Description
A moist and tender zucchini bread infused with bright lemon zest and warm cinnamon, made with a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. It’s finished with a luscious cream cheese glaze speckled with real vanilla bean seeds. Perfect for breakfast, snacking, or dessert!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Lemon Zucchini Bread:
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour* (or regular whole wheat flour)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk* (or other milk), room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (do not squeeze dry)
- Butter or coconut oil, for greasing pan
For the Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (approx. 50g) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), sifted
- 2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese (or regular block cream cheese, softened)
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean (or use 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
Instructions
1. Make the Bread:
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Lining the bottom with parchment paper is optional but helps with removal. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the melted (and slightly cooled) butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the room-temperature eggs one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla extract. Whisk in the room-temperature milk and sour cream until thoroughly combined.
- Fold in Zucchini: Gently fold the grated zucchini into the wet ingredients.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring with a rubber spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, the top is firm, and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan. Let it cool completely on the wire rack before glazing.
2. Make the Glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, whipped (or softened) cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds until smooth.
- Add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze reaches your desired drizzling consistency.
3. Glaze and Serve:
- Once the bread is completely cool, pour or drizzle the glaze over the top.
- Slice and serve for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!
Notes
- Flour: Whole wheat pastry flour creates a tenderer crumb than regular whole wheat flour. You can substitute regular whole wheat or use all all-purpose flour if preferred. Measure flour correctly using the spoon & level method or by weight.
- Zucchini: Use standard green zucchini. Grate it using the large holes of a box grater. Do not squeeze the moisture out for this recipe.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temperature eggs, milk, and sour cream helps the batter mix evenly.
- Do Not Overmix: Mix the batter only until the flour is just incorporated to keep the bread tender.
- Cooling: Ensure the bread is completely cool before glazing, otherwise the glaze will melt and slide off.
- Glaze: Whipped cream cheese blends easily. If using block cream cheese, make sure it’s very soft. Adjust milk for desired thickness. Vanilla bean paste can be substituted for seeds.
- Storage: Store glazed bread covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.