I can’t wait to share my Apple Zucchini Bread, where shredded carrot, crisp apple, and zucchini come together to create a loaf that surprised even me.

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I stumbled on this Carrot Apple Zucchini Bread Recipe when I needed to use up a heap of grated carrots and grated zucchini sitting in the fridge. The colors pull you in, but the texture makes you stay, it’s crazy moist and somehow keeps getting better after a day.

I never expected Apple Zucchini Bread to surprise me like this, the flavors are bright but not shouty, more like a friendly nudge. I kept tweaking it until friends started asking for the recipe, which made me realize I actually found something worth holding onto.

Ingredients

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All-purpose flour: Provides carbs and structure, not much protein, makes loaf tender but dense.
Carrots: Adds natural sweetness, fiber and beta-carotene, keeps bread moist.
Zucchini: Mild flavor lots of water and fiber, lowers density and adds moisture.
Apple: Gives sweet tang, extra fiber and juice, it’s great for moisture.
Granulated sugar: Main sweetener, adds crunch when caramelized mostly empty calories.
Eggs: Binders that add protein and structure, make crumb richer.
Vegetable oil: Keeps bread tender and moist, adds fats for flavor and shelf life.
Walnuts or pecans: Crunch, heart healthy fats and protein, can taste slightly bitter sometimes.

Ingredient Quantities

2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2/3 cup vegetable oil (or neutral oil)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)

1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)

1 medium apple, grated (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

1/2 cup raisins, optional

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment if you want fuss free removal later.

2. Grate 1 1/2 cups carrots (about 3 medium), 1 cup zucchini (about 1 medium) and 1 medium apple (about 1 cup). Squeeze the grated zucchini lightly in a clean towel or paper towel to remove excess water, you don’t need to dry it completely just get rid of the puddles.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger until even.

4. In a large bowl beat 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar with 2 large eggs until combined and a little lighter, then stir in 2/3 cup vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. You can use a whisk or a hand mixer on low.

5. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and fold gently just until the flour streaks disappear. Don’t overmix or the bread will be dense and tough.

6. Fold in the grated carrots, grated zucchini and grated apple. If using 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or 1/2 cup raisins, toss them briefly in a tablespoon of flour then fold them in so they don’t sink to the bottom.

7. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top with a spatula and tap the pan once on the counter to settle the batter and remove air bubbles.

8. Bake 55 to 65 minutes at 350 F. Start checking at 50 minutes with a toothpick; it’s done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but not raw batter. If the top browns too fast, loosely cover with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes.

9. Let the bread cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. This keeps it from crumbling and actually makes slicing easier.

Equipment Needed

1. 9×5 inch loaf pan (greased, lined with parchment if you want easy removal)
2. Parchment paper or cooking spray
3. Box grater or food processor with a grating disk
4. Large mixing bowl
5. Medium mixing bowl
6. Whisk (or hand mixer on low)
7. Rubber spatula for folding and scraping
8. Measuring cups and spoons
9. Clean kitchen towel or paper towels to squeeze excess zucchini water, plus a toothpick for doneness testing

FAQ

Q: Can I swap the oil or eggs if I dont have them? A: Yes. For oil try 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce for a slightly denser but moist loaf, or 2/3 cup melted butter or neutral oil like canola. For eggs, use 2 "flax eggs" (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes) or 1/2 cup plain yogurt per egg, but texture will be a bit different.

Q: Do I need to squeeze the zucchini or carrots before adding them? A: Grated carrots dont need squeezing, they hold the right amount of moisture. Zucchini usually needs a light squeeze—pat or wrap in a towel and press out excess water so the batter isnt too wet, but dont over-dry it, some moisture is good.

Q: What size pan and baking time should I use, and how do I know when it’s done? A: Use a standard 9×5 inch loaf pan, bake at 350 F (175 C) for about 50 to 65 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center, it should come out with a few moist crumbs not wet batter. If top browns too fast, tent with foil.

