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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.
Table of Contents
I’ve always been a big fan of quick breads. They’re easy to make, require no kneading or rise time, and can be either sweet or savory. They’re also quick – obviously – meaning, I get to eat my food sooner and with less effort. What’s not to love?
This cheesy zucchini bread is one of my favorite savory versions. It’s packed with shredded zucchini, extra-sharp cheddar cheese, and fresh chives, with a tender, moist crumb and plenty of cheesy flavor.
Love quick breads as much as I do? Try my Lemon Poppy Seed Quick Bread or Banana Bread Recipe next.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This savory zucchini bread starts with all-purpose flour, a little sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and an egg. A few of the remaining ingredients are worth a closer look:
- Zucchini: Shred the zucchini using the large holes of a box grater. Unlike my chocolate zucchini muffins and zucchini bread muffins, this recipe requires squeezing out the excess moisture from the shredded zucchini before adding it to the batter. This helps prevent the savory bread from becoming overly wet or gummy. Measure the zucchini first, then squeeze it well using a clean kitchen towel, cheesecloth, or paper towels.
- Cheddar cheese: I recommend sharp or EXTRA-sharp cheddar for the most flavor. Shred it from a block for the best texture and melting.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a subtle tang.
- Butter: Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly before mixing it with the buttermilk and egg. You don’t want it piping hot as it will start to cook the egg.
- Chives: Fresh chives add a mild onion flavor that works especially well with the cheddar and zucchini. Finely chopped green onions can also be used.
How to Make Your Own Buttermilk
No buttermilk? Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then add enough dairy milk to reach 1 cup. Stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes before using.
Alternatively, use 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar per 1 cup of milk. To prevent clumping, whisk the cream of tartar into the dry ingredients rather than directly into the milk.
How to Make Cheesy Zucchini Bread
First things first, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with nonstick 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 overmix! Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, shredded zucchini, and chopped chives.
Finally, transfer the mixture to your prepared loaf pan and 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 it onto a cooling rack to remove it from the loaf pan.
Reader Comment
“Love this recipe. I’ve been making it once a week… This is a nice change from my sweet zucchini bread recipe.” – Deb
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 for 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 out the water. 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 on its own, 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! Okay, so this isn’t going to make your cheesy zucchini bread taste any better, but you will be so happy on a cold, rainy soup day to 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, then place it under the broiler for 2 to 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 regular all-purpose flour. It pairs especially well with soups and fresh salads. Try it with my butternut squash soup, hearty vegetable beef soup, or this reader-favorite chicken soup recipe. It’s also great with a light house salad or fresh Caesar salad.
Storage and Reheating
Allow the zucchini bread to cool completely before storing. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze, wrap individual slices or the whole loaf tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
To reheat, warm individual slices in the microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds or in a toaster oven until heated through.
More Easy Zucchini Recipes
Cheesy Zucchini Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1½ cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (get the aged, stinky stuff)
- 3 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- 1½ cups shredded zucchini, measured after squeezing out the excess moisture
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Once mixed, add the butter to the buttermilk mixture. Whisk until fully combined.1 cup buttermilk, 1 large egg, ¼ cup butter
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix!
- Mix in the shredded cheese, shredded zucchini, and chopped chives.1½ cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, 3 tablespoons fresh chives, 1½ cups shredded zucchini
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for one hour, 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. Allow bread to cool for an additional 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk, see the homemade buttermilk substitution in the post above.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
love this recipe I been making it once a week ..
I love zucchini..this is a nice change from my sweet zucchini bread recipe.. thank you for posting
Thank you so much, Deb! I am so glad you have been making it every week. I love zucchini too, and this savory version is such a fun change from sweet zucchini bread! 🙂
This bread is amazing! I’ve pinned this recipe to make sure i dont forget or lose it. I made this for myself and my boyfriend this evening and we both loved it! I had a bunch of zucchini from the garden so I served it with a blended zucchini soup and it was a perfect summer meal. I used plain greek yogurt thinned down with some milk to replace the buttermilk and it turned out moist and delicious. thanks so much for this recipe!
Thank you so much, Melodie! I am so glad you and your boyfriend loved it. Your zucchini soup pairing sounds like the perfect summer meal, and the Greek yogurt and milk swap is such a helpful tip! 🙂
my family and I love this bread, cheesey and delicious
Thanks, Dawn, I love hearing you and your family love it 🙂
I made the cheesy Zucchini bread last night to go with my macaroni and cheese. a real cheesy dinner I might add and super duper delicious it was! My guy raved about the cheesy Zucchini bread and I thought it was a true delicious gift! He had a piece this morning-toasted and his eyes were rolling when I asked him how it was. Anyway, I only changed one thing because I didn’t have chives. I used my basil flakes. This recipe is wonderfully delicious and it is a keeper for me! The cheesy all over crust is to die for! Thank you for this keeper of a recipe!
Katheryn, this comment made me smile. I love the real cheesy dinner theme, and I am so happy you both raved about the cheesy zucchini bread, especially toasted the next morning. Basil flakes sound like a great swap for chives. Thank you for taking the time to share, and I am thrilled it is a keeper for you!
Does it have to be buttermilk?
Hi Marisa! I use buttermilk here because it adds tang and keeps the bread tender. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make a quick substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes. Plain yogurt thinned with a little milk can sometimes work too. I haven’t tested this recipe with either substitute, but in most quick breads they usually turn out just fine.
For the zucchini, is that 1.5 cups before or after squeezing the water out? It makes a difference!
It’s 1.5 cups after squeezing out the excess moisture from the zucchini 🙂
This ensures the bread doesn’t turn out soggy and the measurements are consistent no matter how much water content your zucchini has.