Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread (The Best You’ll Ever Make)

Name: Moist and Delicious Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1 cup zucchini (finely shredded); 2 eggs; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon cloves; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

By: Erin Indahl-Fink
Modified: May 27, 2026 - Published: July 18, 2017 - 79 Comments

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Loaded with garden fresh zucchini, and a cinnamon sugar swirl, this incredible cinnamon zucchini bread will have you coming back for seconds. Super simple to make, and no mixer needed. Made with Greek yogurt, zucchini bread recipe consistenly turns out super moist and delicious!

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Loaf of cinnamon zucchini bread with two slices on board, and knife on the side.

The best zucchini bread recipe you’ll come back to again and again

Do you have copious amounts of zucchini growing in your garden? Perhaps you picked up a few extra zucchini while at the farmers market or grocery store, and want to make something delicious. Might I recommend turning that zucchini into loaves of this glorious cinnamon zucchini bread.

This zucchini bread recipe has been made in our kitchen every July since 2017. Not only is it a great way to enjoy fresh summer zucchini, but the bread can be frozen for later.

Why this Cinnamon Swirl Zuccini Bread is so Moist

This cinnamon zucchini bread is made with both oil and Greek yogurt, creating an ultra moist batter. Greek yogurt has the ability to create extra moisture in breads and muffins becuase of its fat content and natural acidity, which traps moisture and breaks down gluten for a tender texture. When paired with the fresh, shredded zucchini and the cinnamon sugar swirl, every slice will be wonderfully moist and flavorful.

Loaded with garden fresh zucchini, and a cinnamon sugar swirl, this incredible zucchini bread will have you coming back for seconds! Perfect for an afternoon snack and great with your morning coffee, this simple zucchini bread recipe is amazing!

How to Mix the Zucchini Bread Batter

This batter comes together quickly and easily. No mixer needed, this batter is made by starting with combining wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, you’ll then combine the dry ingredients and gradually add to the wet.

Much like my Cinnamon Pear Quick Bread, this recipe includes plain Greek yogurt in the batter. The yogurt keeps the bread wonderfully moist.

Ingredient Variations and Mix-Ins:

Chocolate Chips – try mixing in a half cup of semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips to the batter. It will pair wonderfully with the cinnamon. This creates a fantastic chocolate chip cinnamon zucchini bread.
Chopped Nuts – if you like a little bit of crunch to every bite of your bread, mix in a half cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter. Ideal for a fantastic cinnamon zucchini bread with walnuts or pecans.
Cinnamon Zucchini Bread with Cinnamon Glaze – adding a cinnamon glaze would be a wonderful icing to this bread. To create the glaze simply stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon milk and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir together well, and drizzle over the bread after it has baked and cooled. I use this same glaze on my Cinnamon Glazed Apple Scones.
Substituting a Gluten-Free Flour – if you’re looking for a gluten-free cinnamon zucchini bread option, substituting regular, all-purpose flour for a GF flour, like Bobs Red Mill is a good choice.
Substituing Sour Cream for Yogurt – if you don’t have yogurt on hand, you can substitute it for sour cream. Like the yogurt, it will provide a delicious, super moist consistency.

Loaf pans lined with parchment paper and secured with binder clips

Zucchini bread batter poured into lined loaf pans.

How to Prepare Loaf Pans for Making Zucchini Bread

Lining your loaf pan with a sheet of parchment paper is very helpful in lifting out the bread from the pan after it has baked. This is also helpful with clean up. Parchment paper is naturally non-stick, so no extra spray or oil is needed for prep.

So the parchment paper doesn’t slide when you pour in your batter, I recommend using binder clips to secure the paper to the side of the pan. Once you pour in the batter, remove the clips before baking, as the clips are not oven-safe.

What should I do with extra zucchini?

In addition to this delicious cinnamon swirl zucchini bread, I love making my Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats and my Zucchini Pizza Bites. Both are low-carb, healthy and taste amazing!

How to Get the Perfect Cinnamon Swirl in Every Slice

To create these delicious swirls of cinnamon, simply combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Add HALF of the zucchini bread batter into the bottom of the pan. Then, sprinkle HALF of the cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter in the pan.

I used a spoon to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the first half of the batter. Be sure to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the entire surface of the batter. This will ensure you get a delicious cinnamon swirl in each slice of bread.

Add the remaining half of batter

Over the top of the cinnamon sugar, spoon on the last half of the remaining zucchini bread batter. Use a rubber scraper to evenly spread the batter over the top of the cinnamon sugar layer. Once the batter is evenly spread, sprinkle the remaining half of the cinnamon sugar over the second layer of batter.

How to create the cinnamon swirl

Using a table knife, gently insert it all the way through the batter to the bottom of the pan. While inserted, run the knife up and down the pan, and a few times side to side. This will create a pretty swirl on top of the bread, and will also swirl the middle layer of cinnamon.

Baking the Cinnamon Zucchini Bread

Bake the bread at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean and crumb-free.

Once the bread is done baking, let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Once the pan is safe to handle, pull the bread out of the pan using the sides of the parchment paper and gently lift out. It should come out easily without any sticking. Peel off the parchment paper and let it cool completely on a cooling rack or cutting board.

How to Store and Freeze Cinnamon Zucchini Bread

Once the bread has cooled completely to room temperature, store it in an airtight container with a tight fitting lid, or zip-lock bag. This will ensure the bread doesn’t dry out or become stale. It can be stored at room temperature, but will only keep for 2-3 days at room temperature. When stored in the refrigerator and kept in an airtight container, the bread will keep for up to 7 days.

