My husband loves a treat with his evening coffee, and this Blueberry Zucchini Bread is the one he begs me to bake ALL THE TIME. He’d rather have a slice of sweet bread than most of my dessert recipes, so I keep a loaf on the counter most of the summer. It’s a great way to use up the fresh zucchini that seems to multiply overnight in the garden, especially during blueberry season.
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You whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then beat eggs, oil, vanilla and two kinds of sugar together. Shredded zucchini and fresh blueberries get stirred in last, and the batter bakes in two loaf pans. The result is a super moist, cinnamon-spiced, easy quick bread with juicy blueberries in every bite.
What You’ll Learn
- Get my easy method for two moist loaves at once.
- Learn how to keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom.
- Find out if you need to peel or squeeze the zucchini.
- See how to store and freeze it so you always have a loaf ready.
Why My Family Loves It
- Super moist every time: Two cups of zucchini and a cup of oil keep this bread soft for days.
- Better than regular zucchini bread: The addition of blueberries makes this taste like summer.
- No nuts: My husband prefers his breads without nuts, so this one is always nut-free.
- Makes two loaves: We eat one and I freeze the other, or I wrap it up for a neighbor.
- Great for any time of day: It’s a sweet breakfast, an afternoon snack for my teenagers and my husband’s favorite coffee treat.
I’ve made this zucchini blueberry bread dozens of times, and it always comes out amazing!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Three cups make two sturdy loaves.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both help the bread rise.
- Salt and ground cinnamon: A whole tablespoon of cinnamon gives it a warm, cozy flavor.
- Eggs: Beat them slightly before they go in.
- Vegetable oil: Canola oil works the same way. I’m sure at least one reader will tell me this recipe has too much oil. All I can say is that it comes out amazing, and the oil is a big part of why.
- Vanilla extract: One tablespoon adds lots of flavor.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: The brown sugar adds a little caramel flavor.
- Shredded zucchini: You need 2 cups, from about 2 medium zucchini. I use the large holes of a box grater, but a food processor with a shredding disc is faster. Grated zucchini melts right into the bread.
- Fresh blueberries: Two cups in the batter, plus a few extra on top if you like.
How to Make Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Step one: Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray two 8×4-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Pan size matters here, so stick with two pans.
Step two: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set the dry ingredients aside.
Step three: In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, granulated sugar and brown sugar with a hand mixer or a whisk. These are your wet ingredients.
Step four: Stir in the flour mixture a little at a time until it’s well mixed in.
Step five: Stir in the shredded zucchini, then gently stir in the blueberries.
Step six: Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared loaf pans. Top with a few extra blueberries if you’d like.
Step seven: Bake for 75 to 80 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Ovens vary, so start checking at 75 minutes.
Step eight: Cool the loaves in the pans on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Then take them out of the pans and let them cool completely before slicing.
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Substitutions and Variations
- Frozen blueberries: Frozen berries work too. Keep them frozen until you stir them in, so they don’t streak the batter purple.
- Lighter version: Swap some or all of the oil for unsweetened applesauce or plain Greek yogurt. I haven’t tried that swap with this recipe, but it’s worked for me in other quick breads. If you try it, let me know in the comments!
- Lemon blueberry zucchini bread: Stir in the zest of one fresh lemon. It’s so pretty with blueberries.
- Add a glaze: For a bakery-style treat, drizzle the cooled loaves with a simple powdered sugar glaze, like the one on my Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze.
- Chocolate chips: Swap half of the blueberries for mini chocolate chips. Love chocolate? My Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is my husband’s other all-time favorite.
My Best Tips
- Toss the berries in flour: Coat the blueberries in a spoonful of the flour mixture before stirring them in. It helps keep them from sinking to the bottom.
- No need to peel: Leave the skin on the zucchini. It softens as it bakes and leaves pretty green flecks.
- Don’t squeeze it too dry: The zucchini’s moisture is what makes this bread so moist. If there’s excess moisture pooling in the bowl, just blot it with a paper towel.
- Stir gently: Mix just until the flour disappears. Overmixing gives you a dense loaf.
- Check the center: These loaves bake a long time. If the tops brown before the middle is done, lay a piece of aluminum foil loosely over them.
- Glass pans work great: I bake mine in glass Pyrex loaf pans, and they work really well for this bread.
How to Store Zucchini Bread
Room temperature: Wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. Since it’s full of fresh fruit, it keeps better in the fridge after that.
Refrigerator: Wrapped well, it lasts about 1 week.
Freezer: Wrap whole loaves or individual slices in plastic wrap and foil, or put them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge overnight.
Blueberry Zucchini Bread FAQs
Are blueberries good in zucchini bread?
Yes. The berries make it extra moist, and you get a burst of fresh blueberry flavor in every bite. I’m in love with blueberries, and they turn a classic zucchini bread into my favorite blueberry bread recipe.
Can I bake this in one loaf pan?
This recipe makes two 8×4-inch loaves, so one pan won’t hold all of the batter. Bake both, then freeze the second loaf for later.
Can I make muffins with this batter?
I haven’t tested it as muffins yet. If you try it, they’ll bake much faster than the loaves, so start checking them early with a toothpick.
What are common zucchini bread mistakes?
The big ones are overmixing the batter, cutting it while it’s still warm, and pulling it out before the center is done. A toothpick in the middle should come out clean.
I hope you’ll give this homemade blueberry zucchini bread a whirl. It’s the best zucchini bread for this time of year, if you ask me. It’s a sweet way to use up summer zucchini, and it might just win someone’s heart at your house too.
More Easy Quick Breads
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread
- Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Easy Buttermilk Cornbread
Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs slightly beaten
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 2 cups fresh blueberries extra for the top, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and the cinnamon, set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, granulated sugar and the brown sugar. Stir in the flour mixture a little at a time until well incorporated. Stir in the zucchini. Stir in the blueberries. Pour equally into the prepared loaf pans. Top with additional blueberries, optional.
- Bake for 75 to 80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack in the pans for about 20 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is an estimate from an online calculator, not medical advice, and depends on your portion size.
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Just wondering if you’ve tried this with frozen blueberries or have a an idea if it would turn out similar. I’m also in a phase of attempting the applesauce substitutions so I might do one loaf with oil and one with applesauce since this recipe is enough for 2. Can’t wait to try it!
This looks so yummy!!!!! I can’t wait to make it this afternoon! A perfect dessert for this summer evening!
This recipe is LOADED with sugar (2 1/4 cups total)…not healthy.
Hi Harlan! You’re right, and it’s why I didn’t make the claim that this recipe was healthy anywhere in the post. I only make the claim that it tastes amazing. :)
Wow!! New favorite bread recipe. Yum. I could have eaten the whole loaf! And I love that its a double loaf recipe.
Hi Molly, I’m so glad that you tried my blueberry zucchini bread! We LOVE this bread, too. Thanks so much for commenting!! :)
Hi! Have you ever tried making this into muffins? Any thoughts on cooking instructions for this? Thanks!!
Hi Teri, I haven’t tried that yet but it’s a good idea. I’ll let you know if I do, and if YOU try it, let me know as well! :)