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Lemon Zucchini Bread

Lemon zucchini bread with a moist, tender crumb and a thick lemon glaze that pools along the edges. This easy zucchini bread bakes to a golden loaf, then gets a glossy lemon drizzle for a bright summer finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lemon Zucchini Bread
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.33 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream Use either one.
  • 2 Zest of 2 lemons
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
Lemon Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice Use 2–3 tablespoons.
  • 1 zest of 1 lemon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake the loaf
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. You should see a smooth, even coating on the pan so the loaf releases cleanly after baking.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined. Stop mixing when the dry mixture looks uniform in color with no streaks.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt or sour cream, lemon zest of 2 lemons, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth. The batter should look glossy and fully combined.
  4. Fold in zucchini, grated and squeezed dry. Mix just until the zucchini is evenly distributed with no dry pockets.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold until just combined—do not overmix. Stop as soon as you no longer see flour.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Tap the pan lightly to level the top.
  7. Bake at 350°F for 50–60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Look for a golden top and a set center.
  8. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes before glazing. The loaf should be warm, not hot, so the glaze stays thick and clings.
Make and drizzle the lemon glaze
  1. Whisk powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice (2–3 tablespoons), and zest of 1 lemon until smooth. The glaze should be thick enough to drizzle and hold shape as it falls.
  2. Drizzle the glaze generously over the warm loaf. Watch it pool over the edges and run slightly down the sides.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini very dry (you want it to feel almost non-wet) so the crumb bakes up tender instead of gummy. Store the cooled loaf tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days; the glaze may soften. Freeze the unglazed loaf up to 2 months (wrap well); thaw overnight in the fridge and glaze before serving if you’d like. For a dairy swap, use plain Greek yogurt or sour cream interchangeably, or use lactose-free versions to keep the same moisture and tang.