Best Zucchini Bread Ever

 

If you know any avid vegetable gardeners, and they grow zucchini, they have most likely delivered many a zucchini to your kitchen. They tend to grow quickly and abundantly, so many gardeners and chefs learn to use the fruits of their bounty to add zucchini to soups and salads and pasta and bread. There are hundreds of zucchini bread recipes out there, but we love this one because of the sweet and mild flavor and the rich texture. There are three options for adding extra texture and flavor: dark chocolate chunks, grated carrots or toasted walnuts. Sometimes we are feeling daring and we even add all three.

This recipe makes a 9x4 loaf and 6 muffins or a mini-loaf.

Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tbs cinnamon ¼ tsp nutmeg 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients
2 eggs, room temperature 1/3 cup canola oil ¾ cup plain yogurt 1/3 cup buttermilk 1 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 ½ cups finely grated zucchini

Options:
4 oz. dark chocolate, broken into small chunks ½ cup toasted walnuts 1/2 cup finely grated carrot

Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Oil a 9x4 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with papers or oil a mini-loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy; beat in yogurt, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Combine well. Stir in grated zucchini and chopped chocolate, toasted walnuts or carrots.
4. Fold flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Spoon batter into 6 muffin cups (or mini loaf pan) and pour the rest into the 9x4 loaf pan.
6. Bake Mini cups/mini loaf pan for approximately 30-40 minutes.
7. Bake loaf pan for approximately 50 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes in the pan. Loosen the sides and remove from pan. Cool completely before cutting.