Big-Batch Zucchini Bread & Muffins

A tried-and-true recipe for the most deliciously moist zucchini bread and muffins. Designed to use up your harvest and fill your freezer with easy, ready-to-eat treats.

Makes 3-4 loaves plus 18-24 muffins.

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

7 cups grated zucchini packed, from about 4-5 medium zucchini. No need to peel them, especially if they're from your garden! The peel is tender, adds lovely green flecks, and is full of nutrients.
8 large eggs
3 cups neutral oil avocado, sunflower, or light olive oil work well. A neutral oil lets the zucchini and spices shine, but melted butter can be used for a richer flavor.
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg optional, but recommended for that classic spice-bread warmth
Optional Add-ins: 2 cups chopped walnuts pecans, or chocolate chips (I often do a half-and-half mix!)

Sweetener:

2½ -3 cups granulated sugar You can swap up to 1 cup for brown sugar for a richer, more molasses-like flavor
Honey Option: Use 2 cups of honey instead of sugar. See notes below for flour/oil adjustments if using honey.

Flour:

6½ cups all-purpose flour
Whole Wheat Option: For a heartier nuttier texture, you can use up to 3 cups of whole wheat flour plus 3½ cups of all-purpose flour.

Instructions

Prep Your Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease 3-4 standard loaf pans and line 24 muffin cups, or grease them very well.
Grate the Zucchini: Wash your zucchini and trim the ends. Grate it using a food processor with the shredding disc (the fastest way!) or the large holes of a box grater.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a very large bowl, whisk together the sugar (or honey), eggs, oil, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
Add Zucchini: Stir the 7 cups of grated zucchini into the wet ingredients.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in a few batches, stirring gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the bread tough.
Fold in Extras: Gently fold in any optional add-ins like nuts or chocolate chips.
Fill Pans: Fill your prepared loaf pans about ⅔ full and the muffin cups about ¾ full. An ice cream scoop works perfectly for portioning muffin batter evenly.

Bake:

Muffins: Bake for 18–22 minutes. Start checking for doneness at 18 minutes.
Loaves: Bake for 55–65 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes. If the tops are browning too quickly, you can gently lay a piece of aluminum foil over them (tenting) for the remainder of the baking time.
Cool: Let the bread and muffins cool in their pans for about 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Keyword Big-Batch Baking, Freezer Recipe, Summer Baking, Zucchini, Zucchini Bread, Zucchini Muffins

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