Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread

This lovely, moist zucchini bread features fragrant fresh rosemary and lemon zest to make it super special and interesting.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated May 16, 2025
Elise Bauer
A cutting board with a loaf of zucchini bread, sliced and ready to serve

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

I'm on a mission this summer. A mission out of necessity, resulting from the abundance of certain summer squash I planted in my parents' garden. Four plants. What was I thinking?! One zucchini plant alone could feed a family of four.

Every time I stop by my parents' house my mother glares at me accusingly. Actually, she's not the glaring type. It's more like a bemused look that says, "we have a problem, and it's your fault," along with an offer to cook me up some squash (she has an excellent recipe) and a plea to give some to me to take home.

So the mission? Come up with recipes that we all like and that use a lot of summer squash. For this I have been experimenting with zucchini bread for the last two weeks. We have a couple fine zucchini bread recipes on the site, but I was hoping for something a little more savory.

I tried all sorts of combinations, experiments with cheddar, with Parm, jalapenos, etc. Mom's response to most of them, "good if you toast them and then put sugar and butter on them." Not good enough.

Finally I succumbed to the classic somewhat sweet zucchini bread, but seasoned it with rosemary and lemon, so you get a savory note. More than good enough. Really good. My conclusion is that zucchini bread works well with sugar. Here we use 1 1/4 cups for 3 cups of zucchini and 3 cups of flour. So, it's not a lot, but it's enough to make a lovely, lightly sweet bread.

Reader Variations on This Recipe

  • Alice: "Made this in mini loaves. The combination of lemon and rosemary is delicious, light and fragrant. I used a rosemary infused olive oil and it worked fine. Reduced cooking time since I was using small loaves."
  • Denise W.: "I also add about 1/2 of the juice from the lemon, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of very finely slice Lemon Balm leaves. This makes the lemon flaver really sing and the littel speckles of green are very pretty in this bread. Oh....and I also make this recipe in a 9x13 pan, instead of loaves for large gatherings. Really easy to transport that way. Love, love this recipe."
  • Michelle: "This is amazing! I cut out half the sugar and replaced with 2/3 cup of honey and an extra 1/2 tsp of baking soda... reduced baking temp to 325 and increased time. I'm sharing this with everyone I know. WOW!"

More Takes on Zucchini Bread

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 60 mins
Yield 2 loaves
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups (390g) flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

  • 1 1/4 cups sugar

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 3 cups grated zucchini (from about 1 pound of zucchini)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F:

    Prepare two 4x9-inch loaf pans, either coating with butter or spraying with baking spray.

  2. Whisk the dry ingredients together:

    In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and rosemary.

  3. Beat in the eggs, sugar, butter, and olive oil, then stir in zest and zucchini:

    Beat the eggs in a mixer (or by hand) until frothy. Beat in the sugar. Beat in the melted butter and olive oil. Stir in the lemon zest and grated zucchini.

  4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients:

    Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a third at a time, stirring after each incorporation.

  5. Pour the batter into loaf pans and bake:

    Divide batter/dough into two loaf pans. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Test after 40 minutes. If you gently press down on the surface of the loaf, it should bounce back, and a bamboo skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.

  6. Cool:

    Remove from the oven. Let cool for a few minutes and then remove the loaves from their pans to cool on a rack.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
3925 Calories
162g Fat
568g Carbs
61g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 3925
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 162g 208%
Saturated Fat 69g 345%
Cholesterol 616mg 205%
Sodium 3261mg 142%
Total Carbohydrate 568g 206%
Dietary Fiber 18g 64%
Total Sugars 262g
Protein 61g
Vitamin C 90mg 449%
Calcium 414mg 32%
Iron 23mg 129%
Potassium 2287mg 49%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.