Apple Zucchini Bread is a delicious zucchini bread with added spiced apples and baked with a crumb topping for a quick bread that will be quickly eaten! For another delicious treat with spiced apples, be sure to try my Apple Pull-Apart Bread.
Apple Zucchini Bread
Apple Zucchini Bread is a quick bread (no yeast as a leavening agent) that is a perfect summer-to-fall treat. I used my best zucchini bread recipe as the base for this bread. This recipe is a great way to use up that summer zucchini, plus add in the apples that are in season in the fall! And, the crumb topping sweetens the bread just enough to make it a dessert or even a breakfast treat.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature ingredients are important here to prevent lumps. It takes 15-30 minutes for the butter to get to room temperature.
If you forgot to take out the butter, slice the butter into smaller pieces. Then, let it sit out for a couple of minutes. Or, place the stick of butter in a zipped plastic bag and flatten it out a bit with a rolling pin. This will allow the butter to come to room temperature in 1-2 minutes.
Apples: It is important to use tart apples in order to get that tang that contrasts well with the buttery topping in an apple zucchini bread. I recommend Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.
Zucchini: Also called courgette, zucchini is usually ready for harvesting close to the end of summer. It adds moisture to baked goods in a beautiful way.
The Secret to Baking with Zucchini
Size matters. A large zucchini will be drier. A small zucchini will have more moisture. Certain recipes work best with different sizes. For instance, I tend to use a medium to small zucchini with this recipe because I want the moisture the zucchini brings, but I use a large zucchini for my Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes.
Use the fine side of your grater for smaller-sized shredded zucchini. If you use the larger side, the coarser pieces will have a slightly more noticeable flavor and texture in a finished cake or bread recipe.
Some recipes ask that the zucchini is pressed well with a clean towel to soak up excess moisture or to prevent your baking from getting too soggy. Pay close attention to the recipe that you are making with zucchini as the level of moisture they provide is important. For instance, in this recipe, the zucchini is a key source of moisture and should not be aggressively drained.
Can I Use a Different Size Pan?
I use a 9x5inch pan for this recipe with great success. Some folks mentioned their pan was full to the top and then overflowed. As you can see in the image above there should be at least 1-inch of room at the top of the pan. If the pan is full to the top I recommend switching to a 9×9 inch pan.
You could also use a 9×13 inch pan, but it will bake for less time and I would call it a “cake” to avoid confusion.
How to Store Apple Zucchini Bread
I prefer to store this quick bread in an airtight container at room temp for one day, then transfer it to the fridge for up to 5 days. The refrigerator can dry out baked goods, so warming before eating again is a good idea.
How to Freeze This Bread
To freeze this bread make sure it is completely cool. Place it in a labeled and dated airtight container or freezer-safe sealable plastic bag and remove as much air as possible. If stored properly, this will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Before serving, let the bread thaw to room temperature.
Apple Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
Apple Mixture
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zucchini Bread
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (164 g) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups grated zucchini, gently pressed to remove excess moisture
Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
- â…“ cup (42 g) confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, cold, cubed
Instructions
Apple Mixture
- In a medium bowl, combine the apples, melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Apple Zucchini Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, eggs, sugars, oil, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. This mixture will be thick.
- Add the apple mixture and the grated zucchini. Stir to combine
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside while you make the crumble topping.
Crumble Topping
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and confectioners' sugar.
- Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using your hands or a fork, mix the butter into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are pea-sized or smaller.
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the bread mixture. Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. If you notice that the outside is getting too brown before it has finished baking, add a foil tent over the top of the dish for the final 10-15 minutes.
- Let the bread cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Did you make this recipe?
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Can you make the Apple Zucchini bread GLUTEN free??
Asking for myself and brother.
I haven’t, but you should be able to use a gluten free 1:1 blend flour.
Sad. I made this and it spilled all over my oven. Fortunately I had a liner down. I baked it the full 65 minutes and the toothpick came out clean…but it was raw in the middle. I used the same size pan as recommended. I did use zucchini that I had previously frozen – drained. Any idea what went wrong?
Let me try
I look forward to trying your Apple Zucchini Bread. I just came across it on Pinterest.
Are you sure you mean 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan? I used a 9 x 5 and it was filled to the brim, and even with extra time the middle was still not completely done. What a mess to get out of the pan! But it was still delicious – I think I would make it again with two pans, or in a flatter baking dish.
We actually measure the pans by hand so yes, that is the pan used in this recipe. However, a batter shouldn’t fill a pan to the brim, that will mean spilling and a big mess.
My first batch I used the pan size in the recipe it spilled all over the oven. The second batch I used a 9 x 9 which worked out perfectly. Very tasty!!
What do you suggest as an alternative to vegetable oil? We are trying to avoid that ingredient.