Zucchini Cheese Bread is just the kind of recipe I love—easy to make, full of flavor, and perfect for sharing. Made with sharp cheddar, fresh zucchini, and a little garlic, it bakes up golden and tender. Slice it warm, add a little butter, and you’ve got something special.
5-Star Reader Comment
“This is such a fantastic recipe! It came out perfect! I wouldn’t change or adjust anything except to double the recipe! 😊 “
Patty
Zucchini seems to be everywhere in the summer—even if you don’t grow it yourself. I don’t have a garden, but I’ve got plenty of generous friends who do, and they’ve been keeping me well stocked. So in true A Southern Soul fashion, I put it to good use with a recipe that’s simple, cheesy, and full of flavor. This savory zucchini bread is tender, easy to make, and we absolutely love it with a big swipe of soft butter.
How To Prep Zucchini For Baking This Recipe
Grate it—no need to peel or squeeze. Zucchini is full of moisture, which helps keep quick breads soft and tender. Just use a box grater or food processor and toss it straight into the batter. That’s it!
Zucchini Cheese Bread Ingredients
- For the batter: To make the bread dough or batter, you’ll need basic baking ingredients like eggs, flour, baking soda, and powder. But you’ll also need sour cream – this is key! Plain Greek yogurt will work too.
- Zucchini: Shredded, but do not squeeze out all the water. There’s no need to peel it, either.
- Cheddar Cheese: If you can shred your own cheese, that’s the best for this bread! You can substitute the sharp cheddar cheese with half mozzarella cheese and half Parmesan.
- Fresh Chives: Chopped chives add a super nice, mild onion flavor that compliments the savory flavors.
Step By Step Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the zucchini, eggs, sour cream, melted butter, and chives. Once combined, fold in the cheese.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together, then add to the wet mixture and stir. The batter will be thick—that’s exactly what you want.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment and lightly coat with cooking spray. Spoon in the batter and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Does Baked Bread Have To Cool Before Slicing?
Yes, if you want the inside to finish baking and avoid a gummy texture. Quick breads keep cooking after they come out of the oven, so give it time to set. Cutting too soon traps moisture and leaves the center dense and underdone.
Commonly Asked Questions
I used a 9X5 metal, non-stick pan for this recipe.
Nope, there is no need to peel the skin off. Once the grated zucchini is mixed into the batter, it will bake beautifully and become tender.
You can store this bread on the counter or in the fridge. I like to wrap it in parchment and place it in a zip-top bag.
Yes, let the bread cool completely to freeze, then wrap it tightly in foil or plastic. You can freeze the whole loaf at a time or in individual slices. To serve, let it thaw, then serve warm in the microwave or toaster oven.
What To Serve With Zucchini Cheese Bread
This hearty bread can be served in so many ways! I like it with this Everyday Green Salad and Air Fryer Sausage And Potatoes for lunch. It’s also perfect alongside Garden Veggie Soup or my Award Winning Southern Soul Chili for dinner. Enjoy zucchini bread with Ham and Cheese Strata for breakfast or serve it with Creamy Southern Deviled Eggs as an appetizer or snack.
More Quick Bread Recipes
If you tried this Zucchini Cheese Bread Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini (DO NOT squeeze out the water)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup cooled melted butter
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment and lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
- To a medium size mixing bowl, add zucchini, chives, eggs, sour cream, cooled melted butter, and stir to combine. Add in cheddar cheese and stir again.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and garlic powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. The batter will be very thick. Spoon zucchini mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Remove bread from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan, then cool completely on a wire rack.
- Slice and serve immediately, or store in plastic wrap on the counter or refrigerator.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Ever since I tried this recipe, my husband wants me to make it every week! It’s eggie, and cheesy, and a little spicy (I add 1/4 tsp of cayenne). I toast a slice for each of us for breakfast each day. Wonderful!
Hey there Steph!
Wow! I am so happy to hear that you and your husband have been enjoying this recipe, I love your idea of adding a little cayenne for some spice, I’ll have to give that a try. Thank you so much for sharing your kind words and your fantastic rating, I really appreciate your support!
~Donya
Hi Donya,
Today was my first attempt making this recipe and it turned out fabuloulsy ! The only ingredient change I made was that I used Mexican Fiesta Cheddar Cheese (the only cheddar I had in the fridge) – and it worked great !
