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Cheddar Zucchini Bread

Cheddar zucchini bread is a savory quick bread with a golden cheddar crust on top and pockets of melted cheese throughout the tender crumb. Grated zucchini is squeezed dry for a moist loaf that bakes into a sliceable, sharp-cheddar interior.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Wet ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.75 cup whole milk
  • 0.333 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
  • 1 tbsp honey or sugar
Zucchini and cheese
  • 1.5 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry Squeeze well so the loaf doesn’t turn gummy.
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (divided) Use 1 cup in the batter and reserve the rest for the top.
  • 0.5 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (divided) Reserved for topping the loaf.
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional) Optional garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper together in a bowl.
  3. Beat eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil or melted butter, and honey or sugar in a separate bowl.
  4. Stir in zucchini and 1 cup of sharp cheddar until evenly distributed.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined—do not overmix.
Bake and finish
  1. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top with the remaining 1/2 cup sharp cheddar.
  2. Bake for 50–58 minutes, until the cheese on top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  3. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing so the crumb sets.

Notes

Pro tip: Squeeze the grated zucchini very well (strainer + press) to keep the loaf tender instead of watery. Store sliced or whole in the fridge up to 4 days in a sealed container; rewarm slices in the microwave for 10–20 seconds. Freeze baked loaf up to 2 months (wrap tightly) and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, swap the vegetable oil for melted butter and reduce honey/sugar slightly (start with 1 tsp) to keep balance while cutting a bit of sweetness.