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Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread

Cinnamon swirl zucchini bread with a cinnamon-sugar ribbon running top to bottom through a golden, tender crumb. Made as an easy zucchini loaf that slices dramatically to show the spiral in every piece.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.33 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
Cinnamon Swirl
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1.5 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp melted butter

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan with a thin coating so the loaf releases cleanly.
  2. Mix the cinnamon swirl ingredients together until evenly combined, then set aside while you prepare the batter.
Make the bread batter
  1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in one bowl until the dry mix is uniform.
  2. In a second bowl, beat the granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. Stir the grated and squeezed-dry zucchini into the wet mixture.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain, keeping the batter thick and not overmixed.
Assemble with swirl
  1. Pour half the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth the top lightly to form an even base.
  2. Drizzle half of the cinnamon swirl mixture over the batter, then drag a knife through it in a figure-eight pattern to create a ribbon.
  3. Add the remaining batter on top and smooth gently so the swirl stays visible through the layers.
  4. Drizzle the remaining cinnamon swirl mixture over the second layer, then swirl again with a figure-eight knife pattern for a continuous spiral.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350°F for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  2. Cool the loaf for 20 minutes before slicing so the cinnamon swirl sets and the crumb holds together.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini very dry so the loaf bakes up golden instead of gummy. Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months for easy grab-and-go. For a lighter option, use plain low-fat Greek yogurt and reduce the oil to 1/4 cup if you want, but keep the total wet volume similar for the same bake time.