This savory zucchini bread is a great way to use up all of your garden zucchini in a unique savory way. Don’t skip the salted honey butter – it adds just the right contrast and sweetness to really bring out the flavors.
It’s that time of year when you either have a garden overflowing with zucchini, or if you’re like me, you don’t have a garden but your friends give you zucchini and you need some serious recipe inspiration.
You can certainly make the classic sweet zucchini quick bread that everyone loves but have you ever gone savory? It is such a great mash-up of flavors, and the perfect vehicle for a salty sweet honey studded butter. Just perfection!
Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
Ingredients
- whole wheat pastry flour. This is my go-to flour for quick breads because it has a nice light texture with the added nutrition benefit of being whole grain. It works great with the other savory ingredients too!
- salt, pepper, granulated garlic, baking soda, baking powder are the items from the spice cabinet that make this bread sing.
- zucchini (shredded)
- sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- olive oil to keep things moist with a fluffy texture
- buttermilk adds acidity and helps keep the bread tender (if you don’t have any on hand, you can also make your own buttermilk!)
- eggs for structure and stability
- honey (just a touch) to balance out the savory ingredients.
- sun-dried tomatoes & chives which are folded in just before baking. They add great color and flavor!
Ingredient Substitutions
This bread is packed with flavorful ingredients but don’t be afraid to mix things up. If you’re not crazy about the mix-ins or can’t find something at your grocery store, rest assured you can easily customize.
Here are a few ideas that would work really well:
- Cheese – try smoked gouda for a unique flavor or pepper jack for added heat
- Nuts – use walnuts for something crunchy
- Olives – chopped kalamata olives would be a great flavor pairing
- Herbs – minced rosemary, oregano or basil instead of the chives
- Spices – bring the heat with cayenne pepper or smokiness with smoked paprika
Savory Zucchini Bread FAQs
Let the bread cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
I always recommend that you finish quick breads within 2 days or freeze them. The quality starts to deteriorate fast after that in my opinion. To freeze, wrap completely cooled bread in plastic wrap, then place in a zip top gallon size bag before transferring to the freezer. To bring back to room temperature, let it sit on the counter for a few hours.
I would recommend using a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill in place of the whole wheat pastry flour. Note that I haven’t tried this substitution.
Salted Honey Butter
Whatever you do, do not skip the salted honey butter! It’s the perfect compliment and really elevates this bread to the next level. I love the sweet/savory combination.
My favorite way to eat this is paired with eggs at breakfast, but it’s versatile and can also be served with a salad and some grilled protein at dinner.
More Summer Recipes:
PrintSavory Zucchini Bread
This savory zucchini bread is a great way to use up all of that garden zucchini in a unique savory way. Don’t skip the salted honey butter – it adds just the right contrast and sweetness to really bring out the flavors. It’s a beautiful quick bread to include in your brunch spread!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 65 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, lightly packed
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
Salted Honey Butter:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tbsp honey
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan and line with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients (flour through pepper).
- In a large bowl, mix wet ingredients (zucchini through honey).
- Gradually add dry to wet and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined (be sure not to over mix).
- Fold in sun-dried tomatoes and chives.
- Transfer batter to lined loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Place loaf pan on a cooling rack and allow the bread to cool before removing and slicing. Serve with the salted honey butter.
Notes
- The equipment section above includes affiliate links to things I use often in my kitchen and recommend.
- Nutrition information doesn’t include honey butter
This recipe was originally published in July 2020. Recipe, photos and content were updated in July 2022.
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Sue says
I loved this savory version of zucchini bread! The sundried tomatoes, chives, and cheddar cheese are delicious. So many zucchini bread recipes are sweet and, while tasty, not really something I get excited about. This recipe changes all of that–everyone, bring over your excess zucchini so I can bake this bread! I will definitely make this again.
Leanne says
Thank you so much! 🙏 So many fun flavors going on. And actually, I was just gifted two big zucchinis today so I might have to make another loaf. Wish I could mail one to you lol!