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Joanna Gaines' Zucchini Bread

Joanna Gaines zucchini bread is a farmhouse-perfect classic loaf with a domed, split top and a golden-brown crust. Grated zucchini (not squeezed) keeps the crumb moist, tender, and sliceable after cooling.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini bread loaf
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cup zucchini, grated (unsqueezed) Grate and use without squeezing to keep moisture in the batter.
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional) Optional add-in for crunch and flavor.
  • 1 tbsp turbinado sugar for top

Equipment

  • 2 sheet pan
  • 1 oven

Method
 

Preheat and prep pans
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 9x5 loaf pans (or prepare one large pan). Grease thoroughly so the domed loaf releases cleanly after baking.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Keep whisking until the spices are evenly distributed with no visible clumps.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until well combined. The mixture should look glossy and smooth before you add zucchini.
Fold in zucchini and optional walnuts
  1. Stir in the grated zucchini (no squeezing). The batter will look slightly thick but should stay moist because the zucchini releases moisture as it bakes.
Combine and finish batter
  1. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, folding in walnuts if using. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain to avoid a tough loaf.
Bake
  1. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, sprinkle turbinado sugar on top, and bake 55–65 minutes at 350°F. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the crust turns deep golden-brown.
Cool before slicing
  1. Cool the loaves for 20 minutes before removing from the pans. Letting them set helps the split dome hold its shape when you slice.

Notes

Pro tip: Use unsqueezed, finely grated zucchini so the loaf stays moist and develops that classic domed, split top. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months. For a nut-free version, omit the walnuts—no other changes needed.