Gayle’s Fabulous Holiday Zucchini Loaf Recipe

I try to make this each year for Gayle, in time for her big sister’s annual flight from the Bay Area back to the “home country” of Yonkers, New York. Befitting the “unofficial Mayor” of her block, and all around good gal, it is personally delivered to Gayle in time for her (and her sister) to have for the holidays. With permission, I am now sharing our story with the world.

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_{Some are made with gluten-free 1+1 flour and some AP flour. The lighter ones are GF. Photo by PattyCooks.}

My Story

I have known TJ Jill for a long time and she has kept me current with cooking using Trader Joes ingredients; in fact, see my 2019 post The Trader’s Joe Diet. Over time I got to know her sister through stories TJ Jill would share with me, and I came to care about Gayle too.

One year Gayle came to the Bay Area to visit her sister, and I had the privilege to meet her at my house. With a guest coming, of course, I had to offer something, so I made zucchini bread with hot tea. We sat around my dining table, warm sunshine filtering through our bushes and into the house smelling like the holidays. It was a post card setting that has now become an image in my mind when I think of Gayle.

Following that visit, because she liked the loaf so much, I asked TJ Jill to carry a loaf with her the following year when she went to visit Gayle for the holidays. Since then, it has become a tradition among us that one is delivered each year, except for the pandemic years when I did not make the loaf.

Zucchini Loaf Prep

Let me offer the full recipe, for making 1 loaf of zucchini bread. But importantly, remember I am not a baker, just a cook. However, also note, I cook this recipe each year and have never had any real problems I could not identify as my mistake, which I will warn you about in the expanded recipe below.

Although this recipe only makes 1 loaf, because it is so messy for me to make I never just make one, I at least make 2; or what I generally do is make 6 or so, and put some into the freezer after they have cooled down to room temperature. This time around I did 8 over the course of the day.

_{See how messy this task becomes for me, make one and might as well make ten (see all the zucchini in the metal bowls? Photo by PattyCooks.}

Equipment

Starting with the equipment I use to make this loaf, nothing here is unusual and any basic kitchen setup should have all these tools.

Measuring cups and spoons
Bowl for dry ingredients
Whisk (to combine dry ingredients)
Bowl for wet ingredients (I use the standing mixer bowl)
Grater (for zucchini) and Planer (for nutmeg and lemon)
A standing mixer
Rubber spatula (not a soft one, use one that is firm)
Large loaf pan or two small loaf pans
Cooling rack

Mise en Place

I always start by pulling the equipment and ingredients together. Then setting the oven temperature, washing my hands, and then washing the veggies with a soft brush.

Oven to 350F, with rack in the middle
Wash hands, then lemons and zucchini as the skins will be used
Zest a lemon, and using the same planer, grind the nutmeg (use a safety glove)
Gather all the measuring cups and spoons, and setup all the spices, seasonings, and powders
Grate the zucchini using a box grater
Then oil spray a loaf pan or two

I generally make at least 2 at a time, as they can bake together in the oven for 1hour at 350F.

If you make >2 loafs in one day, you will be left with a bunch of zested lemons. These will go bad quickly, given they are missing their outer skin. So I keep them in the fridge until I make lemonade for one of my favorite drinks, the Arnold Palmer. Usually that day, or the next.

Ingredients

The ingredients are standard for any loaf, there are dry and wet ingredients, I mix the dry into the wet.

What always gets me is that sugar is consiered “wet”. Quora noted that sugar is considered a wet ingredient because while baking it dissolves, turns into liquid state in the oven, as it heats up. Similar to how sugar dissolves and turns liquidy when making caramel on the stove.

So start by making sure you have all of these items at the ready.

Dry Ingredients

Make sure the soda and powder are fairly recent, for too old and the loaf will not gain the height you might want.

I add psyllium seed husk since this food could use more fiber, but I keep to 1T. Daily, a human adult needs 25g to 38g fiber per day. Per slice I estimated that this loaf, along with its other ingredients, provides 1g fiber per slice.