When freezing cinnamon zucchini bread, store in an airtight container. For best results, wrap in plastic wrap or press-and-seal wrap, and then place the wrapped bread in a freezer zip-loc bag or freezer container. The bread will keep for up to three months when frozen.

To thaw the zucchini bread, pull out of the freezer container and unwrap. Let thaw at room temperature, or keep wrapped and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread: Loaded with garden fresh zucchini, and a cinnamon sugar swirl, this incredible cinnamon zucchini bread will have you coming back for seconds! Super simple to make, this is one of the best zucchini bread recipes on the internet!

FAQ’s for making Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread

Do you need to peel zucchini for zucchini bread?

No, peeling zucchini is not necessary before adding it to your batter. Shred the zucchini with the skin on.

Should I squeeze out the extra water from the zucchini?

It is not critical or necessary to squeeze out the extra water from the zucchini, but you’ll have a nice bread consistency if you do. Placing the shredded zucchini into a fine-mesh seive and then pressing it with your hands will release any extra water. Shredded zucchini in sieve, with whole zucchini on the side.

How do you know when the zucchini bread is done baking?

When testing the bread to see if it is done, let it bake for the full 60 minutes. Once the time is complete, slide the loaf out bread out of the oven, and insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If the toothpick comes out clean and crumb-free it is done baking. If the toothpick has crumbs attached, it will need a few more minutes to bake.

Can you make muffins with this zucchini bread recipe?

Yes, to make muffins with the bread batter, simply add to a lined muffin tin (I like to use silicone baking cups, as they are superior to any paper liner). Fill the cups nearly 3/4 full, adding the cinnamon sugar to each muffin. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, this recipe can easily be doubled. Line two pans, instead of one and follow the recipe accordingly, using the same bake time and temperature.

What is the best pan size to make cinnamon zucchini bread?

I prefer to use a 9″x5″ loaf pan for this zucchini bread recipe. This pan creates an ideal size that will render an evenly baked loaf.

Can I sustitute the yogurt with anything?

Yes, the yogurt can be swapped with sour cream. Like the yogurt, it will create a wonderfully moist consistency.

If you loved this delicious zucchini bread recipe, be sure to check out some of my other bread and muffin recipes:

Apple cinnamon bread slices with green apples and cinnamon sticks on the side. — Apple Cinnamon Bread

With soft pears, crunchy pecans and a delicious cinnamon flavor, this Cinnamon Pear Quick Bread makes for a delightfully delicious snack! — Apple Cinnamon Bread

Readers have been making this zucchini bread for 8+ years – here’s what they say:

“This is the best zucchini bread recipe I have ever made! Thank you for sharing the recipe!” – Karen E.

“Omg I made this last weekend & I’m debating buying more zucchini because I haven’t stopped thinking about it all week. I ate 90% of it. It’s the absolute most delicious bread I’ve ever had in my life. Moist & flavorful, beyond delicious! I’ve been thinking about it since I finished it.” – Rebecca Z.

“This is a wonderful recipe. I have made it before and saved the recipe and my husband asked me to make exactly like the last one. So here I am making second batch. Thank You for sharing. – L. Cook

“Loved this recipe! Came out moist and so much favor.” – Jean

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Moist and Delicious Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread

Erin Indahl-Fink

Loaded with garden fresh zucchini, and a cinnamon sugar swirl, this incredible zucchini bread will have you coming back for seconds! Perfect for an afternoon snack and great with your morning coffee, this simple zucchini bread recipe is amazing!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Remove Ads Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Course Breads

Cuisine American

Servings slices

Calories 290 kcal

Equipment

Loaf Pan This 9" non-stick loaf pan by Wilton is the perfect size for any banana bread recipe!
Parchment Paper Sheets These pre-cut parchment paper sheets are super convenient and the perfect size for lining a loaf pan.
Mixing Bowls These stainless steel mixing bowls are an essential cooking tool for every kitchen.

Ingredients

1 cup zucchini finely shredded
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

For Cinnamon Swirl:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, and secure with binder clips. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine the wet ingredients (zucchini, eggs, oil, yogurt and vanilla). Mix to thoroughly combine. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves). Gradually sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir the batter just until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Don’t over mix, or you’ll get large air bubbles in the bread.
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar to create the cinnamon swirl.
Pour the HALF of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with HALF of the cinnamon sugar. Then add the remaining batter over the top of the cinnamon sugar, and spread evenly to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining half of the cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter. Using a knife, run it up and down the pan, and side to side through the batter and cinnamon sugar to create a swirl.
Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes until golden brown, and toothpick inserted comes out clean and free of crumbs.
Let bread cool in pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, slice and serve. Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

This bread is also great with nuts. Add a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to add a nice crunch to each slice.

Storage: Bread can be kept at room temperature, but will keep for only 1-2 days. Bread does best when refrigerated after cooling. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Will keep refrigerated for up to 7 days.

Freezing: Zucchini bread can be frozen. Wrap in press-and-seal wrap to prevent freezer burn, and store in a freezer bag. Kept frozen, the zucchini bread will keep for up to 3 months.

Gluten-Free Option: This bread can be made gluten-free by using a GF flour, like Bobs Red Mill.

Yogurt Substitution: if you don’t have yogurt available, you can use sour cream as a substitute. This is a 1:1 substitution.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 185mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26g

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