Perfect Christmas Zucchini Bread — The Sneaky Vegetable Holiday Bread

Zucchini bread is the sneaky-vegetable Christmas quick bread. Kids never know there's vegetable. Adults love it. With spices and chocolate chips, it's a holiday favorite.

The classic recipe (makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (squeeze out water)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Grease a loaf pan
3. Whisk zucchini + oil + sugars + eggs + vanilla
4. In separate bowl: flour + baking soda + salt + spices
5. Combine
6. Fold in chocolate chips + walnuts
7. Pour into pan
8. Bake 55-65 minutes
9. Cool 10 minutes; turn out

The zucchini prep

Grate and squeeze

• Grate on box grater
• Squeeze out water with paper towels
• Removes moisture
• Better bread texture

Variations

Lemon zucchini

• Add zest of 2 lemons
• Replace some spices with lemon
• Bright variation

Carrot-zucchini

• Mix half carrots + half zucchini
• More vegetables sneaky

Glazed

• Powdered sugar glaze
• Extra sweetness

Make-ahead

• 3 days at room temp
• 1 week refrigerated
• 3 months frozen

Cross-references

For perfect Christmas banana bread — adjacent.

For perfect Christmas pumpkin bread — adjacent.

For perfect Christmas cranberry bread — adjacent.

For Christmas baking checklist — broader.

Perfect Christmas zucchini bread is the sneaky-vegetable bread. Kids approved. Chocolate chips throughout. Moist; spiced; kid-friendly. The Christmas bread that gets vegetables into the holiday.