Another thing about my loafs, I do not like overly sweet breads or pastries, so this is not particularly sugar-sweet, but is sweet enough for me and my spouse. For example I use 1/3C organic sugar, while the original recipe called for 1-2/3C sugar! Your family may like more sugar than I added, so either add more sugar when making, or toast a slice of the loaf, lather it with sweet butter, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it for a fantastically sweet treat.

If you want to make a gluten-free loaf, just switch the AP flour for 1+1 AP gluten free flour. All else remains the same. The loaf will have a similar taste, but might be a bit more crumbly, however not always.

1½C AP flour, or use gluten free 1+1 AP flour
1T psyllium seed husk
1t slightly heaping cinnamon
1t freshly ground heaping nutmeg
½t kosher salt
½t baking soda
¼t baking powder

Wet Ingredients

The trick here is to use large chicken eggs, and mix well so all its moisture is released and the result is more a thick batter than a dough.

However, there is one thing we cannot really know, and that is the moisture content within the zucchini itself. The moisture is the difference between a batter or a dough. If the batter is more like a dough, that means it is too dry; and when that happens the loaf will be tasty, but just flatter.

Some people like to add some nuts or fruits into their loves, for zucchini that may mean walnuts and/or raisons. Personally, I do not like loafs with these type of additions, except for the German Stollen; Christstollen, is a yeast bread that is baked with dried fruits, candied citrus peel, nuts, and spices, a more tasty and bready version of fruit cake.

2t Meyer lemon zest
3/4C organic white sugar (to make this a sweeter bread add 1C sugar)
1C grated unpeeled zucchini
¼C olive or avocado oil
2 large eggs (if smaller eggs are used, add more)

Zucchini Loaf Directions

Dry Ingredients into Bowl

In one bowl add the dry ingredients: (do not add sugar to dry ingredients), flour, psyllium seed husk, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. Then whisk so everything is well incorporated. Set aside.

Then combine the wet ingredients in another bowl, eventually dumping the dry into the wet.

Wet Ingredients into Bowl

In another bowl, and here I use the bowl from my standing mixer, add the sugar (in most cases sugar is always added to the wet bowl),and wet ingredients: eggs (and mix until frothy) and then add grated zucchini, lemon zest, oil, and sugar.

Spend time with the wet ingredients so they are fully mixed and more liquid than chunky if possible. Here is where there is variability, as zucchini are not equally wet inside, so sometimes the batter is doughy and sometimes more like a batter, all because of how much moisture is in the vegetable.

_{2 large pans and 2 small ones. Note how some are more like a thick batter and some are more doughy? Photo by PattyCooks.}

Bake and Cool

Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.

Then with a firm rubber spatula scrape dough from the mixing bowl into the oil-sprayed loaf pan. (Depending upon the ingredients and conditions, the “dough” may be liquidy or thick, do not worry both types will work.) Cook for 1 hour and then pop out of the pan to cool on a rack before cutting.

I put 2 pans in the oven together (about a foot apart for even baking) and set timer to 1 hour, check, and if done remove to the rack for cooling. Cut into this great smelling loaf too soon and it will crumble a bit. Wait for it to cool, at least 10 minutes.

(My spouse keeps reminding me that “patience is a virtue”, which frankly just makes me growl, or is it my stomach?)

Notes

This is great toasted with a cup of tea or hot cocoa in the morning. The smell of cinnamon and nutmeg fills the house with warmth. If you can have butter on it, all the better. Ohh, just thought about a compound butter of cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg, slathered on toasted zucchini bread would be amazing.

The loafs freeze well. I first let the loafs achieve room temperature, then wrap them in parchment paper, then aluminum, and place them in the freezer after labeling them clearly. I have had them in the freezer up to a year and have had no problems. Also great as gifts once you are sure it tastes the way you want.

I cut the loaf into 10 slices which is how I figured out the nutrition. If you want to skip all this narrative and just go to the recipe: [click here]

Nutrition Estimate

Source: This is a modification of an older Betty Crocker recipe I have been using and changing for years.

_{Gayle with her 2023 loaf that I wrap in parchment paper, the aluminum foil, and put in a plastic bag. Photo used with permission.}

—Patty