Well, it’s August now, and your garden should be overflowing with giant zucchinis that you have no idea what to do with, right? 🙂 There is much that can be done with zucchini, but one of my favorite ways to use it up is by making this prize-winning zucchini bread recipe. Zucchini bread is really simply just a different form of banana bread. It’s sweet, moist, and if you really want to, you can pass it as healthy. After all, it does have vegetables in it, technically. 🙂
This recipe from my mom actually won our oldest first place at the county fair here one year. It’s a delightful treat and easy to make.
Zucchini Bread Recipe
2 – 2/3 c. sugar (we only put in 2 cups) 3 c. coarsely shredded zucchini
1/3 c. unsalted butter 1/3 c. coconut oil
2/3 c. water 4 eggs
3.5 c. flour 2 t. baking soda
1.5 t. salt 1 t. cinnamon
2 t. vanilla 1/4 t. baking powder
2/3 c. chopped walnuts 2/3 c. raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of two loaf pans. Combine sugar, butter, oil, water, eggs, soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder in large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add zucchini, nuts and raisins and blend well. Add in flour, a cup at a time, and mix until thoroughly blended. Pour evenly into loaf pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. The recipe says 60-70 minutes, but for us it took about 45 minutes. I would check after 40 or so. Cool for 20 minutes or so before removing from pans. Sweet and delicious! And if you’re looking for another great way to use zucchini, try this recipe from over at Eat, Laugh, Purr.
*Tips: You could decrease the amount of sugar or replace some with brown sugar. Grandma also adds 1 t. cloves to her recipe, but we don’t. Also, make sure the coconut oil is in a liquid state; it mixes better that way. This happens at about 75 degrees in our house. You could soften it on defrost in the microwave too, or simply use all butter instead of half and half. Also, the recipe tastes equally delicious without the walnuts and raisins too.
