Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread

This sweet and ultra moist zucchini bread is bursting with cinnamon swirl flavor and so easy to make! A perfect way to use up leftover zucchinis!

For more delicious recipes for sweet bread, check out my popular posts for Carrot Cake Bread, Lemon Blueberry Bread, and Blueberry Cake.

piece of cinnamon zucchini bread with butter smeared

Here’s Why This Recipe Works

Using up that leftover zucchini — Do you have a bunch of leftover zucchini from your summer garden just sitting around, waiting to be eaten? Then this cinnamon swirl zucchini bread is a great way to use it up. Plus you get your veggies in a nice, sweet, delicious bread. You’ll want zucchini on hand at all times once you taste this bread.

So easy — This bread is really easy to make and zucchini is easy to find at the grocery, even if it’s not in season. So, if you’ve been growing zucchini in the summer, believe me, they’re just begging to be transformed into yummy zucchini bread. And if you haven’t been growing zucchini, have no fear, they are very inexpensive at the farmers market or just about any grocery store.

Great for guests — Did I mention that this zucchini bread is great for guests? This is my go-to bread for overnight guests. It’s always a hit. I’ve even been known to double the recipe and let my guest take a loaf home for themselves. Not often, because who wants to give this away — but it has been known to happen!

Delicious — This cinnamon swirl zucchini bread is just the right amount of sweet and soooo moist and loaded with cinnamon swirl goodness. It’s great for any day of the week and my entire family cannot get enough of it.

Ingredients

In addition to zucchini, all you need are a few common ingredients to get this bread started and in the oven )and in your mouth) in no time!

Zucchini — Well, you can’t have zucchini bread without, um, zucchini so this ingredient is necessary in this bread. I use just the regular zucchini we all know and love but other kinds could work as well.
Sugar — You’ll need fine grain sugar for the bread and also for the swirl.
Vegetable Oil — Vegetable oil helps make this bread moist and helps the ingredients come together.
Vanilla — Add more flavor with the vanilla. I like to use real vanilla and not artificial flavoring but either will work.
Eggs — Eggs help the bread stay moist and act as a binder to get all the wet and dry ingredients to come together easily (and stay together while it’s baking).
Flour — All-purpose white flour is what I use in my sweet breads.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder — Both of these ingredients are needed to make the bread rise, and be light and airy and not dense and with a tough texture.
Cinnamon — Just like the sugar, you’re going to need ground cinnamon for both the bread as well as the swirl on top.
Salt — Just a pinch of salt helps all the flavors come together. It may not seem necessary but it is — trust me, don’t skip the salt.

Here’s How You Make It

I like to make this bread the morning I want to eat it. HOWEVER, you can totally make it the night before, preheat the oven, and pour it into a loaf pan to bake the morning of. Whatever fits your timeline and lifestyle is what makes this bread so easy to make.

First, preheat the oven to 350, and line an 8-inch bread pan with nonstick foil, then spray with cooking spray. (not pictured)
Next, get out a bowl and add the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder and whisk to combine. (photos 1-2)
Get out another large bowl and combine the zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs and mix well. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until all ingredients are incorporated. (photos 3-6)
Get out another small bowl and in it whisk together the cinnamon and sugar for the swirl. (not pictured)
Now, layer in the batter and the swirl. First, pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Then, sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture, add another 1/3 of the batter, then the remaining cinnamon-sugar, then top with the remaining 1/3 of the batter. (photos 7-11)
Pop the loaf into the preheated oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (photo 12)

Should Zucchini Be Peeled for Bread?

Save yourself a step and don’t peel your zucchini. The skin is so very thin it’ll basically just disappear into the bread. You’ll see it but you won’t be able to feel the texture when you chew the bread.

Do You Need to Squeeze the Liquid Out from Zucchini for Bread?

I like the added moisture from the zucchini in the bread so I do not squeeze mine out. However, if you’re working from frozen (thawed) zucchini or one that’s particularly watery, you might want to squeeze out or pour off a bit of it.

overhead view of cinnamon zucchini bread in bread loaf pan

Expert Tips & Tricks

This cinnamon swirl zucchini bread will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Double up the recipe to make two loaves — one for now and one to freeze. This zucchini bread will keep in the freezer for up to 5 months. Simply thaw in the fridge or on the counter.
If you love a little more texture in your zucchini bread, consider mixing in a half a cup of chopped walnuts before baking.

stack of sliced zucchini bread on cutting board

More Recipes You’ll Love

Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!

Judy Algor says:

Zucchini bread is my favorite bread for the holidays