Quick Cream Cheese Zucchini Bread

Here’s my go-to cream cheese zucchini bread recipe, with a moist, tender crumb and the perfect balance of tangy cream cheese swirled through a classic zucchini bread base, finished with just a hint of cinnamon and vanilla.

This zucchini bread has become my family’s favorite way to use up all those garden zucchini during summer. I always make a double batch because it disappears so quickly at our house. And let’s be honest – a slice of this for breakfast the next day is pretty much perfect, don’t you think?

What Kind of Zucchini Should I Use?

For zucchini bread, medium-sized zucchini (about 6-8 inches long) are your best bet since they’re usually less watery and have fewer large seeds than the jumbo ones you might find at the end of summer. If you can only find larger zucchini, just make sure to remove the seedy center before grating. Fresh zucchini from your garden or farmer’s market works great, but grocery store zucchini are perfectly fine too – just give them a gentle squeeze to make sure they’re firm and free from soft spots. After grating, you don’t need to squeeze out the moisture unless your zucchini seems particularly watery, as that natural moisture helps keep the bread nice and moist.

Options for Substitutions

This zucchini bread recipe is pretty flexible and you can make several swaps based on what you have in your pantry:

• Vegetable oil: You can swap the vegetable oil with melted butter, coconut oil, or even applesauce (use 1/2 cup applesauce + 2-3 tablespoons oil for best texture).
• Fresh ginger: If you don’t have fresh ginger, use 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger instead. You can also skip it if you’re not a fan.
• Dried currants: Any dried fruit works great here – try raisins, cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or even chocolate chips if you want to skip the fruit altogether.
• Pecans: Feel free to use walnuts, almonds, or any other nuts you like. You can also leave them out if you prefer nut-free bread.
• Cream cheese frosting ingredients: For the frosting, you can use mascarpone instead of cream cheese, Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and vanilla extract instead of rum/Kahlua. If you’re out of powdered sugar, blend regular sugar in a food processor until fine.
• Zucchini: This is the star ingredient and can’t really be substituted – it provides moisture and texture that’s essential to the recipe. Just make sure to squeeze out excess moisture after shredding.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest challenge when making zucchini bread is dealing with excess moisture – make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from your shredded zucchini using a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, or you’ll end up with a dense, gummy loaf. Another common mistake is overmixing the batter; once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, stir just until they’re incorporated to keep your bread tender and light. To prevent your dried fruits from clumping together or sinking to the bottom, toss them in a tablespoon of the measured flour before adding them to the batter. For the cream cheese topping, make sure both the cream cheese and sour cream are at room temperature before mixing, as this prevents lumps and ensures a smooth, spreadable consistency that won’t tear your bread when you frost it.

What to Serve With Zucchini Bread?

This moist zucchini bread is perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea, and there are lots of tasty ways to enjoy it! A simple spread of butter lets you appreciate all the spiced flavors, while a hot cup of coffee or black tea makes an excellent beverage pairing. For a more substantial breakfast, serve a slice alongside some fresh fruit and Greek yogurt, or make it part of a brunch spread with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. If you’re serving it as a dessert, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a slightly warmed slice is absolutely delicious.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This cream cheese zucchini bread stays moist and tasty when kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you’ve added the cream cheese topping, it’s best to pop it in the fridge where it’ll keep well for up to 5 days. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out.

Freeze: Want to save some for later? You can freeze this bread for up to 3 months! If it’s unfrosted, wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. For frosted bread, freeze it first on a baking sheet until solid, then wrap it up – this keeps the topping from sticking to the wrapping.

Thaw & Serve: When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen zucchini bread, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. For room temperature bread, take it out about an hour before serving. The cream cheese topping might need a quick stir to get back to its creamy consistency.

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	50-60 minutes
Total Time	70-90 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2200-2500
• Protein: 25-30 g
• Fat: 140-160 g
• Carbohydrates: 250-270 g

Ingredients

For the bread:

• 1 inch fresh ginger (finely grated)
• dark rum or kahlua (optional, for soaking currants)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil (or other neutral oil like canola)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 eggs (room temperature for better emulsification)
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup dried currants
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups shredded zucchini

For the frosting:

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp dark rum or kahlua
• 1/4 cup sour cream (full-fat for richness)
• 4 oz softened cream cheese (Philadelphia brand recommended)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Step 1: Preheat and Prepare Baking Supplies

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease a 9.25″ x 5.25″ bread pan or line it with parchment paper.

Set aside for later use.

Step 2: Soak the Currants

Place the currants (or other dried fruit of your choice) in a small bowl and soak them in dark rum.

This will allow them to plump up by the time you are ready to mix them into the batter.

Step 3: Prepare the Zucchini Mixture

Grate the zucchini into a large bowl.

Add the vegetable oil, sugars, beaten egg, and grated ginger.

Mix all these ingredients until they are well combined and the mixture is even in texture.

Step 4: Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.

Gently stir this dry mix into the zucchini mixture until just combined.

Be careful not to over-mix to maintain a fluffy texture.

Step 5: Add Currants and Pecans

Drain the soaked currants and add them, along with the pecans, to the zucchini mixture.

Stir gently a couple of times until the currants and pecans are just mixed in, ensuring even distribution.

Step 6: Bake the Zucchini Bread

Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan.

Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes, or until a tester toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

If the top of the loaf begins to brown too much, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Once done, remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.

Step 7: Prepare the Frosting

In a bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, rum, and cinnamon until smooth and well combined.

Adjust the sweetness by adding more powdered sugar if preferred.

For additional flavor, consider adding lemon zest.

Step 8: Frost and Serve

Once the zucchini bread has cooled, frost it with the prepared cream cheese frosting according to your taste.

The frosting is designed to complement the not-too-sweet nature of the zucchini bread.

Enjoy your homemade treat!