be tested by adding a little bit to an acid like lemon juice or vinegar. If mixture bubbles profusely, then baking soda is still fresh and good to use.
- Properly Grease Baking Pan – there is nothing worse than going through the effort of making the perfect quick bread only to have it stuck in the pan. To avoid this headache, ensure that the base and sides of baking pan are properly but not overly greased. For added assurance, I like to line the pan with parchment paper with a slight overhang which makes it super easy to remove quick bread from pan.
- Do not Overmix Batter – perhaps the most important tip, overmixing quick bread batter is a big no-no! To avoid ending up with a dense, dry quick bread, gently mix wet mixture into dry ingredients just until there is no more trace of unmixed flour. Like pancake batter, a few lumps in batter is okay.
- Gently Fold in Add-Ins – add-ins whether it be fruit/vegetables, nuts or chocolate chips should be gently folded into batter. If batter is on the thin side, lightly coating add-ins in flour will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of bread as it bakes.
- Cool Completely Before Cutting – as with most bakes, cooling the quick bread to room temperature will make it easier to cut into even slices without jagged edges. I recommend using a serrated knife for slicing.
Looking for More Quick Bread/Muffins Recipes, Checkout the Links Below:
If you make this recipe, please make sure to let me know by tagging me @nourishedendeavors on Instagram or by leaving a comment in the comment section down below so I can find out how this recipe turned out for you! If you have any questions, ask away! I would love to answer your questions! Happy baking!
PrintLemon Olive Oil Zucchini Bread
This lemon olive oil zucchini bread is the perfect combination of a moist zucchini bread beautifully infused with the aromatic flavors of olive oil and lemons!
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 Cups (250 g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 3 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
- 3/4 (150 g) Cup Raw Cane/Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup (125 ml) Olive Oil
- 1 Small (11/2 Cups) Zucchini, Grated
- 1/4 Cup (28 g) Powdered Sugar, Sifted
- 2–3 Teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Lightly grease and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Grate (1) small zucchini and transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Lightly squeeze out excess liquid. Alternatively, you can pat excess liquid off grated zucchini with a clean towel. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini and place into a small mixing bowl until ready to use.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk ingredients together to combine.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use fingertips to incorporated lemon zest into sugar until sugar becomes fragrant with the smell of lemons and takes on a yellow-tinted color.
- Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract into bowl with lemon-sugar mixture and whisk to combine, about 1 minute.
- Pour wet mixture into bowl with dry ingredients. Using a wooden/large spoon, gently mix just until there is no more presence of flour. Take care not to overmix batter.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the grated zucchini into lemon olive oil zucchini bread batter.
- Spoon lemon olive oil zucchini bread batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer using the back of a rubber spatula.
- Bake lemon olive oil zucchini bread batter for 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through bake time. Lemon olive oil zucchini bread is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow lemon olive oil zucchini bread to rest in pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- In a small mixing bowl, add powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Whisk ingredients together to combine into a smooth glaze. If glaze is too thick to drizzle, whisk in additional teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Drizzle lemon glaze over cooled lemon olive oil zucchini bread before serving.
Notes
- Lemon olive oil zucchini bread is even better the next day as the flavors of the lemon, olive oil and zucchini develops in bread.
- I used these tools to make lemon olive oil zucchini bread, 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, Mixing Bowls, Hand Grater, Rubber Spatula, Hand Whisk, and Parchment Paper.
- Lemon drizzle is optional but adds an nice added burst of lemon flavor to lemon olive oil zucchini bread.
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