When life gives you zucchini, you cook them every which way you can. I figure most people make a loaf of zucchini bread each summer. Why not make it an entirely Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread?
Whole wheat helps balance out all the sugar and oil that you add to zucchini bread, which is much snack cake as it is anything else. The whole wheat makes the zucchini bread a little healthier by adding some fiber. It's hardly noticeable, and the bread is super moist and delicious.
Zucchini bread was recipe #172 of my 365 Recipe Challenge in 2010. I made this recipe because I had two GIANT zucchini that kept growing. This recipe was so dependable that I never tried another one. I decided to substitute in whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour - it's just as good this way!
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Ingredients
I adapted this recipe from the 2000 Betty Crocker Cookbook (affiliate link). It's a one-bowl recipe, although you do need a tool to shred zucchini. Ingredients you need are:
- Shredded zucchini
- Granulated sugar and vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Whole wheat flour
- Baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- Vanilla, cinnamon, and ground cloves (not pictured)
- Walnuts (optional but recommended)
I recommend you use smallish zucchini instead of giant ones the length of your arm. (Yellow squash should be fine too.) If you only have huge zucchini, remove the seeds before shredding it; seeds and innards add to much water to the batter. I like large shreds so I can see green flecks in my bread, but you can use finely grated zucchini instead.
If you grate your zucchini in advance, it may leak water which can change the baking time. I recommend grating your zucchini right when you bake.
I use vegetable oil for easy mixing, but you can use melted butter instead.
Use freshly purchased whole wheat flour. Whole grain flours have additional fat and can begin to taste off over time. You can store your flour in the fridge, which will help it last longer. I usually make this with regular whole wheat flour made from red wheat, but if you can find white whole wheat flour (made from white wheat), the whole wheat taste will be milder. The Kitchn has a helpful article discussing regular and white whole wheat flours.
Baking soda and baking powder provide leavening.
Vanilla extract, cinnamon, and cloves provide extra flavor and sweetness. Be sure your cinnamon and cloves are fresh and flavorful, as they can lose flavor over time as well. I often omit the cloves.
I'm not always one for nuts in bread and loaf cakes, but I really like adding walnuts to this one. They add crunch and flavor. Consider adding anywhere from ½ to 1 cup. That said, they're optional.
A Zucchini Growing Tip
When I had giant zucchini in 2010, I didn't realize that zucchini could keep growing and growing and growing! Pick your zucchini while they're small for the best flavor for eating - although it doesn't matter in a recipe like this. You can find a few tips on growing zucchini from The Spruce.
Equipment
You'll want a grater of some kind to shred zucchini. I usually use the shredder attachment of my food processor, but a handheld one would also work.
This bread bakes in a 9x5 inch loaf pan (affiliate link). I highly recommend using a pan that's light-colored metal. Since zucchini bread bakes for so long, the edges will overbake if you use a dark-colored metal or glass baking pan; if that's all you have, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees to 325F.
Instructions
Start by lowering the oven rack to the bottom level. With this much batter, the bread bakes best nearest the heat.
- Use a wire whisk (affiliate link) to mix together the shredded zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs. The whisk is the best way to beat the eggs. The zucchini will get caught up in the tines, but that's ok.
If you're nervous, you can whisk together the wet ingredients first, then add the zucchini.
- Add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. The batter becomes thick, so I use a rubber spatula instead of the whisk. You'll have clumps of flour; just gently smooth them out.
If you're adding walnuts, stir them in after the batter is mixed.
- Grease the bottom only of your loaf pan. Scrape the batter into the pan, smoothing out clumps of flour if you find any.
- Bake on the bottom oven rack for 70-80 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
If you discover the top is browning too much, you can cover it with a layer of aluminum foil.
Cool the bread for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wait 2 hours before cutting.
Hint: This batter is very thick, and the flour sometimes clumps up because the zucchini is in the way. Be patient while you look for clumps of flour to smooth out. It's still better to add the zucchini to the wet ingredients because it's hard to fold the zucchini evenly into the thick batter.
Serving and Storage
After the bread has cooled for at least 2 hours, you can cut it. I prefer to cut it into thick slices and then cut those slices in half. A steak knife or bread knife will cut slightly more neatly than a butter knife.
I'm pretty sure my husband tops his with hazelnut spread. Sweetened cream cheese would also be a nice touch.
Store zucchini bread in an airtight container at room temperature. It should last for at least 4 days, depending on how warm and humid your weather is. The shredded zucchini in the bread keeps it moist, but mold can be an issue with humid, warm weather.
