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Lemon Zucchini Bread

Lemon zucchini bread with a moist, tender crumb and a thick lemon glaze you can drizzle over a warm loaf. This zucchini quick bread is easy to mix, baked until golden, then cooled before glazing for the glossy, pooling edges.
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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: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

All-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
Baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
Baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
Salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Granulated sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
Eggs
  • 2 eggs
Vegetable oil
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 0.33 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
Lemon zest
  • zest of 2 lemons Use fresh zest only.
Fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Zucchini
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
Lemon Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice Use 2–3 tbsp total to reach a thick drizzle consistency.
  • zest of 1 lemon Use fresh zest only.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan so the loaf releases cleanly. Set the pan aside for filling.
  2. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl until evenly distributed. This keeps the crumb uniform.
  3. Beat the granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt or sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth. The mixture should look glossy and fully combined.
  4. Fold in the grated, squeezed-dry zucchini until you no longer see dry zucchini strands. Stop once combined to protect the tender crumb.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold just until combined—do not overmix. The batter should be thick with no visible flour streaks.
Bake and cool
  1. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth the top so it bakes evenly. Bake at 350°F for 50–60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Look for a golden top.
  2. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes before glazing. This brief rest helps the glaze set without fully soaking in.
Lemon glaze
  1. Whisk the powdered sugar, 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and zest of 1 lemon until smooth. Adjust with a splash more lemon juice if needed for a thick drizzle.
  2. Drizzle the lemon glaze generously over the warm loaf. Let it pool over the edges for a glossy finish.

Notes

Pro tip: Squeeze the grated zucchini very dry so the crumb stays tender instead of gummy. Store the loaf covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices wrapped tightly for up to 2 months (glaze after thawing for best shine). For a dairy-light option, swap Greek yogurt/sour cream with an equal amount of plain dairy-free yogurt.