Q: My bread turned out dense or sunk in the middle, what went wrong? A: Common causes are overmixing after adding dry ingredients, too much liquid (not squeezing zucchini), eggs that were too cold or oven temp off, or removing it too early. Mix just until combined and test your oven temp with a thermometer.

Q: Can I add or omit the nuts and raisins? A: Totally optional. Add up to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans and/or 1/2 cup raisins. Toast nuts first for more flavor. If you omit them you can add the same amount of extra grated apple or carrot to keep the volume right.

Q: How should I store or freeze the bread? A: Room temp wrapped in foil or in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days, or in the fridge up to a week. Freeze whole or sliced up to 3 months, wrapped tightly; thaw at room temp or toast slices straight from the freezer.

Carrot Apple Zucchini Bread Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: swap with whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for a nuttier flavour, it will be a tad denser; or use a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend (make sure it includes xanthan) for gluten free baking.
Granulated sugar / light brown sugar: use coconut sugar 1:1 for both, gives deeper caramel notes; or replace the sugars with 1 cup maple syrup but reduce other liquids by ~3 tbsp and watch baking time.
Vegetable oil: sub with melted coconut oil 1:1 (mild coconut taste) or use unsweetened applesauce 1:1 for lower fat, bread will be more cake-like and a bit moister.
Eggs: for each egg use a flax “egg” (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 min) or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce per egg for an egg-free/vegan option.

Pro Tips

– Squeeze the zucchini but dont dry it out completely, just get rid of the puddles. If your batter looks oddly stiff after mixing, stir back in a tablespoon or two of that zucchini liquid, it helps keep the crumb moist.

– Toss nuts and raisins in a spoonful of flour before folding them in so they dont all sink to the bottom. For extra flavor, toast the nuts briefly in a dry pan first, let them cool, then chop.

– Fold the batter gently and stop as soon as the flour streaks mostly disappear. Overmixing makes the bread dense and tough, so a few small lumps are fine.

– Watch the top in the last 15 minutes of baking, and loosely tent with foil if it gets too brown. Let the loaf sit in the pan 10 to 15 minutes, then cool completely on a rack; for cleaner slices chill the loaf an hour in the fridge before cutting.

Carrot Apple Zucchini Bread Recipe

Recipe by Bob Jones

0.0 from 0 votes

I can't wait to share my Apple Zucchini Bread, where shredded carrot, crisp apple, and zucchini come together to create a loaf that surprised even me.

Servings

servings

Calories

346

kcal

Equipment: 1. 9×5 inch loaf pan (greased, lined with parchment if you want easy removal)
2. Parchment paper or cooking spray
3. Box grater or food processor with a grating disk
4. Large mixing bowl
5. Medium mixing bowl
6. Whisk (or hand mixer on low)
7. Rubber spatula for folding and scraping
8. Measuring cups and spoons
9. Clean kitchen towel or paper towels to squeeze excess zucchini water, plus a toothpick for doneness testing

Ingredients

2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil (or neutral oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
1 medium apple, grated (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
1/2 cup raisins, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment if you want fuss free removal later.
Grate 1 1/2 cups carrots (about 3 medium), 1 cup zucchini (about 1 medium) and 1 medium apple (about 1 cup). Squeeze the grated zucchini lightly in a clean towel or paper towel to remove excess water, you don't need to dry it completely just get rid of the puddles.
In a medium bowl whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger until even.
In a large bowl beat 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar with 2 large eggs until combined and a little lighter, then stir in 2/3 cup vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. You can use a whisk or a hand mixer on low.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and fold gently just until the flour streaks disappear. Don't overmix or the bread will be dense and tough.
Fold in the grated carrots, grated zucchini and grated apple. If using 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or 1/2 cup raisins, toss them briefly in a tablespoon of flour then fold them in so they don't sink to the bottom.
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top with a spatula and tap the pan once on the counter to settle the batter and remove air bubbles.
Bake 55 to 65 minutes at 350 F. Start checking at 50 minutes with a toothpick; it's done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but not raw batter. If the top browns too fast, loosely cover with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
Let the bread cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. This keeps it from crumbling and actually makes slicing easier.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.