Larry's Dark Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread gets its dark color and rich flavor from a combination of brown sugar and molasses instead of white sugar. Add cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg into the mix and you’ve got a deeply spiced loaf that’s closer to gingerbread territory than your typical zucchini bread.

Three cups of grated zucchini keeps this bread incredibly moist. The shredded squash practically disappears into the batter during baking, leaving behind moisture without any vegetal taste. Squeeze out excess water from the grated zucchini if it seems particularly wet, or the center of the loaf may take too long to set.

The batter comes together quickly. Beat eggs, oil, and brown sugar, stir in vanilla, zucchini, and molasses, then fold in the dry ingredients and chopped nuts. No mixer required for anything past the initial egg-sugar beating.

A generous three teaspoons of vanilla extract adds warm, sweet depth that rounds out all those baking spices.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t peel the zucchini before grating, the skin adds flecks of green and extra moisture
• Test for doneness with a toothpick at the 55-minute mark since oven temperatures vary
• Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out so it doesn’t crack
• This bread tastes even better the next day after the spices have mellowed

Variations

• Add chocolate chips for a chocolate-zucchini version
• Use walnuts, pecans, or toasted almonds for the nuts
• Drizzle with a simple cream cheese glaze after cooling