Grandma's Old-World Super Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe Has a Secret Ingredient by Elisa Schmitz

My dad loves zucchini bread (I mean, who doesn't?). I've made him zucchini bread in the past and he enjoyed it. But this summer, I wanted to step up my game a bit and make him something truly special to remind him of his mother's Old World cooking. Enter this super moist zucchini bread recipe with a secret ingredient that adds my grandmother's old-fashioned flavor and makes it so much better.

The thing about sweet bread recipes is they can get a bit dry, so the challenge is to use ingredients that keep the bread moist. Typically, that means a lot of oil, though you also can use things like applesauce or mashed bananas (which I'm a huge fan of) instead. This recipe goes a step further and features – drumroll, please – sour cream!

My Old World Grandma from Croatia used sour cream not only in some of her breakfast bread recipes, but in all kinds of her comfort food recipes. The sour cream helps to keep this delicious zucchini bread recipe super moist and also adds a creamy, old-fashioned flavor that my dad (and just about everyone) loves.

This zucchini bread recipe includes loads of fresh zucchini plus flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil (but not too much), vanilla and, of course, sour cream. The walnuts are optional, but highly recommended. You bake it all up and out pops a moist, delicious loaf of pure old-fashioned goodness that's equally perfect as a snack or a not-too-sweet dessert that'll put a smile on everyone's face!

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Cuisine: American / European
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour (ovens vary)
Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Servings: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), shredded
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Helpful Products

• 9x5-inch Loaf Pans
• Grater
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Rubber Spatula
• Whisk
• Nonstick Cooking Spray

Recipe Notes

• After I grated my zucchini, I squeezed out some of the excess water using paper towels. Some people prefer to not squeeze out the water to help keep the bread moist, but because I used sour cream, I chose to remove the extra water.
  

• You could use pecans instead of walnuts, if you prefer, or omit the nuts altogether.

• You could add a cup of chocolate chips and make chocolate chip zucchini bread.

• You could add a cup of raisins or dried cranberries, instead of chocolate chips.

• If you find your loaf browning too quickly during baking, you can cover the top loosely with aluminum foil.

• This recipe works well with all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour, if you want a gluten-free version.

• For best results, don't slice the loaf until it is completely cool.

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave.

Here's how to make it:

1. In a mixing bowl, add the flour baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk until blended.
   
2. In another mixing bowl, add the eggs, sugar, oil, shredded zucchini, vanilla and sour cream. Stir until blended.
   
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir gently with a spoon or rubber spatula until everything is incorporated. Add the walnuts, if using, and stir to blend.
   
4. Pour the batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan that's been sprayed with cooking spray.
   
5. Bake in the middle rack of an oven that's been preheated to 350 degrees F for between 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your oven. The loaf should be golden brown and a toothpick should come out clean.
   
6. Allow loaf to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. For best results, don't slice the loaf until it is completely cool.
   

Recipe cooking times and servings are approximate. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography. Need to convert cooking and baking measurements? Here are some kitchen conversion charts. Here's how to submit your recipes to 30Seconds.

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