This Cinnamon Zucchini Bread turns garden zucchini into an irresistible treat bursting with flavor. Packed with warm spices and filled with cinnamon chips, each slice delivers incredible moisture and flavor that makes it impossible to eat just one piece!
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🍰 Three cups of grated zucchini disappear completely into the batter, making this an excellent way to sneak vegetables into a delicious treat!
My 2 Best Tips For Making Cinnamon Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Prep: After grating the zucchini, removing excess moisture is crucial for the best texture and preventing soggy bread. Use a salad spinner to spin out the water, or wrap the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly. Don’t worry about peeling the zucchini unless it has thick skin.
Mixing Method: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until everything is incorporated to avoid developing the gluten too much. Overmixing will result in tough, dense bread rather than the tender crumb we’re after. Fold in the zucchini and cinnamon chips gently at the very end to distribute them evenly without overworking the batter.
I have a couple of secrets that make this recipe unique. Using sour cream is the first secret. The second is spinning the grated zucchini dry. Both of these secrets help make the bread ultra moist without being soggy!
Cinnamon zucchini bread is perfect for breakfast with your morning coffee or as an afternoon snack with tea. It goes with pretty much any occasion, and it’s become a weekly staple at our house during zucchini season.
You can enjoy it warm from the oven as a comforting treat, or toasted the next day! I love to eat it with a pat of butter that melts into all the nooks and crannies, or spread cream cheese for an extra indulgent experience.
🩷 Melissa
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Cinnamon Zucchini Bread with Cinnamon Chips
Ingredients
Bread
- 2 ⅓ cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil or another light oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 3 cups grated zucchini (No need to peel if using young, thin-skinned zucchini. Peel if using bigger, thick-skinned!)
- 1 ½ cups cinnamon chips (12-ounce package) (I like the Hershey's brand!)
Cinnamon Topping
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 regular loaf pans or 4 mini loaf pans and set aside.
- Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, and eggs. Mix in vanilla, and sour cream, beat to combine.
- Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Mix in zucchini and cinnamon chips just until combined.
- Divide batter between pans.
- Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the batter in the pans.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes for regular loaves (30 minutes for mini loaves) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool 5 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
Notes
- Store the cooled bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
How To Make Cinnamon Zucchini Bread
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 2 loaf pans. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Drain excess moisture from grated zucchini.
Step 2: Beat sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Mix in vanilla and sour cream until smooth.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Gently fold in zucchini and cinnamon chips.
Step 4: Divide batter between pans and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar topping. Bake 50-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks.
Recipe FAQs
If you can’t find cinnamon chips, you can substitute with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or even chopped walnuts. You could also make your own cinnamon chips by mixing 1 cup of white chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
Yes, divide the batter among lined muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You’ll get approximately 18-20 muffins from this recipe.
This usually happens when the oven temperature is too high, causing the bread to rise too quickly and then collapse. Make sure your oven is properly calibrated and avoid opening the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking, as this can cause temperature fluctuations.
More Quick Bread Recipes to Consider
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.
Tanya LQ
My new favorite zucchini bread! if you’re a lover of cinnamony goodness, this moist bread recipe will be a new staple to use up the zukes!
Claudia Matusiak
12-9-19 from Spring Hill, Florida. I have made an other cinnamon bread called Snickerdoodle bread which I really like but was hoping this recipe would be moister, which it is. I made this wonderful bread today and thank you for posting the recipe. I would like to add a couple comments for those that are beginner bakers or need just a tad more info. My loaf pans measure 9 1/2″ X 5″ at the top opening and these are really a bit too big for this recipe as my loaves were only about 2 1/2 inches high when baked and were completely done at 45 minutes.. Next time I will use smaller pans to end up with a more loaf shape end results. I also found 3 good size zucchinis about right for this project. With waste from peeling and extra loses from transferring to a towel to ring out and such, I ended up with about a cup extra to freeze for other projects. My total amount put into the mix was 440 grams. Although my loaves were thin they were very tasty and with pan size adjustments will make them again for sure.
Also this year I had trouble locating any grocery that brought in the cinnamon chips for the holidays and I have several recipes I use them in. Buying them on line is soooooooo expensive so I asked my local grocery store to order me a case (12 bags) and they did. I’m set now for holiday baking and beyond. I like cinnamon baked goods all year, not just at the holidays. I ended up paying $2.99 per bag with my order placed through Publix. It took about a week to get them in for me to pick up. I hope my information will be a help to someone wanting to make this recipe a permanent treat in their home.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks so much for taking the time to share you tips Claudia! I especially love that you had your local grocery store order in a case of cinnamon chips for you. Here’s some more of my recipes that use cinnamon chips https://www.barbarabakes.com/cinnamon-zucchini-streusel-coffee-cake/
https://www.barbarabakes.com/cinnadoodles/
https://www.barbarabakes.com/molasses-cinnamon-crisps-with-cinnamon/
Have fun!
Claudia Matusiak
I love you gave me a head’s up on the addition “cinnamon chip” recipes. You are appreciated! Thank You!
Claudia Matusiak
You have an asterisk next to the peeled zucchini in the ingredients but no foot note to explain. I just found this recipe on line today December 2, 1019 and am hoping I can get an answer before making this recipe. Are you wringing out the zucchini before measuring
the zucchini?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Claudia – yes, it was a note about wringing out the zucchini that was missing. I’ve updated the recipe card now. Enjoy!
Maria Sanchez
Me encantan las recetas y sobre todo para la causa k es
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Maria!
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon
I came over from WivesWithKnives. What was the bake time for your smaller loaves? I checked, but if you posted that information I missed it. I want to make these in mini-loaves to send home with my favorite relatives.
Barbara Schieving
Welcome! You cook the mini loaves for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutmeg Nanny
Oh wow, I really love this recipe! Zucchini bread is a favorite of mine 🙂
Jenni
Delicious! I love zucchini bread, and happen to have some cinnamon chips hidden in my pantry! Guess I need to bake a batch of this and hide it in my freezer! 🙂
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
Your house must feel pretty big with the little one gone. He’ll be back for some more of this bread and egg cracking. 🙂
ashlei
Mmmm sounds so good! But my has a milk protein allergy, is there something I could substitute the sour cream with? Or just leave it out?
Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Ashlei – I wouldn’t just leave it out. How about trying a coconut milk “sour cream” alternative http://cassidyscraveablecreations.com/2012/01/easy-peasy-dairy-free-sour-cream.html. I haven’t tried it, but it sounds like a great alternative.
Blond Duck
I’ve always wanted to make zuccini bread!