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Lemon zucchini bread takes the classic zucchini loaf to another level with a pop of citrus flavor from lemon juice and zest. A simple lemon glaze brings it all the way to wow!
Table of Contents
Today for breakfast in my house, I went in a slightly indulgent direction with a most moist and tender quick bread, this iced gluten free lemon zucchini bread. But I have a good reason.
This morning, I'm shipping two of my three children off to sleepaway camp for almost a month. The third, my oldest, has a nationals softball tournament for a week with my husband.
Then she joins her siblings for another couple weeks away. They're leaving me all alone! In theory, it sounds very exciting, but in reality … it gets sad really really fast. But it will give me a chance to concentrate on work without having to stop to pick-up-drop-off-make-dinner-bandage-boo-boos.
Recipe tips
This recipe is as simple to put together as any other quick bread, so the devil's in the details of the ingredients and method.
Lately, there have been some comments on recipes from readers who have had a problem with a relatively simple recipe, and it usually comes down to one of three things
- Measuring dry ingredients by weight (volume is so so so unreliable, due to unavoidable human error and/or variation in dry measuring cups)
- Oven temperature. If your oven runs hot (most do; mine does!) and you are not relying upon a separate oven thermometer, the outside of baked good will cook too quickly, long before the inside has a chance to finish and your baked goods will burn and sink.
I can't totally promise that this will be my very last zucchini recipe of the season. It's just such a versatile vegetable, and I just have so much zucchini and squash and I think you might, too.
But if you're looking for a uniquely flavorful, moist and tender quick bread, this is the one for you. Make it for someone special in your life, whether they're leaving you all alone for a month or not. If you'd like a classic cake without the zucchini, try our gluten free lemon cake, with a fluffy white frosting.
Iced Lemon Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
For the zucchini bread
- 1 ⅝ cup (228 g) all purpose gluten free flour, (I used Better Batter; please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum, (omit if your blend already contains it)
- 6 tablespoons (54 g) cornstarch, (or try potato starch or arrowroot)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 2 cups (200 g) grated zucchini
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) neutral oil, (like vegetable, canola or peanut oil)
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, (from 1 large lemon)
For the glaze
- 1 ½ cups (173 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more by the 1/4 teaspoonful if necessary
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
Prepare the batter.
- In a large bowl, place flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the lemon zest, and whisk until evenly distributed throughout the mixture, breaking up any lumps in the zest.
- Place 1 1/4 cups (125 g) of the grated zucchini on a large paper towel, fold over the towel and squeeze the zucchini once firmly to release some of the moisture. T
- he zucchini should now weigh about 100 grams.
- Add the drained shredded zucchini to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- Place the remaining 3/4 cup (75 g) of grated and drained zucchini, along with the eggs, oil and lemon juice in a blender, and pulse until well-blended and beginning to emulsify.
- Create a well in the center of the bowl of dry ingredients, add the wet ingredient mixture. The batter will be thick.
- Scrape it into the prepared loaf pan, and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
Bake the bread.
- Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven.
- Bake, rotating once, until the top is lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (about 50 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes in the loaf pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze the bread.
- In a medium-size bowl, place the confectioners’ sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice.
- Mix well, until a thick paste forms.
- Add more lemon juice by the 1/4-teaspoon, mixing to combine well, until the glaze falls off the spoon slowly, in a thick but pourable glaze.
- Add liquid very slowly, as it is much easier to thin, than to thicken, the glaze.
- If you do thin the glaze too much, add more confectioners’ sugar a teaspoon at a time to thicken it.
- Pour the glaze over the top of the cooled bread and, using a small offset spatula or large knife, spread into an even layer.
- Allow the glaze to set at room temperature before slicing the loaf thickly and serving.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this yesterday, and it is fabulous. I have made a lot of your recipes, but I think this is the best! Thank you for all your work to help us.
There is an old joke: “My wife is a magician; she can turn zucchini into cake.”
Based on your blog, your recipes, your dedication to your fans, your love of your family, your attention to details – I have a feeling you were an amazing lawyer. However, this is your niche. That law firm’s loss has soooooo been the world’s gain.
WAIT. HANG ON A SECOND. you’re already getting ready for the PHOTO SHOOT!?! really? wow that was fast. GOOD LUCK! :)
OH AND PS. you said no details but could you at least tell me the name of the new book?that’s not a detail.. is it?
oh PS. (again) This by the way looks super good! have a ton of zucchini that needs used up. (don’t we all?)
My daughter made this with Pillsbury’s gluten free ap flour mix and it came out amazing. so delicious that she is going to make it again tonight or tomorrow.
My first recipe from this site. AMAZING!!!! Now I want to let my zucchini get big so I’ll have alot to use in these fabulous recipes. Thank you
That’s awesome, Carol! But definitely don’t let your zucchini get really big. They’re all water when they get oversized! :)
Any suggestions for making this sugar free?
I’m afraid not, Wendy, other than suggesting that you try a 1:1 sugar replacement, like Splenda baking blend.
Yay! You made this just for ME, I am sure! I just finished snarfing down the last piece of the chocolate chip zucchini bread so this recipe is right on time!
Of course I did, Faith. :)
You are the undisputed Queen of the Zuchs! I made this and it is to die for, as is the chocolate chip one and the chocolate zucchini cake. You can also sub them in potato pancakes or latkes, if your family doesn’t rebel! Grated freezes so well for winter, when you can stand the sight of the once again. I have 3/4 of your cookbooks – I didn’t get the snack one as there was only one snack from my childhood in it. I didn’t grow up in a city. Thanks for what you’re doing for the GF crowd.
So glad you enjoyed this zucchini bread, Marlena!
Linnea is going to make this right now! I love lemon!
I need more zucchini recipes. I’m in a CSA and they are coming out my ears! This looks awesome!