Grandma’s Zucchini Bread

For years I made my grandma’s zucchini bread wrong!  I followed the recipe, I just didn’t realize it was wrong.  For years we had short half full pan loafs of grandma’s zucchini bread.   I just though that was how it was supposed to be.   Then I tried a recipe for  chocolate zucchini bread.   The chocolate zucchini rose nicely into a full-size loaf!  It was then I realized grandma’s zucchini bread was missing the key ingredient of baking soda!

It’s that time of year again, when zuchinni plants are growing huge and the zuchinni harvest is non-stop!

So if you’re wondering what to do with all that zuchinni….  I’ve found zuchinni bread is a great way to use up the overgrown zuchinni that hide in the garden until they reach mammoth size!  Simple cut out the seeds and shred the rest.  I wash the zuchinni well before cutting it open and even include the skin in the shredding for extra vitamins.

Grandma wasn’t a health nut, so this isn’t a healthy recipe, but I’m including healthier modifications at the bottom.  I haven’t baked any zuchinni bread this year, so I’ll have to come back and update the blog with pictures of the finished product.  🙂

Ingredients:

¾ cup oil

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1  teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup nuts-chopped*

½ cup raisins*

2 cups grated zucchini

*Optional

Directions:

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon–set aside.  Mix oil, eggs, vanilla.  Combine wet and dry ingredients.  Stir in nuts, raisins and zucchini.  Divide and pour into two greased and floured pans.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

For a healthier version! of Grandma’s zucchini bread 🙂

¾ cup total  of a 50/50 blend of applesauce and oil

3 eggs

1½  cups sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1  teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup nuts-chopped*

1 cup fresh blueberries*

2 cups grated zucchini

*Optional

Bake as directed above.

Either way this Grandma’s zucchini bread is a delicious way to use up some of that summer zucchini!  My husband has a summer birthday and zucchini bread is his choice for birthday “cake”.