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Perfect Small-Batch Zucchini Bread: Easy One Loaf Recipe

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This small-batch zucchini bread is tender, moist, perfectly spiced, and just sweet enough. It uses up that single zucchini languishing in the fridge and turns it into something genuinely crave-worthy.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (about 150g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (60ml) neutral oil (e.g., avocado or grapeseed oil)
  • ¼ cup (60ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (about 150g) grated zucchini, lightly squeezed

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position a rack in the center of the oven. Grease your 8×4-inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray, then line it with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two long sides.
  2. Wash your zucchini and trim off the ends. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the zucchini directly onto a clean kitchen towel or a few layers of paper towels. You should have about 1 cup of grated zucchini. Sprinkle it with a tiny pinch of salt and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, gather the corners of the towel and twist firmly to squeeze out some of the liquid. You don’t want it bone-dry—just remove the excess so it’s not dripping. Set the squeezed zucchini aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Whisking for about 20 seconds ensures everything is evenly distributed.
  4. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the room-temperature egg and the packed light brown sugar until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute. The mixture should look slightly lighter in color. Add the neutral oil, room-temperature buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together. Stir just until you see no more streaks of flour—a few small lumps are totally fine. Do not overmix.
  6. Add the lightly squeezed grated zucchini to the batter. Fold it in gently with your spatula until it’s evenly distributed throughout the batter. The batter will be thick and slightly shaggy.
  7. Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Spread it into an even layer with your spatula. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If the top is browning too quickly (around the 40-minute mark), tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil.
  8. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then, using the parchment paper handles, lift the bread out of the pan and transfer it to the wire rack to cool completely. Resist the urge to slice it while it’s still warm—it needs time to set. Waiting at least 30 minutes is ideal.

Notes

The zucchini squeeze is non-negotiable to avoid a soggy loaf. Room temperature ingredients matter for a smooth emulsion. Don’t overmix the batter to keep the bread tender. Let the bread cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.

Nutrition

Keywords: zucchini bread, small batch, one loaf, moist, easy, quick bread, summer squash

Find it online: https://evabake.com/perfect-small-batch-zucchini-bread-easy-one-loaf-recipe/