Zucchini Parmesan And Chive Bread

This divinely delicious Zucchini Parmesan and Chive Bread is brimming with savoury flavours throughout, a super soft crumb, and a perfectly moist texture. So easy to make! One bowl, straightforward ingredients, and lovely to enjoy as a snack or side anytime of day.

Zucchini Parmesan and Chive Bread

Another beautiful zucchini loaf to add to the collection. This one however, has been given a savoury twist. When you’re swimming in zucchini, this is a recipe you absolutely must try. The zucchini in this quick bread serves the same purpose as carrots in a carrot cake. It’s not there so much for flavour but for vegetable substance and to add moisture. Good fruity olive oil and yogurt give this bread a heavenly soft crumb. Parmesan cheese and chives are ultimate flavour partners that I thoroughly enjoy and are a brilliant addition to this savoury loaf. Once baked, the cake is golden and crisp on the outside, light and moist on the inside.

An Easy Savoury Bread For Any Occasion

What I love about this savoury zucchini parmesan and chive bread is that you can mix it all in one bowl, no mixer needed. The recipe is straightforward and is easily doubled or tripled. I must have baked this loaf at least a dozen times by now. It is completely addictive as a snack with a cup of hot coffee or tea, or served as a side with soup, chili, a summery chowder, or roasted chicken.

I usually bake two at the same time so I can freeze one to have ready for a picnic or to bring along for a snack during a long hike. So moist and rich with flavour you will not need to smear it with butter or jam, though absolutely no judgement if you choose to do so ;). Occasionally, I will have it with dollops of spicy red pepper jelly – divine!

Ingredients & Notes

Here’s the ingredients you will need:

• Zucchini – I use 2 small/medium zucchini grated on the large holes of a box grater. Because zucchini vary so much in size, I provide an approximate weight in the recipe card (see tips for weighing the zucchini). You do not need to squeeze out the moisture from the zucchini to make this loaf (yay!!).
• Parmesan cheese – Salty Parmesan is fabulous in this savoury bread. Though Parmesan cheese is the easiest to find, feel free to substitute with other hard cheeses that are similar such as Pecorino, Grana Padano, or Asiago.
• Yogurt – I really like adding yogurt to baked goods. Here it makes the loaf extra creamy and moist.
• All-purpose flour – Whenever I’m baking cakes or bread, I often swap out half the all-purpose for half rye flour or whole wheat. I usually love rye flour in my baked goods but for some reason, I feel like the flavours of the cheese and chives really come through when using only all-purpose flour.
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Kosher salt 
• Chives – To add some delightful herbal freshness. Or substitute with your favourite herb.
• Eggs – You will need two eggs for this zucchini loaf.
• Extra Virgin Olive oil – Olive oil not only adds a lovely flavour to this savoury loaf but it also helps keep it deliciously moist for days.
• Lemon zest – Totally optional but adds a little brightness to the loaf.

How To Make Zucchini Parmesan and Chive Bread: Step-by-Step Instructions & Photos

This recipe is a great way to use up any zucchini you may have laying around. It tastes better the next day, as breads like these often do, and I just know you’re going to love it.

Note: The complete instructions for the zucchini parmesan and chive bread can be found in the Recipe Card below. 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly butter or oil a 9×5-inch loaf pan, a 10×5-inch loaf pan, or an 8×8 cake pan. Line the loaf pan with a sling of parchment paper.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, lemon zest, and olive oil until thoroughly combined. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper, and whisk again until well incorporated.

• Use a spatula to fold in the flour, grated zucchini, Parmesan, and chives.

• Mix only until there are just a few visible streaks of flour left in the batter.

• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50 – 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

• Let bread cool for 15 minutes in pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.

Cook’s Tips & Notes

• Use a scale to weigh the ingredients. For best results, weigh the flour and other ingredients. If you don’t have a scale, make sure to spoon flour into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top with a knife.
• Weigh the zucchini AFTER shredding. Because we are not wringing out any excess moisture from the zucchini, it is important to not use too much zucchini or the loaf could end up too dense. In case you don’t have a scale, I do provide a volume measurement. Just make sure to firmly (but not too firmly) pack the zucchini into the measuring cup.
• Do not over-mix. The batter for this zucchini loaf will be stiff but resist the urge to over-mix it or it will not bake up soft and spongy. As it bakes, the zucchini will release a lot of its moisture into the bread.
• Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs will not mix as easily in the batter. If you forgot to take them out ahead of time, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes. Dry them well before cracking open.
• Don’t use a larger size loaf pan. You will need a 9×5 loaf pan. If yours is slightly smaller, that’s ok, it might just take a little longer to cook. The one I used here is a 10×5 which I highly recommend for loaves. You can also use an 8×8 cake pan.

