Zucchini Cornbread
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My mom and planted a garden this year, and it’s just a tiny bit possible that we may have planted a few too many plants. We currently have an out-of-control jungle situation going on. We planted one (very large) raised bed with a few pickling cucumbers, a couple regular cucumbers, three zucchini, one eggplant, six tomato plants, five jalapeno plants, four red bell peppers, green beans, Swiss chard and assorted lettuce and greens. Everything has positively taken off, which is awesome, but it’s seriously out of control. We’ve picked a dozen zucchini in just over a week. I have over 10 jalapeños in various stages of growth (at least three ready to be picked) on just one of the plants. Needless to say, there will be no shortage of zucchini recipes here this summer! I’ve done a lot of zucchini baking over the past few summers with recipes such as Zucchini Bread, Zucchini-Pineapple Bread (a favorite from my grandma’s recipe box!), Zucchini Squares, Zucchini-Pineapple Cupcakes with Orange Sour Cream Frosting and Garden Zucchini Pizza Casserole. This year I’m on the hunt for new and unique recipes since it looks like I’ll have a lot of zucchini to experiment with and this easy cornbread was the perfect way to kick off my zucchini baking for the summer.
I am a huge fan of cornbread (see classic cornbread and jalapeño cheddar cornbread for a couple of my favorite variations) and was excited to give this a try. I was also able to use up most of the remaining buttermilk from my blueberry-lemon Bundt cake, score! This batter bakes up just like most quick breads – whisk together the dry ingredients, whisk together the wet ingredients, and then fold the two together with a spatula. Pour into a pan, bake and voilà! Golden brown and perfectly moist cornbread studded with flecks of gorgeous green zucchini. As with just about everything that zucchini is baked into, it takes on the flavor of what’s it’s baked with, so what you have here is a fabulous cornbread that’s tremendously moist. This bread is an absolute winner, and definitely has a permanent place on my summer zucchini baking list!
Three years ago: Pistachio Gelato
Zucchini Cornbread
Yield: One 9x5-inch loaf
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 55 to 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini (about 10 ounces)
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilkDirections:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside.
2. Trim the ends off the zucchini and thinly slice 3 to 5 rounds from one end of the zucchini and reserve for garnish. Shred the remaining zucchini, toss with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and place in a colander. Allow to drain for 30 minutes, then gather it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess water.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs and buttermilk. Gently stir the zucchini into the butter mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold together until no traces of flour remain. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the reserved zucchini slices.
4. Bake until the bread is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The bread can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
(Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit)
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What a gorgeous bread you have here! And if you have too many plants, I’d be more than happy to take some off your load!
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That sounds like a brilliant combination! This would go so well on the side of so many things. I can’t wait until my zukes are ready to pick.
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So lovely that you grow your own veggies! Its such a sweet feeling to use your own produce, even if it is bordering on wading through the jungle when you try and pick a few swiss chard leaves
Your phots are gorgeous!
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It’s awesome that you are growing so much in your garden…out of control or not
I love zucchini bread and this looks like a good take on it…
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What a great use for zucchini, this cornbread looks like it has a really great texture and I bet it tastes delicious!
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This is such a pretty bread! Love it!
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Your bread looks delish!!!!!!!! Love that it’s a cornmeal bread!
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What a great combination of flavors! It looks gorgeous!
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Check out some relish recipes. Zucchini makes great relish!
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Michelle on July 19th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Ooh thank you for the tip! I will do that!
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This sounds fabulous! Zucchini is my favorite kind of bread and I also love corn bread. I love the idea of the two combined. Seems so perfect for summer. So creative!!
-Cookin’ Cowgirl
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Yum! Brilliant yumminess!!
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This sounds like a great way to keep corn bread from tasting too dry! Looking forward to trying it. In the meantime, have you checked out Simply Recipe’s chocolate zucchini cake or chocolate zucchini bread? Both are absolutely delish and great alternative uses for zucchini.
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Michelle on July 19th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Hi Michelle, I have seen the chocolate zucchini bread floating around; I’ve actually since made a recipe from King Arthur Flour and loved it! http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/07/17/chocolate-zucchini-bread-recipe/
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I love baking with zucchini, but I never thought of putting it in cornbread. Sounds wonderful though! Wish I had room for zucchini in my garden this year
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This looks delicious, and is one way I haven’t yet fixed zucchini. The real answer to zucchini overload is to do something delicious wit the blossoms. I’ve had them stuffed with a bit of goat cheese and then fried in what was essentially a tempura batter. Divine with a bit of tomato sauce or salsa. And it can really control the zucchini crop. Just a thought.
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Michelle on July 19th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
I’ve heard so many people recommend stuffing or frying the zucchini blossoms! I’ve never had them, I definitely need to give it a try!
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SOOOOO Jealous! My one surviving plant is just starting to blossom. For those inevitable club-sized ones: chocolate cake with buttermilk and a chocolate chip topping. If you let them get to about 14inches long-they make a great sautee (with onions and garlic) or au gratin (with tomatoes and feta). Enjoy your bounty!
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Michelle on July 19th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Oooh, delicious ideas! Thank you!
