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Apple Cinnamon Zucchini Bread

Apple cinnamon zucchini bread bakes into a tender loaf with apple chunks and a cinnamon swirl baked through the golden crumb. It’s an easy quick bread with a warm spice blend and optional caramel drizzle for extra sweetness.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
  • 1 cup apple, peeled and finely diced
Cinnamon Swirl
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
Caramel Drizzle
  • 0.25 cup caramel sauce optional

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 loaf pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan, so the batter bakes evenly from the start.
  2. Mix cinnamon swirl ingredients together and set aside, keeping the mixture ready for layering.
Make the batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together until evenly combined.
  2. Beat brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth, about 1 minute.
  3. Stir in grated squeezed zucchini and diced apple so the fruit is evenly distributed.
  4. Fold dry ingredients into wet until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain.
Bake
  1. Pour half the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle on the cinnamon swirl layer.
  2. Add remaining batter and swirl with a knife to create ribboned cinnamon throughout the loaf.
  3. Bake 55–65 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Cool and finish
  1. Cool the loaf 15 minutes, then drizzle with caramel sauce if desired for a glossy finish.

Notes

For clean slices and a tender crumb, let the loaf cool at least 15 minutes before slicing. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months. For a lighter option, substitute half the oil with unsweetened applesauce while keeping the zucchini amount the same.