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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.

cheesy zucchini quick bread with melted cheese

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…

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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,

  1. Milk
  2. 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.
Baked cheesy zucchini bread

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
Sliced savory quick bread with cheddar cheese and zucchini

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 a soup like Broccoli Cauliflower Soup or this reader favorite Chicken Soup, or a healthy salad like the Chickpea Buddha 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.

Moist and cheesy baked zucchini quick bread

More Zucchini Recipes,

Cheddar Zucchini Bread in pan with towel
4.78 from 224 votes

Cheesy Zucchini Bread Recipe


Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa
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.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
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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!

Notes

(originally published on 10.19.15)

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Vitamin C: 3.2mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight

Jessica Randhawa

Chef | Food Photographer

Jessica Randhawa leads The Forked Spoon, sharing 14 years of experience and over 1,200 original recipes, kitchen tips, and practical cooking advice. Inspired by her world travels, Jessicaโ€™s approachable recipes have been featured in outlets like Daily Mail, Al Jazeera, and CNET. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of California.

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Recipe Rating




4.78 from 224 votes (211 ratings without comment)

30 Comments

  1. Stephanie says:

    Do you know if buckwheat flour would work?

    1. Jessica Randhawa says:

      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. Iโ€™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 youโ€™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.

  2. Ilene Montesinos says:

    4 stars
    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!!

    1. Jessica Randhawa says:

      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!

  3. Francie Mann says:

    5 stars
    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?

    1. Jessica Randhawa says:

      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 youโ€™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!

  4. Dev says:

    5 stars
    In the oven as we speak!! For future reference, how long would this bread need to thaw/heat up in the oven if I decide to freeze?

    Thank you!

    1. Jessica Randhawa says:

      If you decide to freeze your cheesy zucchini quick bread and want to reheat it later, the thawing and heating process is quite straightforward. First, allow the bread to thaw at room temperature for several hours or overnight, which helps it to heat evenly in the oven. Once thawed, preheat your oven to 350ยฐF (175ยฐC) and heat the bread for about 10-15 minutes or until it’s thoroughly warm and the cheese is nicely melted. This method ensures that your bread retains its moisture and flavor, just like when it was freshly baked.

  5. Jonesacca says:

    5 stars
    Easy and oh so tasty! The perfect combination in my opinion! This bread turned out great with a lightly crispy crust. I did substitute 1/2 whole wheat flour and added a smidge of cayenne pepperโ€ฆ one large zucchini was the perfect amount. Thanks for a great recipe!

    1. Jessica Randhawa says:

      Thanks for the feedback ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Lisa Breneman says:

    5 stars
    Delicious bread! My husband has been asking for zucchini breads and this didnโ€™t disappoint. I have a milk allergy and swapped the milk for milkademia and lemon juice. I had some flour sacks on hand and squeezed and squeezed. It was worth it!

    I plan to make this over and over!

    1. Jessica Randhawa says:

      Thanks for the delicious feedback, Lisa ๐Ÿ˜€

  7. Kat says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe. We had a huge zucchini grow in our backyard so saw this recipe and used some of the zucchini for it. Was delish!! My 3 and 6 yr old devoured their pieces. Will def make again.

    1. Jessica Randhawa says:

      I love hearing when kids devour recipes, thanks for the great feedback and rating, Kat ๐Ÿ˜€

  8. Merilee says:

    I do know that with no yeast breads, if you over mix it that it wl fall in the middle! It was happening to me and then my grandma told me to JUST mix everything, and it did the trick! I hope this helps!