Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
TASTE: Bright, summery flavors in every bite, highlighted by a refreshing lemon tang with the perfect hint of sweetness.
TEXTURE: A soft, tender, super moist loaf, topped with a thick and slightly crackly lemon glaze.
EASE: Super easy.
PROS: The perfect way to use up your homegrown zucchini this summer.
CONS: Draining the excess moisture from the zucchini takes a little patience, but this wonderfully light loaf bread is worth the additional step.
WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN? Yes!
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Summertime just got a whole lot sweeter with this Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread!
I’m lucky enough to have many friends and family who often gift me copious amounts of homegrown zucchini.
These kind gifts have inspired me to make countless recipes containing fresh zucchini, such as my Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake and my Chocolate Zucchini Bread.
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For this recipe, I wanted beautifully bright summertime flavors to shine, while packing in a ton of freshly grated zucchini.
The lemon in this zucchini bread is mellow yet bright, the zucchini bread itself is soft and tender, and the lemon glaze on top adds the perfect touch of sweetness and additional lemon goodness.
Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread is the perfect summertime snack, breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Grab some zucchini from your garden or local farmer’s market, and you’ll be enjoying this sweet treat in no time!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread
What Pan Do I Need For Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread?
- I highly recommend using a light-colored metal 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan for this recipe.
- Using a larger pan (such as a 9 by 5-inch pan) will yield a shorter, flatter bread without the pretty domed top. This larger pan may also need a shorter bake time, so keep that in mind if this is all you have.
- I don’t recommend using a glass or ceramic loaf pan, as these pans don’t conduct heat well, and can dry out the edges of your loaf bread before the middle has baked through. Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans here.
Can I Make Zucchini Bread in Smaller Pans or As Muffins?
We haven’t tried that, but it should work just fine, though you’ll need to experiment with the bake time. The most foolproof way to check that your mini loaves/muffins are baked through is to take the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer and remove from the oven once an internal temp of 190°F is reached.
Preparing the Zucchini For Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini is an extremely watery vegetable, so we’re taking the extra step to drain off as much excess moisture as possible.
- This takes at least 20 minutes, but it’s truly worth the additional time – and you can prepare your other ingredients while it drains.
- This step ensures that this Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread is rich, tender, and light.
- Allowing the excess moisture to drain is much more effective than wringing it out by hand.
- If you skip this step, you will end up with gummy, heavy zucchini bread.
- Use the grater attachment on your food processor for super quick shredding.
- If you don’t have one, you can use the large holes on a box grater and shred by hand.
The Lemon in Lemon Zucchini Loaf
The lemon flavor in this Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread comes from fresh lemon zest and lemon juice. Lemon tends to mellow as it bakes, so the lemon glaze provides additional fresh lemon flavor. If you want a stronger punch of lemon flavor, feel free to add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract to the loaf batter.
The Glaze
The Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread glaze adds a beautiful fresh lemon flavor and a touch of additional sweetness to this loaf bread. If your glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a splash more lemon juice. Feel free to sprinkle some fresh lemon zest on top of the glazed loaf bread, if desired, to add additional delicious lemon flavor.
Can I Make Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread Ahead of Time?
Yes! This zucchini bread tastes even better the next day. The lemon flavor continues to develop as the loaf sits, making this the perfect make-ahead recipe.
How to Store Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread?
Slices of Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread wrapped well in plastic wrap can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. See freezing instructions below if you need to store them longer.
Can You Freeze Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread?
Yes, Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread freezes very well! Tightly wrap the completely cooled whole loaf or loaf slices in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for a few hours at room temperature.
If you freeze the entire loaf, I recommend waiting until it’s thawed to add the lemon glaze to avoid absorbing it into the loaf or it becoming weepy.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Classic Banana Bread
- Glazed Lemon Cookies
- Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf
Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread
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Ingredients
For the bread:
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 pound (453 grams) zucchini, washed with ends trimmed (2-3 medium zucchini)
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/3 cup (95 grams) plain Greek yogurt*
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest, from about 3 large lemons
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 1 cup (125 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Make the bread:
- Spray an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Alternatively, line with foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
- Place the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds, or until melted. Set aside to cool completely.
- Using a food processor or box grater, coarsely shred the zucchini (you’ll end up with about 4 cups). Toss with 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of sugar and place in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Allow excess water from zucchini to drain for at least 20 minutes**. Meanwhile, zest and juice your lemons.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, eggs, and remaining sugar (125 grams). Add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and cooled melted butter.
- Squeeze the zucchini with paper towels or cheesecloth to wring out any excess moisture. Add the zucchini and yogurt mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Batter will be thick.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing evenly. Bake until the center is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes, or once an internal temperature of 190°F is reached.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove loaf from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Completely cooled bread can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 2 months.
Make the glaze:
- In a small bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice until a thick glaze forms. Spread evenly over the cooled bread and allow to set for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Notes
This post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated with recipe improvements, additional baking tips, and new photos. Photos by Joanie Simon.
I made this loaf several times but today it was as muffins.
I baked using the same degrees and for 22 minutes. Perfect.
No need to change the icing quantity as that was great for 12 muffins.
Tessa just doesn’t miss, does she! I have made this bread twice in 4 days, once exactly as written (delicious!) and once with some additions (I can’t help myself). But those additions are worth mentioning, and are the way I shall make this bread in the future. My additions/changes were thus: 1) I added about 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves to the melted butter and allowed the butter to infuse (on the lowest setting) for about 10 minutes before removing from the heat and allowing to cool. 2) I added about a tablespoon of freshly ground coriander seeds (coriander seems to love citrus!) Next time, I may even sneak some chopped candied ginger in there just for fun. Thank you, Tessa, for another foolproof, superb recipe!
Are metal pans recommended vs glass pans?
Check out Tessa’s recommended pan for this recipe (and why) here 🙂
Thanks! After I asked the question I read the article…
Can you make this a lemon yogurt poppy seed zucchini bread?
Yes, that’d be fine! I’d recommend adding about 3-4 teaspoons of poppy seeds 🙂 Enjoy!
Lemon extract is mentioned in the article, but I don’t see it in the ingredient list. Considering adding 1/4 teaspoon, unless anyone else suggests otherwise.
Shouldn’t be any problem adding one teaspoon of lemon extract as mentioned in the headnotes. I plan to do that when I make it.
Would this recipe work in mini loaf pans? I like making personal breads so it’s easier for the kiddos to eat.
Hi Larissa! We haven’t tried baking this recipe in smaller loaf pans, so I can’t provide exact guidance on bake time – but that should work just fine 🙂 Let us know how it goes! Happy baking!
I always make quick breads in 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ loaf pans. I would check for doneness at 40 minutes.
Thank you