Lemon Berry Zucchini Bread
Lemon Berry Zucchini Bread, because zucchini is plentiful this time of year. And also because it’s totally delicious!
Where I live in Lancaster County, PA, almost everyone has a garden. When we first moved into our little ranch house after we got married, there was a garden in the back yard. It was a pretty substantial one, and we noticed this not long after weeds started growing. It wasn’t long before the weeds were literally over our heads (and Mitch, my husband, is 6’11” so they were pretty massive!) So guess what? We decided we didn’t need/want a garden anymore and chopped said weeds down and planted grass seed. Oh man. Who needs that much work?! The next year Mitch made a raised bed and that lone bed was work enough for us. A couple tomato plants, basil, zucchini, and some cucumbers was all we needed to be happy little “country folk.”
We have since moved houses and last year didn’t plant a blessed vegetable. And I was okay with that, because there are roadside stands nearly every mile around these parts and that’s precisely where I go to get my seasonal veggies. It’s so much easier that way! No more pulling weeds, or getting frustrated when a pest eats your cucumbers or a disease attacks your tomatoes. Seriously, I can get three large zucchinis for $1. You can’t beat that. That’s where this recipe started, with zucchini. And a roadside stand.
Zucchini bread is a must this time of year. It’s a simple recipe that everyone seems to enjoy. This zucchini bread has a different flavor profile than your typical recipe. Who doesn’t love the combination of citrus and berries? YUM. I used frozen mixed berries here, but feel free to use whatever kind of berry you have on hand–fresh or frozen. And with that added shredded zucchini in there, it adds moisture as well as a good dose of veggies to this breakfast treat.
As with most of my recipes, this is a fun one to make with your kids. My littlest, Finn, helped shred the zucchini and pour in ingredients into the mixer. It’s a great way to introduce younger ones to the kitchen and get them to appreciate how food is made.
The top of the bread forms a crust when you sprinkle sugar over the batter. It’s so good. I love breaking off pieces of the top. If you prefer a lemon glaze, you could make that instead and pour it over the top. And that middle is so moist…it’s the perfect combination.
Perfect with a cup o’ Joe in the morning or as an afternoon snack, this lemon berry zucchini bread is now a seasonal favorite at our house. Make a couple loaves to enjoy a bit longer!
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup Golden Barrel Coconut Oil, melted
- 2/3 cup Golden Barrel raw sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup fresh
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan. Set aside.
- In large bowl, measure out dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a bowl attached to a stand mixer, beat eggs well. Add oil, sugar, and mix on low until combined. Add lemon juice and zest, mixing until incorporated.
- With mixer on low, alternately add dry ingredients and milk, starting with and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Fold in berries and zucchini.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle top with raw sugar. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out mostly clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove and cool on rack completely.
Recipe adapted from I am a Honeybee.
This cake was a delicious and helped me use up surplus courgette and blackberries in a new way. Will be coming back to this recipe every year! Thank you for posting.
I used a lot less lemon juice and substituted 1/2 c. sucralose for the sugar with just a bit of regular sugar, with a bit more for on top. Instead of frozen berries, I added some blueberries and cut up strawberries. It was delicious. I thought the bread pictured looked like it’d fallen from too much moisture.