Zucchini Carrot Bread — Fast, easy, one bowl, no mixer!! Super soft, moist, and tastes so good you’ll forget it’s on the healthier side!!
Zucchini Carrot Bread Recipe
I love carrot cake. I’ve made so many versions including carrot cake cookies, a loaf cake, cupcakes, no-bake bites, carrot cake bars, and carrot apple bread. And I’ve got lots of zucchini-banana recipes.
But no carrot-zucchini recipes. I was definitely overdue to merge carrots and zucchini into one easy and amazing loaf.
I loved this moist zucchini bread recipe so much. It’s so soft, tender, uber-moist, dense enough to be satisfying, but still light. It’s just sweet enough to taste like a dessert and not like you’re eating vegetables. But you are, so feel free to have seconds.
I adapted my Carrot Apple Bread recipe and it’s an easy, no mixer recipe that goes from bowl to oven in minutes. I used liquid-state coconut oil so there’s no butter to cream and no mixer to dirty. Oil keeps bread softer and springier than butter, and I prefer it.
Baking with carrots and zucchini not only adds chewy texture, but so much moisture is imparted that it’s impossible to have a dry loaf. I grated the carrots and zucchini by hand using the coarsest blade on a box grater. It only takes a few minutes and I’d spend much more time washing food processor parts than doing it the old-fashioned way.
The zucchini-carrot cake bread was so flavorful and moist that I didn’t even need butter. Although a browned butter or cream cheese glaze can never hurt.
What’s in Zucchini Carrot Bread?
To make this fun spin on traditional homemade zucchini bread, you’ll need:
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Coconut oil
- Granulated sugar
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Grated carrots
- Grated zucchini
- Walnuts, raisins, etc. (optional)
How to Make Zucchini Carrot Bread
Simply stir together the sugars, cinnamon, and wet ingredients, then gently mix in the dry ingredients. Fold in the grated carrots and zucchini, then pour the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Bake the zucchini carrot bread until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
How to Store Zucchini Carrot Bread
Homemade zucchini bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tips for Making Zucchini Carrot Bread
Coconut oil adds a nearly imperceptible undertone that’s sweeter and more fragrant than canola or vegetable oil, but substitute with them if you’d like.
I omitted the usual carrot cake mix-ins, but you’re welcome to add chopped walnuts and/or raisins to your zucchini-carrot cake bread if desired.
Note that you may need to tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped loosely over it at the 35 minute-mark to prevent top and sides of the bread from becoming overly browned before center cooks through.
This is one of my favorite breads to make in the spring of the year during Easter season as well as during the later summer months during zucchini season.
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Carrot Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- â…“ cup liquid-state coconut oil, canola or vegetable may be substituted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cup sour cream, lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 cup grated carrots, laid loosely in cup and not packed (about 1 large/2 medium peeled and trimmed carrots)
- 1 cup grated zucchini, laid loosely in cup and not packed(about 1 medium/large trimmed zucchini)
- ½ cup walnuts, raisins, etc., optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside. Note – Loaf is not very tall as baked in a 9×5 pan, but I fear an 8×4 pan will be a bit too skimpy.
- In a large bowl, add the the egg, brown sugar, oil, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Add the carrots, zucchini, optional walnuts or raisins, and fold gently to combine.
- Turn batter out into the prepared pan (it’s quite thick, this is what you want), smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 52 to 58 minutes (I baked 54 minutes) or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Tip – Tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped loosely over it at the 35 minute-mark to prevent top and sides from becoming overly browned before center cooks through. Baking times will vary based on moisture content of carrots, zucchini, climate, and oven variances. Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock and don’t worry if it takes longer to bake than the baking estimates provided.
- Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Optionally, serve with or glaze with Honey Butter, Cinnamon-Sugar Butter, or Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze, or Cream Cheese Glaze. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Adapted from Carrot Apple Bread
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Zucchini Recipes:
Zucchini Bread Recipe — Super moist, tender, loaded with chocolate chips, and so EASY to make!! One bowl, no mixer, and THE BEST zucchini bread you’ll ever try!!
Blueberry Zucchini Bread— This blueberry zucchini bread is a quick, no-mixer recipe that’s sweet, but not too sweet. Each bite is bursting with fresh blueberries!
Zucchini Banana Bread — This Zucchini Banana Bread is so soft, tender, uber-moist, dense enough to be satisfying, but still light! It’s just sweet enough to taste like a dessert and not like you’re eating vegetables.
Blueberry Banana Zucchini Bread — This is an easy zucchini bread recipe that’s packed with bananas and juicy blueberries. I guarantee this will be your new favorite quick bread!
Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins — These muffins are incredibly chocolatey without being too sweet. They’re studded with mini chocolate chips and packed with grated zucchini. Warning: these are addicting!
Banana Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins — You’ll never complain about eating your vegetables again! Soft, healthy, so good!
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake — This cake is supremely moist, soft, and fluffy! Chocolate chips are woven throughout the cake and chocolate ganache is poured over the top.