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Can’t wait to make this! In 2 weeks, I’m having my annual summer pool party/dinner for my childhood friends (we all turned 55 this year!) and my one friend just was telling me how much she loves cornbread and that it reminds her of her Italian grandma. I’m going to add this to the menu as a surprise for her. Thanks for the very timely recipe. I’m sure it will be outstanding, like your other recipes.
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Michelle on July 19th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Aw, I love this, what a great friend you are! I hope your friend enjoys the special treat!
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I have never heard of zucchini cornbread, but I am definitely intrigued. I think I’m going to have to give this one a try! It’s an inspired idea. Please keep posting about your garden too!
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Tis sounds so good! Zucchini bread taken to the next level!
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This looks intriguing.
I didn’t get around to sharing a link the other day to my favorite zucchini recipe so I’ll link it now:
http://bluebarnbulletin.blogspot.com/2008/07/honey-roasted-zucchini.html
I’m not sure I’m going to get any zucchini out of our garden this year so enjoy your bounty for me!
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Michelle on July 19th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Oooh, honey roasted! Now that sounds delicious!
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I grew up with a lot of Italians, and my favourite thing to come out of their nanas’ kitchens was fried zucchini flowers. I can’t remember what they were called, but they were amazing and the highlight of my summers!
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i’m a lover of cornbread also and that does look like a tasty variation. Do you think it would work w/ cucumbers? and why is it one sees recipes w/ zukes but not cucs? they would seem to have similar mositure contents especially if you salt and let them drain first.
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Michelle on July 19th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Hi Jacquie, I have never tried to swap in a cucumber for a zucchini recipe, that’s not to say you couldn’t give it a go! If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turned out!
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Zucchins are a hot ticket right now, your corn bread looks and sounds like a winner! Fantastic,
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I’ve never seen zucchini added to cornbread before, but I’m so intrigued by the idea – I love both so why not together? I’m featuring this in today’s Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution). I hope you have no objections and it’s always fun to be following along with your creations…
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Send your excess to me!
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haha! I think just about every summer I hear everyone talking about how much zucchini they have and trying to figure out how to use it all up!
We planted a few things as my first gardening attempt this year, but only tomatoes and some herbs. Wish my mom was nearby to share this with, too! How fun!
The bread looks fantastic. Great way to use up the zucchini. Next year, when I hopefully have a larger garden now that I got my feet (or thumb) wet, I anticipate having too much zucchini, too!
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This is a great recipe for zucchini. I’d love to give this a try!
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this turned out 100x more beautiful than my last cornbread:
http://theactorsdiet.com/2012/07/04/red-white-n-blue-n-yellow-n-purple/
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If only I could get the rabbits and squirrels to stop plucking my zucchini off! At least they’re not touching my tomatoes =) This bread sounds wonderful!
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Congratulations on making the foodbuzz Today’s Top 9!
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I made some zucchini cornbread just a few weeks ago, and yours looks just wonderful! And as luck has it, I’ve got a few zucchini in the fridge right now
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Oh! And congrats on making Top 9!!!!
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Made this tonight for dinner for a “farmers market” meal. I purchased “homemade” pasta, fresh tomato and mozzarella for a caprese salad, as well as the zucchini I used in the bread at our local farmers market. I used Bob’s Red Mill medium ground cornmeal. Gave it a bit of a crunch! The bread was excellent and I will definitely make it again. We didn’t even let it cool. Ate it 15 minutes out of the oven
Thanks for the idea! I’d never thought to put zucchini with cornbread.
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Awesome! I am always looking for new ways to use up excess zucchini. I love, zucchini bread, but I can only eat so much of it every summer! Thanks for sharing!
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I wish I had a green thumb (and a yard!) to grow my own vegetable garden! Right now, I am testing my window sill out with a basil plant that I am hoping the sun gets to. Looking a bit grim as of now. But fingers crossed!
Looking forward to trying this recipe outside of my staple zucchini bread!
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yum… my uncle always makes his delivery rounds form his garden trying to get rid of his zucchinis… I always find myself looking for recipes that include zucchini!
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I made this over the weekend, came out a little dry. Very tasty though. I will make it again and add a little more liquid. Thanks for posting.
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Hi,
I made this cornbread today and realize u didn’t say what step to add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar. I had to revert to the original recipe. If anyone is wondering add the sugar to the flour mixture. Great recipe!
Thanks for sharing.
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Michelle on July 27th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Hi Jackie, So sorry for the omission; I have edited the recipe so it includes when to add the sugar. I’m glad you enjoyed the bread, and thank you for the heads up!
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That bread looks yummy!
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Funny enough, my bff just handed me 3 monstrous zucchini this morning. I can’t wait to try this!
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I just made a double batch of this… This is the best corn bread I have ever had!! I’ve never had any this moist! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
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We love zucchini and are always sure to plant a couple in the garden. This year’s crop wasn’t outstanding due to the excessive heat, but I still managed to make this corn bread twice in one week. Delicious. I had it bookmarked with epicurious.com for so long, and am glad that I finally tried it. I think some of the shredded baggies of zucchini in the freezer will find their way into more cornbread…and cakes…and muffins…and
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