Cheesy Zucchini Bread made with fresh and healthy zucchini, shredded cheddar cheese, and chives is a delicious and easy savory quick bread loved by the whole family. No fancy mixers or kneading required.
Cheesy Zucchini Quick Bread Recipe
If there is one thing on my bucket list I could easily check off, but don’t, it’s to learn how to make fresh bread. No, not the quick-cooking kind. The kind of bread that needs yeast to rise and strong muscles to knead. Yes, that kind of bread. For whatever reason (maybe because it takes forever), baking my own crusty sourdough bread isn’t on the top of my to-do list. I mean, I have made my own homemade focaccia bread once and it was a pain in my…
Anyway, what is at the top of my list? Quick bread. I love quick bread. All kinds of quick bread. Sweet quick bread, savory quick bread, healthy quick bread…all the quick bread. Quick bread recipes are, well, quick. Meaning, I get to eat my food sooner and with less effort. What’s not to love?
Love quick bread too? Check out these recipes: Lemon Poppy Seed Quick Bread and Banana Bread.
Ingredients in Zucchini Bread
- all-purpose flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- buttermilk
- egg
- butter
- EXTRA SHARP cheddar cheese
- zucchini
- chives
How to Make Your Own Buttermilk
Making your own buttermilk is easy. All you need is,
- Milk
- Vinegar, fresh lemon juice, or cream of tartar
Hopefully, you have milk (yes, dairy milk) and one of the other things, otherwise, I hope you live super close to the grocery store or you have super friendly neighbors…
- To make with vinegar or lemon juice, simply add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup and fill with milk until it measures 1 cup.
- To make buttermilk with cream of tartar mix one cup milk with 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar.
How to Make Zucchini Bread
To make this cheesy zucchini bread recipe,
First things first, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9 x 5 bread loaf tin with non-stick cooking spray. Next, in a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl combine the buttermilk and egg. Whisk well to combine, then add the butter to the buttermilk mixture.
With the wet and dry ingredients prepared, add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix! Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, shredded zucchini, and chopped chives.
Finally, transfer mixture to your prepared loaf pan and transfer to the oven. Bake for approximately 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool for at least 10 minutes before inverting over a cooling rack to remove from the loaf pan.
Tips and Tricks
This savory quick bread is about as easy as it gets. In fact, it’s pretty hard to mess this one up. However, I have a few simple suggestions on how to make this delicious cheesy zucchini bread even better.
- Get all the water out of that zucchini. I mean it, my friends. Just trust me here. The best way to do this is to transfer your shredded zucchini to a flour-sack towel, wrap it up, and squeeze the water out. You won’t believe how much water comes out.
- Use stinky, extra EXTRA sharp cheddar cheese. Just because you may not want to eat the stuff plain, by the slice, doesn’t mean it won’t taste delicious in this bread. This savory quick bread is begging for stinky cheese, don’t let it down!
- Make an extra loaf and freeze it! Ok, so this isn’t going to make your cheesy zucchini bread taste any better, but you will be so happy on a cold and rainy soup day that you have a loaf of this delicious, cheesy goodness just waiting to be eaten.
- For an extra cheesy surprise, sprinkle the top of your zucchini loaf with extra shredded cheddar and chives and place it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
What to Serve with Cheesy Zucchini Bread
This is not a light bread. I’m so (not) sorry about that. Some things in life are better left packed full of delicious cheese and all-purpose flour. With that in mind, I like to serve this cheesy zucchini bread with soup like this Healthy Roasted Cauliflower + Broccoli Soup or this Winter Vegetable and Oat Soup or a healthy salad like this Eggplant Bowl or Creamy Pea Salad.
This zucchini cheese bread tastes best fresh out of the oven. Unless you plan to feed a large group or your entire family, you’ll probably find yourself with leftovers. To reheat, simply pop a slice of this cheesy zucchini bread in the microwave or toaster oven and voila, warm and cheesy once again.
More Zucchini Recipes,
- Butternut Squash, Zucchini, and Spinach Lasagna
- Grilled Peach, Corn, Zucchini and Asparagus Summer Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
- Chicken, Zucchini + Avocado Soup
- Healthy Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Healthy Corn and Zucchini Chowder
- Easy Grilled Veggie Skewers
If you try making this Cheesy Zucchini Bread Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
RECIPE CARD
Cheesy Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup butter - melted but not scorching hot
- 1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese - shredded (get the aged, stinky stuff)
- 3 tablespoon chives - chopped
- 1.5 cups shredded zucchini - squeezed of excess water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Once mixed, add the butter the the buttermilk mixture. Whisk until fully combined.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over-mix!
- Mix in the shredded cheese, shredded zucchini and chopped chives.
- Spray a 9 x 5 bread loaf tin with non-stick cooking spray and bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bread to cool for at least 10 minutes before inverting over a cooling rack to remove from the loaf pan. Allow bread to cool for an additional 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Jessica's Notes
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
Do you know if buckwheat flour would work?
For your Cheesy Zucchini Bread, buckwheat flour could work as a substitute, though it will give the bread a slightly different texture and a deeper, earthy flavor. Buckwheat flour is denser than all-purpose flour, so the bread may come out a bit heavier. I’d suggest trying a 50/50 mix of buckwheat and all-purpose or another light flour (like rice or almond flour) to maintain a good texture. If you’re aiming for gluten-free, buckwheat should pair well with a bit of a starchier flour (like tapioca or potato starch) to help with binding.
The flavor is wonderful but the bread is so dense in the middle. What would you suggest, more oven time, maybe more flour, less cheese or ring the zucchini out more. Regardless, I’m still enjoying it. Thank you!!
It sounds like you’re on the right track with troubleshooting your Cheesy Zucchini Bread! Since it’s dense in the middle, a few adjustments could help. First, definitely try wringing out the zucchini more thoroughly to remove excess moisture, as this is often a culprit for density. Additionally, ensuring that your oven is properly calibrated and possibly extending the baking time slightly could help the bread cook more evenly without getting too dry. Adjusting the amount of flour might also help, but start with these tips first. I’m glad to hear you’re still enjoying it!
I want to make this for a reception, preferring savory bread to crackers and cheese. Will it be OK frozen then thawed and served without heating? Room temp? I also was thinking about adding some olives?
Yes, you can freeze the cheesy zucchini quick bread loaf and then thaw it to serve at room temperature without heating. This should work well for a reception, especially if you prefer savory bread over crackers and cheese. Just make sure to wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag to maintain its freshness. When you’re ready to serve it, thaw it at room temperature for a few hours.
Adding olives to the bread sounds like a great idea! They will complement the savory flavors well. Make sure to drain and chop the olives before adding them to the batter to prevent excess moisture. Enjoy your reception!