Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep and preheat
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Lightly coat the pan so the loaf releases cleanly after baking.
Mix dry ingredients
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix until the spices are evenly distributed and no lumps remain.
Mix wet ingredients
- Beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, canned pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until smooth. The mixture should look glossy and fully combined.
- Stir in the zucchini, grated and squeezed dry until suspended throughout the batter. Stop when the zucchini is evenly mixed with no dry streaks.
Combine and bake
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. The batter should be thick, with a few small dry flour streaks at first that disappear as you fold.
- Fold in the chopped pecans or chocolate chips (optional) if using. Mix just until the add-ins are dispersed.
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and sprinkle Turbinado sugar for top over the surface. The top should look lightly dusted and sparkly.
- Bake at 350°F for 60–70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. The top should be golden with a crackled appearance and the loaf should pull slightly from the pan edges.
Cool and slice
- Cool the loaf for 15 minutes before slicing. The interior will set as it cools, so the slices hold their orange-brown crumb and green zucchini flecks.
Notes
For the best texture, squeeze the grated zucchini very dry so the loaf stays thick and doesn’t turn gummy. Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freeze slices in an airtight container up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, this recipe already fits many dairy-free needs since it uses no milk or butter.