The humble zucchini has become one of my favorite veggies. I do admit that the love affair didn’t start out quite on the right foot, as my encounters with them long green batons were largely due to the need to use them up before they go bad in the fridge! But I soon began to fall in love with their versatility when it comes to cooking, in addition to how well they do keep in the fridge. As such, we never quite have no food to eat as there will always be the trusty zucchini in the veggie bin of our fridge for this mommy to get creative with.
I started using zucchinis in ratatouilles and just basically adding them to any and every stir fry that I did. I started to get a little bored cooking with them, so I did a Google search one day, and the short version of the zucchini discovery story is that I have since made zucchini cheddar bread, zucchini chips and now this zucchini bread muffin. I have to add that all of them have turned out superb and thus far, it has been a two out of three hit with my boys. With two savory dishes done, I decided to give the sweet bread a go as it came extremely highly recommended by my current favorite go-to baking site (both for recipes and inspiration) – Sally’s baking addiction.
Extremely easy to make and topped with the must have buttery streusel, this bread (or muffin) is cafe worthy. The smells in the kitchen while baking are phenomenal, and biting into them, be it fresh out of the oven or defrosted after 3 weeks, still brought out and audible ‘ahh’ of deliciousness from me. As for my boys, my sweet tooth tot took it like fish to water, while my savory palate tot took a little coaxing. They both still managed to almost polish of one together which isn’t too bad, given I managed to get them to have some veggie for brekkie!
How to Make Zucchini Bread with Streusel Topping:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup grated zucchini (medium to large)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light or brown sugar (do reduce if you wanna cut the sweetness)
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter (I used salted)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 & 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp chocolate chips (optional (I omitted this))
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (or nuts if you prefer!)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 (or 8×4) loaf pan with nonstick spray. If you’re making muffins, preheat the oven to 425°F and grease a 12-count pan with nonstick spray. Set it aside.
Start with the streusel by mixing the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter using two knives or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips if you’re using them, and set the streusel aside.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla until it’s all well combined. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate chips. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and carefully add the streusel on top, pressing it down gently. Return the bread to the oven and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil after 35 minutes. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least an hour before taking it out and serving.
For muffins, fill 9-10 muffin cups to the top. Press the streusel into each muffin. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 13-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.
Bread and muffins can be stored tightly covered at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months. You can easily double or triple the recipe and bake in batches.
FAQs:
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter for the streusel?
Yes, you can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter for the streusel. Although the recipe specifies unsalted butter, using salted butter will still yield a delicious streusel topping. However, you might want to slightly reduce the added salt in the recipe to balance the flavors.
What is the best way to store zucchini bread and muffins?
To store zucchini bread and muffins, keep them covered tightly at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you want to store them for a longer period, they freeze well for up to 3 months. Ensure they are properly wrapped or placed in an airtight container before freezing to maintain freshness.
Can I add nuts or other ingredients to the zucchini bread?
Yes, you can add nuts or other ingredients to the zucchini bread. The recipe suggests adding 3/4 cup of chocolate chips, but you can substitute or include nuts such as walnuts or pecans. Additionally, you can customize the bread by adding other mix-ins like dried fruit or seeds according to your preference.
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
For streusel topping
- 2/3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup light or brown sugar do reduce if you wanna cut the sweetness
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter I used salted
- 1 tbsp chocolate chips optional (I ommited this)
For bread
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup light or brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup grated zucchini medium to large
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking power
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips or nuts if you prefer!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×5 (or 8×4) loaf pan with nonstick spray. If making muffins, preheat oven to 425F degrees and spray a 12-count pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Make the streusel first by combining the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter with two knives or a pasty cutter (preferred) – I used my hands. Mix until the streusel resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spoon. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the beaten egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla until evenly combined. In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate chips together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake the bread for 20 minutes at 350F degrees. Remove from the oven and top with the streusel – press it down into the top. The reason you are adding it after 20 minutes is to prevent it from sinking to the bottom of the bread as it bakes. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover the bread loosely with aluminum foil after 35 total minutes to avoid the top from getting too brown. Allow bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before removing from the pan and serving.
- If making muffins, fill 9-10 muffin cups all the way to the top. Press the streusel into the tops of each muffin. Bake for 5 minutes at 425F degrees and, keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350F degrees and continue to bake for an additional 13-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.
- Bread and muffins stay covered tightly at room temperature or refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bread and muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. Recipes may easily be doubled, tripled, etc and baked in batches.
