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Orange Zucchini Bread

Orange zucchini bread is a bright citrusy quick bread loaf made with grated, squeezed-dry zucchini for a tender golden crumb. It’s baked until the top is set and finished with a simple orange glaze drizzled over warm slices.
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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
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
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.333 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 oranges (zest) zest for the loaf; reserve zest for the glaze
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini (grated and squeezed dry)
Orange Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, fresh orange juice, oranges (zest), sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  2. Stir in zucchini (grated and squeezed dry) until evenly distributed.
Combine and bake
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, leaving a few dry streaks is okay.
  2. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and bake for 50–58 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden.
Cool and glaze
  1. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes in the pan before glazing.
  2. Whisk powdered sugar, fresh orange juice, and orange zest, then drizzle generously over the warm loaf so the glaze sets with a light sheen.

Notes

Key pro tip: grate the zucchini and squeeze it very dry (in a clean towel) so the loaf bakes up golden instead of gummy. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze sliced bread up to 3 months. For a dairy-light swap, use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for a similar tang and moisture.