Zucchini Carrot Bread

Dress up a loaf of classic zucchini bread with this fun, healthy twist that also puts a delicious dent into an abundant garden harvest. Carrots keep this bread moist while adding flavor and keeping it firmly in the healthy camp. The bread can be enjoyed with morning coffee, as an afternoon snack or as a savory ending to dinner. It’s also easy to take to a social gathering, since it doesn’t require refrigeration or warming up.

Our carrot zucchini bread recipe is simple to make, requiring just 15 minutes of prep time followed by 45 minutes in the oven—which will also make the house smell amazing! In fact, this bread is so easy to make you may want to whip up a few loaves at a time and pop them in the freezer for later, when you want a quick, healthy snack. The only real work here is peeling and shredding zucchini, as well as shredding carrots, but the task can be done in no time. We also love the confetti-like aesthetic of green and orange specks in this bread, turning a simple loaf into a conversation starter as guests wonder what makes it so colorful. (This is just one of our many zucchini bread recipes, which also include apple zucchini bread.)

Ingredients for Zucchini Carrot Bread

• Applesauce: Use store-bought applesauce, not homemade. The applesauce should also be unsweetened. Applesauce is a popular substitute for eggs and oil, as it’s healthier and, in some cases, makes a recipe vegan (this recipe still uses two eggs, however).
• Carrots: Leave the multi-hued carrot bunches for a colorful salad. Use only orange carrots for this one, particularly if you want to see cute orange specks mingle with the green zucchini specks after baking.
• Zucchini: The size of the zucchini doesn’t matter, but you do need to know how much you’ll ultimately peel and shred. With this recipe, you need just 3/4 cup. This equates to one small zucchini.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar turns this bread into a dessert. We don’t recommend swapping it out for brown sugar or sugar alternatives.
• Eggs: The eggs act as a binding agent as they blend with the dry ingredients and shredded vegetables.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Don’t worry, this bread won’t end up tasting like a pumpkin pie. The blend is a combination of spices commonly paired with pumpkin, and the ingredients—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and all-spice—are what you’ll taste.
• Cinnamon: The cinnamon isn’t only to inject flavor; its brown-ish hue also adds color. Be sure to use ground cinnamon in a jar, not chopped-up cinnamon sticks, so the flavor is evenly dispersed.
• Nutmeg: You can use either pre-ground nutmeg in a jar or grind fresh, should you have a grinder in your pantry.
• Flour: Stick with traditional all-purpose flour, as an alternative-flour substitute will alter this recipe. You want the bread to rise just enough in the loaf pan without spilling over.
• Baking powder: Without baking powder, your bread won’t rise, but this ingredient also makes the bread fluffy.
• Baking soda: A store-brand baking soda should work just fine.
• Orange juice: Using orange juice instead of orange zest adds less zing, but it’s still enough to add bright, citrus-y flavor that complements the savory zucchini and carrots.

Directions

Step 1: Shred the carrots

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Take two carrots and peel them before shredding. You can use a potato peeler or cheese grater to shred. You’ll need about two medium-size carrots to get 3/4 cup shredded.

Step 2: Shred the zucchini

Julia Hartbeck for Taste of Home

Without peeling the skin, use a potato peeler to shred a zucchini. You should have 3/4 cup of shredded zucchini, about what you’ll get from one small zucchini.

Step 3: Grease and flour the pans

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Use butter or coconut oil to grease and flour two 8×4-inch loaf pans, then set them aside. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

Step 4: Combine the first ingredients

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In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, carrots, zucchini, sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Step 5: Mix remaining dry ingredients

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Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

Step 6: Combine dry and wet ingredients

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Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the carrot and zucchini mixture, adding orange juice as you go.

Step 7: Pour batter into pans

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Using a large spoon or silicone spatula, pour the batter into the loaf pans, taking care to distribute it evenly.

Step 8: Bake the bread

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Bake the bread at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Zucchini Carrot Bread Variations

• Add nuts: For a little crunch, riff on this recipe by stirring 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter. They should be raw, not roasted.
• Make it cheesey: When does cheese not make bread taste better? That includes Parmesan, an aged Italian-style cow’s milk cheese more commonly used as a salad topping. Just 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan will do the trick (it’s also the cheesy co-star in our Parmesan zucchini bread).
• Combine it with chocolate: If you’re craving chocolate but also want to use up that zucchini, chocolate zucchini bread is the way to go. The good news is that zucchini imparts such a subtle flavor that you really do taste the chocolate here.

How to Store Zucchini Carrot Bread

You can store carrot zucchini bread in the fridge or at room temperature. In both cases, it should remain covered so that it stays fresh. Don’t feel like you have to slice each loaf all at once—after all, what if someone wants a thin slice and someone else a huge hunk? Just know that when it’s in the fridge, breads like this tend to last longer. Otherwise, a rubbery and undesirable taste will emerge. The bread should be good for about five days in the fridge and three to four days at room temperature—if it lasts that long in your home!

Can you freeze zucchini carrot bread?

Yes, you can absolutely freeze zucchini and carrot bread—and you definitely should, so you get the maximum benefit out of your time in the kitchen. The best scenario is to hold off on slicing it, and stuff it in a resealable freezer bag. The bread should stay fresh in the freezer for about three months. A few hours before you’re ready to serve, or overnight if you can manage, remove the bread and thaw it in the fridge or on a countertop.

Zucchini Carrot Bread Tips

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What are the best carrots to use?

Basic orange carrots will work. Don’t use multi-colored carrots (white, purple and yellow, for instance) as they will toy with the color of the bread. You can even use baby carrots if you already have them in the kitchen. Just watch your fingers while shredding!

How do I avoid a “soggy middle” when baking zucchini carrot bread?

If your carrot, apple and zucchini bread is squishy in the center, or you stick in a toothpick or butter knife to test the temperature and it quickly sinks, this most likely means you’re baking in a pan that’s the wrong size or shape. Or you may not be baking long enough, perhaps because your oven runs cold. If this is the case, don’t put the bread into the oven until 10 minutes after it’s been pre-heated.

Can I peel and shred zucchini and carrots ahead of time?

We love a time-saver! But in this case, because zucchini contains a lot of water, it’s best not to peel and shred it more than a day before you plan to complete the recipe. Otherwise, it will get soggy. Shredded carrots can last up to three days refrigerated. Both the carrots and zucchini can be stored in the fridge, in separate resealable bags. Before assembling the recipe, make sure the shredded pieces are still somewhat firm.