Once your zucchini harvest turns into a bumper crop, it’s time to break out all the zucchini bread recipes. Before diving in, though, we recommend shuffling this pina colada zucchini bread to the top. Mimicked from the classic pina colada cocktail, this recipe uses a combination of tropical pineapple, delicate vanilla, sweet coconut and heady rum extract.
The addition of the crushed pineapple with the grated zucchini makes this bread so moist and tender that every quick bread you’ve had before will pale in comparison. If you’re still not convinced, know that this is a contest-winning recipe, so it must taste good!
Pina Colada Zucchini Bread Ingredients
- Extracts: An ambrosial mix of vanilla, coconut and rum extracts helps tune the bread’s taste to tropical island flavors.
- Zucchini: One medium-sized zucchini yields around 1 cup grated zucchini, so you’ll need about three medium-sized zucchini. Grab an extra one if you’re unsure.
- Pineapple: Pockets of warm, sweet pineapple make these loaves taste tropical and refreshing, and the extra moisture creates a super tender bread.
- Nuts: Whether you go with walnuts or pecans, quickly toast the nuts to bring out their rich flavor.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the pans
Start by greasing and flouring three 8×4-inch loaf pans. Cut pieces of waxed paper big enough to line the loaf pans. Lay the cutout pieces of waxed paper in the pans, and grease the paper.
Set the prepared pans aside, and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Create the batter
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and extracts.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just moistened.
Editor’s Tip: Stop whisking the batter as soon as no more flour streaks remain. Overmixing will cause an overdevelopment of gluten, resulting in tough, dense bread loaves.
Step 3: Fold in the extras
Fold the crushed pineapple, grated zucchini and nuts into the batter.
Stir until the extras are evenly dispersed.
Pour the batter evenly among the three pans.
Editor’s Tip: Use a rubber spatula, a mini offset spatula, a butter knife or the back of a spoon to smooth the batter to all four corners if needed.
Step 4: Bake the loaves
Bake the loaves until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool the loaves at room temperature for 10 minutes. Turn the loaves out of their pans and place them on wire racks to cool completely to room temperature. Gently remove the waxed paper.
Recipe Variations
- Fold in coconut: Want to add more pina colada flavor? Fold in a handful of sweetened shredded coconut along with the pineapple, zucchini and nuts.
- Swap in liquor for the extracts: Instead of 3 teaspoons of the extracts, swap in rum, coconut-flavored rum or spiced rum.
- Bake in different pans: We get it, most of us don’t have three 8×4-inch pans lying around. One 8×4-inch pan is equal in volume to two 5-3/4 x 3-inch mini loaf pans or one 6-inch round cake pan. You could also size up and do a 9×5-inch loaf pan, but keep in mind that the loaf will be thinner.
How to Store Pina Colada Zucchini Bread
To store, allow the loaves of bread to cool completely to room temperature, then wrap the loaves in storage wrap or place them in an airtight container. The loaves can be kept at room temperature for up to three days. Extend the lives of the loaves a bit further by storing them in the fridge for up to five days.
Pina Colada Zucchini Bread Tips
Do you have to peel zucchini before using it in zucchini bread?
No, you don’t have to peel zucchini before using it in zucchini bread. The skin is so thin and supple that it hardly adds any texture to the loaf. In fact, we love the few bright pops of green it adds to the loaf’s crumb. However, if you want to hide the zucchini as much as possible, peel it beforehand.
What’s the best way to grate zucchini for zucchini bread?
The best way to grate zucchini is with whatever tool is fastest for the amount of zucchini you’re grating. If you’re just grating a few zucchini, as you would for this pina colada zucchini bread recipe, use a box grater. Any more zucchini than that should be grated with a food processor using the grating attachment. If you have neither of those tools, try one of our other methods for grating zucchini.
Should you squeeze the water out of the zucchini?
Do not squeeze the water out of your grated zucchini. The excess water is accounted for in this recipe, so squeezing it out will create dry loaves.
