Apple Zucchini Bread Recipe (Moist & Easy)

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Apple zucchini bread is a moist quick bread made with shredded zucchini, chopped apples, and warm cinnamon spice. It’s one of my favorite fall baking recipes for using up a late-summer garden harvest, and it works well as a snack, breakfast, or afternoon treat with coffee.

Real chopped apple gets folded right into the batter, so you get little pockets of soft apple in every slice alongside the shredded zucchini.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Apple Zucchini Bread
Cook Time: 55 to 60 minutes
Servings: 2 loaves (about 20 slices)
Main Ingredients: Zucchini, apples, flour, cinnamon
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, dairy-free
Difficulty Level: Easy

Sliced loaf of apple zucchini bread arranged on a wooden cutting board with visible apple chunks and green zucchini flecks throughout the moist crumb. Whole apples and a cinnamon stick sit in the background beside a plaid kitchen towel.

I make this every August when the zucchini in the garden are taking over and the first apples are just starting to come off the tree. That’s right around when I start pulling out my favorite fall apple recipes.

It’s one of my favorite ways to use up both at once, tucked into a moist, cinnamon-spiced loaf that freezes beautifully if you want to save one for later.

If you’re drowning in zucchini, my How To Freeze Zucchini guide will help you stash some away for later. This one’s actually a variation of my Easy Moist Zucchini Bread, just with chopped apple folded in, so if you want the classic version without the apple, that’s the one to try.

Best Apples To Use

I like to use sweet apples like Gala or Honeycrisp in this bread, they hold up well once baked and add a nice natural sweetness alongside the cinnamon. If you want more of a sweet-tart flavor, mix in a tart apple like Granny Smith along with your sweet apple.

It’s a really nice blend and keeps the bread from tasting one-note. For more ideas on what to look for in a baking apple, check out my best apples for baking guide.

Why You’ll Love This Apple Zucchini Bread

Uses up your harvest: A great way to put late-summer garden zucchini and fresh apples to good use before either one goes to waste.
Incredibly moist: Shredded zucchini keeps every slice soft, while chunks of real apple add little pockets of sweetness throughout.
Warm, cozy flavor: A full tablespoon of cinnamon gives this bread that cozy fall baking smell all through the house.
Makes two loaves: Keep one for your family and freeze or share the other, double the bread for barely any extra work.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups chopped apple

You’ll also need two 9×5-inch loaf pans, greased or lined with parchment paper.

How To Make Apple Zucchini Bread

Preheat And Prep Your Pans

Preheat your oven to 350°F, then grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans or line them with parchment paper. I like to use parchment, depending on the pan I’m using, since it makes getting the loaves out so much easier once they’re baked.

Overhead view of a clear glass bowl filled with the dry ingredients for apple zucchini bread with a metal whisk resting in the mixture. The flour mixture is combined and ready to be added to the wet ingredients.

Overhead view of a pale yellow wet mixture in a white mixing bowl with electric hand mixer beaters resting inside.

Mix The Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, then set it aside.

Mix The Wet Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Combine The Wet And Dry Ingredients

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while mixing. The batter will look thick and dry at this point, don’t worry, that’s totally normal. It comes together once the zucchini goes in.

Add The Zucchini And Apple

Overhead view of thick apple zucchini bread batter in a white mixing bowl with visible shreds of zucchini throughout.

Stir in the shredded zucchini and mix well, you’ll notice the batter loosen up quite a bit as it releases its moisture.

Overhead view of diced red skinned apples added on top of thick zucchini bread batter in a white mixing bowl. The apple pieces are ready to be folded into the batter for the apple zucchini bread.

Overhead view of thick apple zucchini bread batter in a white mixing bowl with diced apple pieces and shredded zucchini mixed throughout. The batter is fully combined and ready to be divided into loaf pans for baking.

Fold in the chopped apple last, just until it’s evenly distributed. I try not to overmix at this point so the apple pieces stay intact instead of turning to mush.

Bake

Overhead view of apple zucchini bread batter divided between two loaf pans with visible apple chunks and zucchini shreds throughout. The filled pans are ready to go into the oven for baking.

Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared loaf pans and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. My whole house smells amazing while these are baking.

Two freshly baked loaves of apple zucchini bread resting in loaf pans on a wire cooling rack with golden brown cracked tops. The bread is cooling in the pans before being removed and sliced.

Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Two freshly baked loaves of apple zucchini bread cooling on a black wire rack with golden brown cracked tops. The loaves are shown cooling before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes & Tips

Don’t drain the zucchini: Unlike some zucchini bread recipes, this one relies on the zucchini’s natural moisture, so there’s no need to squeeze it dry first.
Check doneness with a toothpick: Ovens vary, so start checking at the 55-minute mark and add time as needed.
Let it cool before slicing: Cooling completely helps the loaf hold together and makes for cleaner slices.
Tent with foil if needed: If the tops start browning too fast before the center is done, loosely tent the loaves with foil partway through baking. I’ve never needed to do this myself, but ovens vary, so keep an eye on it.

Substitutions

Applesauce for some of the oil: Replace up to half the oil with unsweetened applesauce for a slightly lighter loaf.
Any baking apple works: Honeycrisp, Gala, or Granny Smith all work well here, firmer apples hold their shape a bit better in the batter.
Apple pie spice for the cinnamon: Swap in apple pie spice or a bit of nutmeg if you want a slightly different warm spice flavor.

Two thick slices of apple zucchini bread served on a white plate with visible apple chunks and green zucchini flecks throughout the moist crumb. A partially sliced loaf sits on a wooden cutting board in the background with whole apples and a cinnamon stick nearby.

Variations

Add nuts: Fold in a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans along with the apple for extra crunch.
Streusel topping: Sprinkle a cinnamon-sugar crumble over the top before baking for a bakery-style finish.
Mini loaves or muffins: Divide the batter into mini loaf pans or a muffin tin and reduce the bake time accordingly, start checking mini loaves around 35 minutes and muffins around 20 minutes.
Add more warm spice: For a cozier, more spiced loaf, add a pinch of nutmeg, allspice, or ginger along with the cinnamon.

FAQ’s

No, there’s no need to peel it. The skin softens completely as it bakes, and you won’t notice it in the finished bread.

That’s up to you. Peeled apples give a smoother texture, but leaving the skin on adds a bit more fiber, and you likely won’t notice much difference once it’s baked.

Yes, it freezes really well. Let the loaves cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, or place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before slicing.

This usually means it needed a few more minutes in the oven, ovens can run differently, so always test with a toothpick rather than going by time alone. Using too much zucchini or not letting the loaf cool before slicing can also leave the center feeling wet.

Yes, frozen zucchini works great. I use it all the time when I’m baking in the winter or early spring, before the garden starts producing fresh zucchini again.

Apple Zucchini Bread

This apple zucchini bread recipe is a moist, lightly spiced quick bread made with shredded garden zucchini and real chopped apple. It's an easy way to use up a late-summer harvest that makes two delicious loaves!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 5

Serving Size servings (2 loaves)

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups chopped apple

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans, or line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until combined. The batter will look thick and dry at first.
Stir in the shredded zucchini, the batter will loosen up as it releases moisture.
Fold in the chopped apple until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto wire cooling racks.

Nutrition

These values are from a nutritional database and automatically calculated, and should only be used as an approximation.

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Kim

Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.