This Cranberry Lemon Zucchini Bread is not only incredibly moist and delicious, but also a festive looking quick bread for the Holidays!
I absolutely LOVE lemon desserts, they are my favorite. We have made a lot of them including our popular Lemon Brownies, Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake (so moist), Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls, and Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars to just name a few.
Cranberry Lemon Zucchini Bread
Ingredients needed:
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Lemon Juice
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Lemon Zest
- Zucchini
- Dried Cranberries
Zucchini
It might seem a bit odd to some of you adding zucchini to a sweet bread, but there is a very good reason. The zucchini adds and helps lock in the moisture of the bread. You will not taste any of the zucchini at all, but still get the benefits of the healthy nutrients. This is a great way to slip in some veggies to kids that are picky eaters. Plus, we think that the colors of the zucchini and cranberries give this bread such a festive look for the Holidays.
Lemon
Lemon is such a versatile fruit that we can use in so many Lemon Brownies or savory dishes. The simple addition of lemon juice or lemon zest gives any dish that wow factor. You are going to love the amount of lemon in this bread. It’s the perfect amount!
Cranberries
Dried cranberries contain the same nutrients as fresh cranberries and also really add such a nice flavor to this bread. You can plump up the dried cranberries by simply soaking them in hot water and then let them stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain before using them in the recipe. You can replace fresh cranberries in this recipe as well. Use 1 1/4 cups of fresh cranberries to replace the dried if you prefer.
Tips for the perfect Cranberry Lemon Zucchini Bread:
- You can top this bread with a Lemon Glaze. We personally think it’s great without it, but will give it an extra burst of lemon for all of our lemon lovers! Whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted) and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Poke holes in the top of the bread and brush the glaze over the warm loaf.
- Lemon zest is the outer yellow layer of the lemon. Use a lemon zester to easily remove the zest.
- You can leave the cranberries out of this recipe if you prefer and this is still a wonderful Lemon Zucchini Bread.
- Take the butter and eggs out of the fridge 40 minutes before starting.
Cranberry Lemon Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup zucchini, shredded
- 1 cup dried cranberries divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in lemon zest. Fold in shredded zucchini and 3/4 cup of the cranberries. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for 3 minutes. Gradually add in the sugar and continue beating for another 2-3 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time. Add lemon juice. Now, gradually add the flour mixture and milk. Mix on low speed until combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and top with remaining cranberries. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.
- Let the bread cool in pan 10 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Last Step:
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- 9 x 5 inch loaf pan
Nutrition
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13 comments on “Cranberry Lemon Zucchini Bread”
Best lemon zucchini cranberry loaf ever!! I drizzled a little lemon glaze on it and that just added to the wonderful taste. Glad I made two loves!!
Lovely! I used dried cherries instead of the cranberries and it was delicious! A recipe I will definitely use again.
I was wondering if I could substitute the butter with canola oil? My husband is watching his cholesterol and was so disappointed when I read there was butter in this. Thank you in advance.
Hi Lisa. Yes you could substitute with canola oil. While I haven’t tried it for this recipe, we have had success replacing the oil in some baking recipes with applesauce so you could try that as well.
This recipe is definitely a keeper. It was delicious. My family loved it.
Great recipe and absolutely delicious. I peeled the zucchini so my finicky eaters can’t see green!
Do you think blueberries would work in this? Or would they be mushy?
Hi Karen. I haven’t tried that, but blueberries will probably work just fine with the recipe.
So loved this recipe (I substituted frozen cranberries instead) & shared with others that loved it too!
This looks delicious. I have recently been diagnosed with gluten and lactose intolerance. When could I use to replace the all purpose flour? I have lactose free milk .
Does zucchini cranberry breadfreeze well? Is it suitable for shipping?
Yes, it freezes well and will ship well. Wrap in plastic wrap first and then foil.
Hi! This looks great!
Do I have to squeeze the water out of the shredded Zucchini before using it in this recipe?
Thank you in advance