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Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread

Cinnamon swirl zucchini bread with a dramatic cinnamon sugar ribbon spiraling through a moist golden loaf. This spiced quick bread uses grated, squeezed-dry zucchini for a tender crumb and a clean toothpick finish.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340

Ingredients
  

Bread
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.33 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
Cinnamon Swirl
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1.5 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp melted butter

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Mix the cinnamon swirl ingredients together and set aside.
  3. Whisk the bread dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon) together.
Mix and swirl
  1. Beat the sugar, eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the grated squeezed zucchini.
  2. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  3. Pour half the batter into the pan, drizzle half the cinnamon swirl mixture on top, and drag a knife through in a figure-eight pattern.
  4. Add the remaining batter, drizzle the remaining swirl mixture, and swirl again with another figure-eight pattern.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350°F for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  2. Cool for 20 minutes before slicing so the cinnamon swirl sets through the loaf.

Notes

For the strongest swirl in every slice, squeeze the grated zucchini dry until it feels lighter and not wet, then stop mixing as soon as the batter is combined. Store the loaf wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days; freeze slices for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, replace the vegetable oil with an equal amount of neutral oil or melted coconut oil, keeping the rest the same.