Anyone have a few zucchinis on hand? Look around, and they are piled high at the farmer’s markets or being gifted with love from backyard gardens. Last night I received a text from my sweet friend Dawn that said: “front porch alert!” I dropped everything and ran to swing open the door to find a nice brown paper sack sitting on the step filled with the latest bounty from Grant Family Farms. Dawn has a crop-share that just keeps giving, and she is incredibly generous with her extras. Included were two lovely little zucchini with such tender skin, they appeared to be picked only hours before.
Then it began to rain and I caught the scent of autumn sneaking in on the breeze. Just the thing to put me in the mood to bake (all it takes is anything that hints at cool weather)! When I got up this morning to that same fresh breeze, I walked over to my oven and set it to bake.
This is my grandma’s recipe. It’s the only one for me, and I’m sure lots of people say that about their grandmas, but I honestly haven’t found a better version. It’s delicious, with a tender crumb that still holds up to a nice smear of something (in my case this morning, some sweet whole milk ricotta that was on hand). I use freshly grated nutmeg and freshly ground Ceylon cinnamon which gives the bread a marvelous scent.
What I love is that it is not too sweet and it’s the perfect snack or easy breakfast. The best with tea and some rumbling clouds.
Grandma Dickerson’s Zucchini Bread
recipe by Donna Lucille Dickerson
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg (I use a microplane grater for whole nutmeg)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 and 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini or two smallish)
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup raisins (optional)
- 1 heaping cup chopped walnuts plus some for sprinkling (optional)
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour two regular loaf pans.
- In a mixer bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil. Then add the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, mixing well and scraping the sides down.
- Add the zucchini! Mix to combine well.
- Gradually add the flour about 1/2 cup at a time, scraping the sides down, and mix well for a couple of minutes.
- Stir in raisins and nuts if you so desire.
- Divide the batter into the loaf pans, sprinkle the top with more nuts, and bake for about one hour, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes and then turn the loaves out on a rack to cool. Serve with a bit of cream cheese, butter, ricotta or just plain and enjoy!
You’re right, this recipe is the best! It also freezes well. For years I would make at least 6 loaves during the zucchini growing season and freeze them to enjoy all fall and into Christmas. I enjoy it most with whipped cream cheese and tea or coffee.
I’m going to have to visit a farmer’s market this week and make some.
Mmmmmm! You definitely put me in the mood. I can almost smell it. Good idea to spread with ricotta.
okay yummy! Thank you! I’ve always wanted this recipe! And what beautiful photos. I’ve got to go buy myself some whole nutmegs now.
Mmmmmmmm good! I can’t wait to try to make it myself!!
Thanks for sharing!
Well that looks incredible. You tease us with such delicious looking photos and I am left licking the screen…
Elenita and I just finished making and baking this incredible sweet bread. I had forgotten how comforting the aroma is that fills the house while it bakes, and it tastes just like home. No other recipe can match this one!
I only found one tiny typo error. You forgot to mention when to add the zucchini! My batter was getting so incredibly stiff that I almost didn’t add the last half cup of flour and was beginning to wonder just how dense the batter should be. Once I added the zuchini though, it added the moisture needed.
Oh yum! I’m going back for another slice!
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Rosita, Elenita… MY APOLOGIES! I’m grateful that the main ingredient was the one I left out, so at least you knew to add it at some point. ha! Dave says: “this is what you get for blogging with toddlers!” This will be corrected immediately!
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That looks incredible! Z Bread is my favorite! It also reminds me of my grandmother!:)
I love this loaf. I also made a completely different bread using courgettes (zucchini) to deal with the mountain. I’m trying your recipe next to compare.
Hey Sally! Somehow your comment got stuck in “spam” — I am so sorry to just reply! Sheesh. And speaking of different ways to use zucchini, I want to try your cluster bread. It looks SO good!
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