Top Tip
Be sure to test the bread for doneness, rather than eyeballing it. A loaf of this density will take a long time to bake, and the baking time depends on how wet your zucchini is. I recommend testing with a toothpick. Insert it into the center; it should come out almost entirely clean. If the toothpick looks wet or shiny, or has batter, it needs to bake longer. PS: I test the bread both through the crust and through the crack down the center of the bread.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, zucchini bread is perfect for using only whole wheat flour! Whole wheat baked goods have a bad reputation for being dry, but zucchini has a high water content, which means the bread stays moist for days. My whole wheat zucchini bread is still moist 4 days after baking, and I expect it will stay moist and tender for days to come.
Yes, you can taste the whole wheat flour in this whole wheat zucchini bread, but that's also not a bad thing. It's also sweet from sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and cloves. Cloves in particularly help hide the whole wheat. Walnuts also flavor the bread!
The whole wheat flour makes the bread feel a little more wholesome, while still being a treat. I personally don't find the flavor to be too strong, but if you're concerned, I recommend you seek out whole wheat flour made from white wheat. King Arthur Baking is probably the easiest-to-find producer/brand of white whole wheat flour.
While small zucchini have a better texture when you eat them, it really doesn't matter for zucchini bread since the zucchini is shredded and it cooks down. If the zucchini is large, you'll need to remove the seeds and inner membranes because those don't grate or cook down very well; this isn't an issue with smaller zucchini. Overall, though, I think that zucchini bread is one of the best things you can make with those zucchini that are the length of your forearm.
I never peel my zucchini before I shred it for zucchini bread. I like seeing the green flecks in the bread. Peel it if that's going to be off-putting for you or others you would feed! One exception: I do cut off rougher spots or scratches on the zucchini that might be tough even when cooked.
I think that you could substitute a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum for the whole wheat flour in this recipe. Although I've never tried it, I believe it would change the taste a bit and may be a bit more tender or crumbly. If trying a gluten-free flour, I recommend lining the loaf pan with parchment paper to make the bread easier to remove the bread from the pan.
If the top of the bread browns too quickly, just cover it with a layer of aluminum foil. This will slow down the browning without affecting the baking. I recommend this for my Classic Banana Bread with Oats as well.
Loaf cakes and quick breads like zucchini bread are hard to bake well without testing for doneness. Baking time can vary depending on how much moisture is in your zucchini. To test, I always stick a toothpick in the center of the bread. The toothpick should come out dry and free of batter. There may be a few crumbs; this is okay. I usually test both through the crust near the center, and in the crack that develops along the top. Remember that if your crust is browning too much, you can always cover it with foil.
Whole wheat zucchini bread is dark in part from the whole wheat flour. That said, if it's excessively dark, you can check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. Since zucchini bread bakes a long time, it can overbake if your oven runs hot.
Loaf cakes like zucchini bread bake best in a light-colored metal pan. If your pan is dark metal or glass, it will bake differently, and the edges and top may be more done. If you use dark metal or glass, I recommend you use parchment paper to protect the edges a little, and reduce the baking temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Other Delicious Snacks
Here's some of my other favorite snacks!
Interested in other recipes? I save and share recipes I like or want to try on my Pinterest page - follow me there! You can also check out my Facebook page for more recipes and helpful tips. I'm also happy to try to help troubleshoot my recipes there.
Have you tried this recipe? Or have a question about it? Rate it or leave a comment below! (PS: rating my recipes helps other people find them, too!)
📖 Recipe
Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- wire whisk (affiliate link)
- grater
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded zucchini (~400 grams)
- 1 ⅔ cups sugar (333 grams)
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil (145 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups whole-wheat flour (360 grams) (all-purpose is fine too)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves (optional)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (60 grams; optional)
Instructions
- Grease bottom only of 9-inch loaf pan. Place oven rack at the bottom position in the oven.
- Whisk together shredded zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs, stirring until the eggs are thoroughly combined.
- Use a rubber spatula to stir in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and baking powder. Stir in nuts, if using
- Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 70-80 minutes at 350F on the bottom rack, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool the rest of the way to lose additional steam.
- Cool completely (at least 2 hours) before slicing and serving. I often cut thick slices and cut them in half.Store slices in an airtight container. Mine stays good for at least 4 days, but how long the bread lasts depends on heat and humidity.
Notes
Nutrition
[Recipe originally posted on July 26, 2010 as part of my 365 Recipe Challenge and revised in August 2019. Completely redone in August 2025.]
Leona Konkel says
My recipe, and of course I think it's great! Still turns out moist and delicious, even with the whole wheat flour. I hope you love it too. Let me know if you try it!