To Serve

Cheesy with a hint of herbal freshness from the chives, this zucchini parmesan and chive bread is utterly delicious to snack on from morning till evening. I have it with my coffee for breakfast, or at around 3 o’clock when I need a little something to tie me over till dinner.

As a side, it is absolutely outstanding served with a homemade soup. Try it with this zucchini and tomato soup, this carrot soup, or this blog favourite tomato soup.

We recently had it with this turkey chili and let me tell you there were no crumbs left in sight. So good!

The Best Way to Store And Freeze Zucchini Parmesan and Chive Bread

This savoury zucchini bread is just as good warm fresh out of the oven, or after a few days of sitting on the counter. In fact, I usually like it a lot more the next day when all the cheese and chive flavours have intensified. Once stored in the fridge, it is best brought to room temperature, or toasted in a warm oven, before serving.

To Store: 

Whether you store the zucchini bread on the counter or in the fridge, always store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic so it doesn’t dry out. The zucchini bread will keep well on the counter, for up to 2 days. Longer than that, transfer the zucchini bread to the fridge, for up to 5 days.

To Freeze:

Freezing zucchini bread is a great option for long-term storage. You can either freeze the whole loaf or you can slice it and store individually.

To freeze a whole loaf, let the zucchini bread cool completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic and place in a an airtight, freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Transfer to the freezer for up to 2 months.

Other Zucchini Recipes For You To Try

• Creamy Zucchini Tomato Soup
• Pasta with Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash
• Grilled Vegetables and Halloumi with Orzo

If you give this  Zucchini Parmesan and Chive bread recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Zucchini Parmesan and Chive Bread

Author: Sandra Valvassori

This divinely delicious Zucchini Parmesan and Chive Bread is brimming with savoury flavours throughout, a super soft crumb, and a perfectly moist texture. So easy to make! One bowl, straightforward ingredients, and lovely to enjoy as a snack or side anytime of day.

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Servings 8

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups (325g) grated, packed zucchini, not wrung out, grated on the large holes of a box grater about 2-3 small zucchini (*see notes)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (115g) full-fat plain yogurt
• zest from 1 lemon (optional)
• 1/3 cup (75ml) extra-virgin olive oil plus a little more for the pan
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (100g) grated Parmesan cheese (a little less cheese will not impact the outcome of this recipe)
• 2 tablspoons chopped chives can also use basil or a mix

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly butter or oil a 9×5-inch loaf pan, a 10x5-inch loaf pan, or an 8x8 cake pan. Line the loaf pan with a sling of parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, lemon zest, and olive oil until thoroughly combined. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and whisk again until well incorporated.
• Use a spatula to fold in the flour, grated zucchini, Parmesan, and chives. Mix only until there are just a few visible streaks of flour left in the batter.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 60 to 65 minutes if using a 9x5 loaf pan, or 45 to 55 minutes if using a 10x5 or 8x8 pan. Note that all ovens vary in temperature and the bread is not done until golden on the outside and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
• Let bread cool for 15 minutes in pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

 

*Weigh the zucchini AFTER shredding. Because we are not wringing out any excess moisture from the zucchini, it is important to not use too much zucchini or the loaf could end up too dense. In case you don't have a scale, firmly (but not too firmly) pack 2 cups of the grated zucchini into a measuring cup.

To Store: 

Whether you store the zucchini bread on the counter or in the fridge, always store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic so it doesn't dry out. The zucchini bread will keep well on the counter, for up to 2 days. Longer than that, transfer the zucchini bread to the fridge, for up to 5 days.

To Freeze:

Freezing zucchini bread is a great option for long-term storage. You can either freeze the whole loaf or you can slice it and store individually.

To freeze a whole loaf, let the zucchini bread cool completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic and place in a an airtight, freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Transfer to the freezer for up to 2 months.

Keywords: Chives, Eggplant Parmesan, Parmesan, Zucchini, Zucchini bread

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