Strawberry Zucchini Bread

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This Strawberry Zucchini Bread is the perfect way to use your garden-fresh zucchini this summer. Whether you eat it warmed with a bit of butter, smeared with some strawberry jam, or just as is – it’s sure to be your new favorite way to enjoy zucchini bread!

A sliced loaf of strawberry zucchini bread on a piece of parchment paper. Out of focus in the background is a small bowl of shredded zucchini, a butter dish, and a few pieces of freeze-dried strawberries.

Every summer, zucchini is the one vegetable that everyone has an overwhelming amount of in their gardens. And if you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for new ways to use it up.

While I love traditional zucchini bread, I wanted to create something a little different this year. As I was feeding my chickens some squishy, overripe strawberries and thinking about how to reinvent the zucchini bread wheel, it clicked! I’ll add strawberries to zucchini bread!

For my first attempt, I went with fresh strawberries but found them to be too wet. I wasn’t in love with the little mushy strawberry pockets they left behind in the final product. My second attempt was a bit too dense since I added too much whole wheat flour.

Finally, my third attempt was strawberry zucchini bread gold. I bumped up the liquid ingredients to account for the whole wheat flour and used freeze-dried strawberries instead of fresh ones. Perfection!

The crumb and texture of this bread are exactly what I want in a quick bread. It’s soft and fluffy with a fine crumb and has little pieces of chewy strawberries dotted throughout. Everything a good strawberry zucchini bread should be.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Texture- The texture of this bread is exactly how I wanted it. Soft, fluffy, and with little chewy strawberry bits scattered throughout. It tastes delicious with a bit of butter and my homemade strawberry apple jam.
Seasonal Flavors- This recipe uses two of my favorite summer crops – zucchini and strawberries. The zucchini adds moisture and texture to the bread while the strawberries add a delicious sweetness and slight chew.
Quick & Easy- The most difficult part of this recipe is shredding the zucchini, which isn’t bad at all if you use a box grater. After that, you just mix, pour, and bake your way to a delicious strawberry zucchini bread.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes on key ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.

Zucchini- Provides moisture, texture, and plenty of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The shredded zucchini melts right into the bread so even your pickiest friends won’t notice it.
Freeze-Dried Strawberries- I chose to use freeze-dried strawberries in this recipe because I found fresh strawberries to be too moist when paired with the zucchini. You can either buy freeze-dried strawberries or dehydrate your own strawberries from your garden.
Whole Wheat Flour- A half cup of whole wheat flour increases the fiber content and gives the bread a slightly nutty flavor.
All Purpose Flour- Provides the tender crumb we’re looking for in a loaf of delicious quick bread.
Eggs- You’ll need 2 eggs to give the bread structure.
Canola Oil- Has a neutral flavor and provides moisture.
Brown Sugar- Many quick bread recipes use nearly a cup of sugar or more per loaf. This recipe only uses ½ cup of brown sugar, which allows the strawberries’ natural sweetness to come through.
Milk- Adds moisture to the bread. I typically use almond milk, but you can use any type of milk you prefer.
Lemon Juice- Provides acidity to help with leavening and balances sweetness with a hint of tart flavor.
Spices- Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg give this bread a warm, cozy vibe and pair beautifully with the other flavors.

The ingredients to make strawberry zucchini bread on a butcher block counter. Each ingredient is labeled with text describing what it is. They include freeze-dried strawberries, baking soda, slices, salt, milk, baking powder, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, zucchini, lemon juice, eggs, canola oil, and vanilla extract.

How to Make Strawberry Zucchini Bread

Here is how to make this strawberry zucchini bread.

Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a standard loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.

A clear glass bowl filled with the mixed dry ingredients.

Step 2: Whisk together the wet ingredients. Whisk together the eggs, canola oil, brown sugar, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a separate large bowl. Add the grated zucchini and dried strawberries to the wet ingredients to allow the strawberries to hydrate just slightly.

A clear glass bowl filled with the mixed wet ingredients.

Step 3: Mix the batter. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until most of the flour is moistened and only a few lumps remain, taking care not to over-mix the batter.

The strawberry zucchini bread batter in a loaf pan.

Step 4: Bake the bread. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

A loaf of strawberry zucchini bread still in the loaf pan on a cooling rack.

Tips for Success

Don’t over-mix the batter. Quick bread can become tough and dense with large air pockets if the batter is over-mixed. To avoid this, gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined.
Measure flour by weight. The most accurate way to measure flour is by weight. This ensures that you do not overpack your measuring cups with flour, resulting in dry bread. If you don’t have a food scale, spoon the flour into your measuring cup so it does not become compact.
Cool completely before slicing. Allowing the bread to cool completely before slicing is essential for a good texture. When the bread is initially removed from the oven, it is still continuing to cook for a bit. If you slice the bread too soon, it will result in mushier, denser bread.

Why Is My Bread Dense and Gummy?

There could be several reasons why your zucchini bread with strawberries turned out dense or gummy.

Too wet- If your zucchini was extra juicy or you went with fresh strawberries instead of dried, your batter may have been too wet. I wouldn’t immediately jump to this though since the whole wheat flour can take a little extra moisture.
Over-mixed- If you overworked your batter during the mixing step, it may result in a dense loaf. This is due to the gluten – the more you work the gluten, the tougher it becomes.
Underbaked- Not baking your bread completely will leave you with an undercooked, gummy loaf. Try testing with a toothpick before removing it from the oven.
Not cooled before slicing- As previously mentioned, cooling the bread completely before slicing is a must. This ensures the texture and flavor develop correctly.

How to Store

Room Temperature- Allow the strawberry zucchini bread to cool completely before wrapping tightly in plastic wrap or placing it inside an airtight container. The bread will stay good at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Refrigerator- Refrigerating quick bread will make it stale more quickly. However, stored in an airtight container, it will last for up to 7 days.
Freezer- Wrap individual slices or a whole loaf of strawberry zucchini bread tightly in plastic wrap. Then, place it inside a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing any bread you won’t eat within a few days and pulling it out to defrost as needed.

A loaf of zucchini bread with strawberries, half of which is cut into slices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to peel the zucchini before grating it?

Nope, no need to peel! The zucchini skin is thin enough that it grates well with the rest of the vegetable. It also blends nicely into the bread when baked so you won’t even notice it.

Do I need to remove the zucchini seeds?

It depends on the zucchini. Smaller zucchini have underdeveloped seeds that grate up nicely right along with the rest of the zucchini. Larger, more mature zucchini may have bigger seeds, which can be scooped out prior to grating it.

Should I squeeze the excess liquid from the zucchini?

Definitely don’t remove the liquid from the zucchini here. This recipe relies on the zucchini liquid to provide moisture and to help hydrate the whole wheat flour.

What is the best way to grate zucchini?

I find the easiest and least messy way to grate zucchini is to use my box grater. However, if you don’t have a box grater or want something a little more hands-off, a food processor with a grater attachment works as well. A simple vegetable peeler and a knife work too.

Can you make zucchini bread from frozen zucchini?

Yes! If you have frozen, shredded zucchini, you can use that in place of fresh zucchini in this recipe. Simply thaw it in the microwave or in the refrigerator overnight. Then, add the zucchini and any liquid to the batter as usual.

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