Hey there Andree!
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, I am a big believer in using the ingredients you have on hand so substituting Mexican Fiesta Cheddar was a great idea! Thank you so much for your kind words of support and for your phenomenal rating, if you ever have any questions about a recipe, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask!
~Donya
I just made this as we have an abundance of zucchini right now! It turned out great and a wonderful change. I subbed shallot for chives as I didn’t have any on hand and tastes great. Thank you for a recipe I will use over and over!
Hey there Naz!
Wow! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, if you have extra zucchini in your garden then this bread recipe is the solution. Substituting Shallots for chives was a great idea, they have such a delicious subtle flavor. Thank you so much for your sweet words and your phenomenal rating, I really appreciate your support!
~Donya
I really like this recipe except mine tasted a little salty. Anyone else have that issue?
Hey there Deena!
I am so happy to hear that you liked this recipe! I’ve never personally run into this, but if it came out a little too salty, I would recommend that next time you just cut the salt measurement in half. I hope this helps, let me know how everything turns out if you give this bread another try!
~Donya
I like the look of this recipe, with the sour cream. I am trying to replicate a load I had recently. You state that there is no need to squeeze the grated zucchini. In many other recipes they state this is a necessary step. Why the difference? Thanks.
Hey there Diane!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a great question! In this recipe, you actually want some of the moisture from the zucchini in the bread, given the amount of flour in the recipe, the zucchini juices help to keep the bread nice and moist. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out if you give the recipe a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Was so excited to make this. It looked great when it came out of the oven but when it was cooling it totally collapsed. Not sure what I did wrong. It smells fabulous!
Hey there Sarah!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe! I’m not quite sure why the bread collapsed as it cooled, I’ve never run into that before. If I had to guess, the bread probably wasn’t finished cooking in the middle, I would recommend checking it with a toothpick or cake tester prior to removing it from the oven. I hope this helps, let me know how everything turns out if you give the recipe another go!
~Donya
Made it this week. Didn’t have chives do added a little onion powder. We sliced, toasted and topped with butter. SO GOOD!!!
Hey there Jackie!
Wow! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, adding onion powder in place of chives was a great idea! Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate your support! If you ever have any questions about a recipe, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
~Donya
This sounds delicious and as soon as I get my hands on some zucchini I plan to make it. I was considering adding some chopped jalapeño peppers to it- what do you think? I personally like a little spicy! Thank you for the recipe!
Hey there Carol!
I am so happy to hear that you’re giving this recipe a try, I think you’re really going to love it! Adding chopped jalapenos to this recipe is a wonderful idea, I also like a kick of spice and I bet diced jalapenos would be just the thing to take this bread to the next level. Please let me know how everything turns out, I really hope you enjoy! If you ever have any other questions, feel free to reach out, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
Can you substitute in almond or coconut flour in place of regular flour?
Hey there Jill!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re really going to love it! I’ve never personally used almond or coconut flour in this recipe, but it’s definitely worth giving it a try. If you’re looking for a gluten free flour substitute, I would recommend trying Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour, I’ve never tried it in this quick bread but I’ve had a lot of success with it in other baking and I bet that’d be a terrific gluten free option in this recipe as well! I included the amazon link to the flour in this comment so you can see what it looks like, I really hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try!
https://amzn.to/3SHWuK4
~Donya
Could i sub plain yogurt for the sour cream?
Hey there Patsy!
Thank you for your interest in this recipe, that’s a great question! You can totally substitute yogurt in for sour cream, but it’s important that the yogurt has the same texture as sour cream. I would recommend using Full Fat Greek Yogurt as a substitute, the tart flavor and thick texture is similar to that of sour cream. I hope this helps, let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Can this be made as muffins
Hey there Diane!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a terrific question! I’ve never actually made this bread into muffins, but I think that it would turn out well! I would recommend cooking the muffins at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, check to see if they’re done, and if not then give them another 5-10 minutes. I hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try!
~Donya
I made the zucchini cheese quick bread tonight for supper. Directions were easy to follow and the bread was delicious.
Thanks for sharing this recipe
Will definitely make again.
Hey there Dotty!
Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words and your fantastic rating, I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! This recipe makes for a wonderful dinner, but I love the fact that you can also serve the leftovers for breakfast the next day, it’s a super versatile bread. I really appreciate your support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe I’d be more than happy to help!
~Donya