Sunday, September 2

Recipe: Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread

Lemon zest and fresh rosemary add a flavorful twist to zucchini bread.

Up to your ears in zucchini? Bored with the same old cinnamon zucchini bread? Have I got the perfect recipe for you.

This is not a savory bread, but with less sugar than many zucchini bread recipes, it doesn't feel like you're eating cake for breakfast. (Not that there's anything wrong with eating cake for breakfast.) It also makes a delicious afternoon snack.

The flavors of the rosemary and lemon are pleasantly subtle, but you can bump them up if you like. This quick bread tastes even better the next day, will stay moist for several days, and freezes well. I like it best sliced, toasted, and slathered with butter.

The most popular recipe on Farmgirl Fare right now is How To Freeze Zucchini & Summer Squash and My One Claim to Fame (which is that I'm a complete failure at growing something everybody else spends half the summer desperately trying to give away).

To enjoy freshly baked zucchini bread all year round, simply grate your zucchini (I use a stainless steel box grater), squeeze out some of the liquid if it's really moist (you can use a flour sack towel—these are so handy in the kitchen—or cheesecloth, but I usually just stand over the sink and use my hands), portion it out into the amount you'll need, and pack it into zipper freezer bags or containers. Defrost before using. For more on using frozen shredded zucchini in baked goods, see this thread on the Farmgirl Fare Facebook page.

Recipe below. . .

Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread
Makes two 8½"x4½" 'tea-sized' loaves - Adapted from Simply Recipes
These loaves are on the short side, so don't feel bad if you, ahem, end up devouring four slices for breakfast.

Avoid the temptation to use those ubiquitous monster zucchini in your zucchini bread; they're often spongy and full of seeds. As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients; they really do make a difference. Organic flours are easy to find and reasonably priced, and even organic sugars are becoming mainstream. Search on Local Harvest for real farm eggs and other locally produced foods in your area.

White whole wheat flour is 100% whole grain flour that is made from a lighter variety of wheat, so it works better in delicate baked goods than regular whole wheat flour. If you can't find it, just use more all-purpose flour. The darker your olive oil, the more flavor it will add to the bread.

2 cups organic all-purpose flour
1 cup organic white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or more to taste)
1 Tablespoon organic lemon zest (or more to taste)
1 pound zucchini, grated (about 3 cups lightly packed)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (4 ounces/1 stick) organic butter, melted
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8½"x4½" loaf pans (I use coconut oil spray on my baking pans).

In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, rosemary, and lemon zest.

If your grated zucchini is really moist, squeeze out some of the liquid (you can use a flour sack towel or cheesecloth, but I usually just stand over the sink and use my hands), then toss the grated zucchini into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, olive oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined.

Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture, gently stirring just until combined. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. If you press down lightly on the surface of the loaf, it should spring back.

Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then remove them and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or freeze.

More zucchini baked goods you might enjoy:


©, the mostly homegrown foodie farm blog where there is never too much zucchini.


  1. This looks (and sounds!) so good. I'm going to give this a try this week. Thanks for sharing this recipe (and all of your other recipes!) with us. Everything I've ever tried from you has become a true favorite.

  2. This combination sounds wonderful. I love olive oil cakes so I would love to try this (also a few too many pattypans (cough))
    I can't get white whole wheat flour where I am - it's sounds like something I would really like to use.

  3. Don't worry about not being able to grow zucchini and other squash. Due to the same squash bugs and dislike of pesticides, I rarely even get to see squash blossoms, much less actually fruits. I guess it's a good thing they aren't my favorite, though the bread looks yummy.

  4. That is one beautiful loaf of zucchini bread! I love the smell of rosemary but I'm not too sure how I would like it as an ingredient...

  5. The skin on homegrown zucchini (given to me by friend) is so thick, I cannot cut into it. Any ideas?

    1. I've never heard of the skin being that thick. It sounds like your zucchini might be too tough or mature to eat. :)

  6. Mmm! I finally got around to trying this one. We don't have white whole wheat readily available here, so I subbed it half wholemeal/half AP flour and it came out great. The rosemary is distinct but definitely not overpowering. Next time I want to try it with culinary lavender instead.

  7. Hi there, yoga buddy! I made this, and it was wonderful! The flavor is sweet, but not dessert sweet, and the lemon and rosemary give it a subtle sophistication. I'll definitely make it again...thanks for the recipe!

  8. I just made this bread and it smells wonderful! I have to tell you that the amount of baking soda is too much! That is all I taste. Why so much? Not sure if I can keep this batch. Might have to start over and reduce the baking soda by at least half.

    1. Hi Michelle,
      I used the amount of baking soda called for in the original version of the recipe on Simply Recipes. I've seen several other zucchini bread recipes that use the same proportions of flour to baking soda, so I'm not sure why you're tasting the baking soda. Did you use 2 Tablespoons rather than 2 teaspoons?

      I've made this bread several times, including just a few days ago, and it always tastes great to me. You could certainly try using less baking soda and see how it comes out.






