Go Back

Cheddar Zucchini Bread

Cheddar zucchini bread made as an easy savory quick bread with pockets of melted cheddar throughout a tender crumb. This golden savory loaf features a sharp cheddar crust on top and is baked until a toothpick comes out clean.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Wet ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.75 cup whole milk
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
  • 1 tbsp honey or sugar
Add-ins
  • 1.5 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
  • 1.5 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (divided)
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and heat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan (visual cue: pan is lightly coated so the loaf releases cleanly).
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper together in a bowl until evenly combined (visual cue: no pale baking powder streaks remain).
Mix wet and assemble batter
  1. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil or melted butter, and honey or sugar until smooth (visual cue: mixture looks uniform and slightly thick).
  2. Stir in the grated zucchini (squeezed dry) and 1 cup of the shredded sharp cheddar (visual cue: cheddar distributes through the batter).
  3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined—do not overmix (visual cue: batter looks lumpy and no dry flour pockets remain).
  4. Pour the batter into the greased 9x5 loaf pan and top with the remaining 1/2 cup sharp cheddar (visual cue: cheddar forms a visible golden layer).
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350°F for 50–58 minutes until the cheese on top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean (visual cue: top is browned and edges look set).
  2. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes before slicing (visual cue: the loaf firms up and steam reduces so slices hold together).

Notes

For best texture, squeeze the grated zucchini very dry so the loaf bakes up tender instead of gummy. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; reheat slices in the oven or toaster oven. Freeze baked loaf slices for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, swap vegetable oil for melted butter measured the same way (both work with the same bake time).