Originally posted March 20, 2015 and republished July 31, 2020 with updated text.
great
I doubled the recipe and cooked for over 60 minutes and the Center was still raw. Both we still goopy and completely raw inside. Not sure what happened.
I doubled the recipe and cooked for over 60 minutes and the Center was still raw. Both we still goopy and completely raw inside. Not sure what happened.
If it was raw, it obviously wasn’t baked long enough.
If you doubled the recipe, you were asking more of your oven, like to do double the work. So I wouldn’t expect it would finish cooking in the same amount of time that baking one loaf at a time would. Bake until done, only you and your oven will know what that magic number is.
Great recipe. I made the bread and also muffins. The muffins were fully baked at 25 minutes.Â
This is the best recipe. I don’t think I will ever go back to just plain Zucchini bread. I was wanting to know if you could do muffins with this too.
This is the best recipe. I don’t think I will ever go back to just plain Zucchini bread. I was wanting to know if you could do muffins with this too.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you’ll never go back to just plain zucchini bread!
Yes, totally do-able for muffins, bake about 18-22 mins guessing at 350F.
I made the carrot zucchini bread with pecans. Delicious! Our garden was overflowing with zucchini and My freezer is full of about 6 types of  zucchini bread plus bags of grated zucchini.Â
I made the carrot zucchini bread with pecans. Delicious! Our garden was overflowing with zucchini and My freezer is full of about 6 types of  zucchini bread plus bags of grated zucchini.Â
Glad this turned out great for you and helped take some of your zucchini off your hands! Sounds like you have plenty!
Hi Averie
I have just found your site and this is the first recipe of yours I’ve cooked. I must say, it was very easy to put together and the taste was fantastic. I was skeptical of the consistency of the batter haha but it was fine!!! I cooked mine a little under so the bottom was slightly undercooked, will cook for longer next time! I didn’t have buttermilk so used greek yoghurt instead and I used 1 teaspoon of All Spice in place of the suggested spices. I added in more than the suggested veg because I didn’t want to waste what I had shredded but I don’t think this affected the end result. I also added in some sultanas and will do the same when I cook this again later in the week (I really feel like they set it off). I cooked this as I wanted something to go with my tea and coffee in the morning – this hits the nail on the head 🙂 it’s the perfect amount of sweetness for me. Thanks again x
Hi Averie
I have just found your site and this is the first recipe of yours I’ve cooked. I must say, it was very easy to put together and the taste was fantastic. I was skeptical of the consistency of the batter haha but it was fine!!! I cooked mine a little under so the bottom was slightly undercooked, will cook for longer next time! I didn’t have buttermilk so used greek yoghurt instead and I used 1 teaspoon of All Spice in place of the suggested spices. I added in more than the suggested veg because I didn’t want to waste what I had shredded but I don’t think this affected the end result. I also added in some sultanas and will do the same when I cook this again later in the week (I really feel like they set it off). I cooked this as I wanted something to go with my tea and coffee in the morning – this hits the nail on the head 🙂 it’s the perfect amount of sweetness for me. Thanks again x
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad to hear that this was a hit for you and that you will make it again!
Ok…this is AWESOME! I did make a couple changes…didn’t have sour cream, so I used about 1/4 cup half and half with juice from half a lemon added to it, letting it sit about 15 min. I’ve used this as a substitute for buttermilk when making bread and it works great. So, because the batter was a little more runny, I added about 1/4 cup more flour. I also used parchment paper in the pan. The next time, which will be any minute here, I’m using 1/3 cup more carrot and zucchini. I’ve been making zucchini bread for 40 years…this is my new recipe!
Ok…this is AWESOME! I did make a couple changes…didn’t have sour cream, so I used about 1/4 cup half and half with juice from half a lemon added to it, letting it sit about 15 min. I’ve used this as a substitute for buttermilk when making bread and it works great. So, because the batter was a little more runny, I added about 1/4 cup more flour. I also used parchment paper in the pan. The next time, which will be any minute here, I’m using 1/3 cup more carrot and zucchini. I’ve been making zucchini bread for 40 years…this is my new recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is your new favorite zucchini bread recipe after 40 years!
Also try this one…sooooo good! Similar but with chocolate chips https://www.averiecooks.com/the-best-zucchini-bread/
Glad your substitutions/improvisations worked well for you (I can tell by what you wrote you’re an experienced baker)!
I made this recipe tonight. I actually made 3 loafs. Each one fit perfectly into an 8 x 4 in pan, so I can attest that it will fit and not flow over. In fact, they do not rise like other recipes that I have made.
I made this recipe tonight. I actually made 3 loafs. Each one fit perfectly into an 8 x 4 in pan, so I can attest that it will fit and not flow over. In fact, they do not rise like other recipes that I have made.
I made this recipe tonight. I actually made 3 loafs. Each one fit perfectly into an 8 x 4 in pan, so I can attest that it will fit and not flow over. In fact, they do not rise like other recipes that I have made.
Unless I misunderstood, I feel the 9×5″ loaf pan was skimpy and the 8×4″ pan would have been much better. Â I did add some cloves and nutmeg. Â It tasted great.