This lightened-up lemon zucchini bread is bright, cozy, and comes together in one bowl with feel-good ingredients like yogurt, white whole wheat flour, and 2 cups (!) of grated zucchini. It’s perfectly sweet with less added sugar, full of lemony flavor, and just right with coffee or as a quick snack. Wildly delicious all on its own, but level it up by adding the homemade lemon glaze and it becomes the most amazing feel-good dessert.

One hand taking a slice of lemon zucchini bread. There are 3 slices and the remaining loaf on a cooling rack on a countertop. The bread has a glaze drizzled on top. Next to the loaf on the countertop is a lemon half, a whole lemon, a whole zucchini, and a kitchen towel. On the cooling rack next to the bread are 3 lemon halves and a plate with grated zucchini.

Bright, light, lemon-y and oodles of feel-good energy….

I can’t believe I am saying this… but this lemon zucchini loaf might just be my favorite spring-coded dessert recipe. It’s soft, not-too-sweet, super lemony, and the texture is so good thanks to the yogurt (that I find is key for keeping it moist and spongy) and a solid 2 cups of grated zucchini. And you’d never guess it’s made with less added sugar than most lemon bread recipes out there….its just the right balance of decadent, fresh and feel-good.

When I was developing this recipe, I played around with a bunch of versions before finally landing on this one (including one with maple syrup that turned out way too moist (its a delicate balance)), and this one just shines in all the ways. Mixed together in one bowl ✅, made with whole grains but also doesn’t taste “healthy” ✅, bakes up in about 45 minutes ✅ perfect and sweet enough on its own to enjoy was a sweet afternoon snack or with your morning cup of coffee ✅…..no notes. But if you’ve got a few extra minutes, the optional quick homemade lemon glaze totally turns it into a very legit dessert situation (yep, with still less sugar).

This one is definitely for you lemon heads out there. Make it. Store it in your fridge and have your heavenly snacky moments all week.

Let’s make this together. Just you and me…

Jump to Recipe Instructions
One hand holding a glass mixing bowl while the other hand massages lemon zest into brown sugar. The bowl is sitting on a counter surrounded by 2 whole eggs in the shell, a half of a lemon, a bowl filled with grated zucchini, a small glass jar filled with oil, a bowl of flour, and another small bowl filled with baking powder, baking powder, and salt.
First, we are going to massage that lemon zest into the sugar. In testing this recipe, this step is *key* for making that lemon flavor shine without extract.
A pair of hands holding a glass mixing bowl filled with the wet ingredients for lemon zucchini bread (2 cracked eggs, yogurt, oil, grated zucchini, lemon juice, brown sugar and lemon zest). The bowl is sitting on a countertop surrounded by 2 lemon halves, a bowl of flour, and a bowl filled with baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Okay, next add the eggs, yogurt, oil, lemon juice and alllll that beautiful zucchini to the lemon sugar bowl.
One hand is holding a glass mixing bowl while the other hand is using a whisk to combine the wet ingredients for lemon zucchini bread. On the counter next to the mixing bowl are 2 lemon halves, a bowl of flour, and a bowl filled with baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Give it a good whisk until combined.
One hand is holding a glass mixing bowl while the other hand is using a large spoon to mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl. On the counter surrounding the mixing bowl are 2 lemon halves.
To the same bowl, sprinkle the baking powder, the baking soda, salt, and flour. Mix it into the wet mixture (but don’t over mix!)
A pair of hands holding a loaf pan filled with uncooked batter for lemon zucchini bread. The loaf pan is sitting on a countertop surrounded by a whole zucchini and 2 lemon halves.
Now pour that batter into a lined loaf metal loaf pan.
A full loaf of baked lemon zucchini bread is sitting on a cooling rack along with two lemon halves and a whole zucchini. The cooling rack is on a countertop surrounded by two whole zucchini and a whole lemon.
And bake her up! It should take about 50 minutes!
One hand holding a small bowl while the other hand is using a spoon to mix up lemon glaze in a bowl. The bowl is sitting on a counter. Next to the bowl on the counter are two whole zucchini and a lemon half. A cooling rack with a full loaf of baked lemon zucchini bread and a full lemon are also on the countertop.
While your lovely loaf is cooling, make the glaze (if you’re going that route)
Lemon glaze being drizzled by hand using a spoon on top of a whole, baked lemon zucchini bread loaf. The loaf is sitting on a cooling rack and, next to it, are two lemon halves and a small bowl filled with the lemon glaze. The cooling rack is sitting on a countertop surrounded by a whole lemon, two whole zucchini, and a kitchen towel.
Drizzle to your heart’s delight and she is ready to slice into!
A plate with 2 slices of glazed lightened up lemon zucchini bread. The plate is sitting on a counter and surrounded by another plate with a slice of the bread, a bowl with milk and a spoon, two lemon halves, a few whole zucchini, a whole lemon, and a kitchen towel.
4.20 from 5 votes

Lighter Lemon Zucchini Bread

Yield: 12 slices
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Taesha Butler
This lightened-up lemon zucchini bread is bright, cozy, and comes together in one bowl with feel-good ingredients like yogurt, white whole wheat flour, and 2 cups (!) of grated zucchini. It’s perfectly sweet with less added sugar, full of lemony flavor, and just right with coffee or as a quick snack. Wildly delicious all on its own, but level it up by adding the homemade lemon glaze and it becomes the most amazing feel-good dessert.
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 Tablespoons lemon zest, from about 2 lemons
  • ½ cup coconut sugar, or light brown sugar
  • 2 cups (200 g) loosely packed grated zucchini , don't squeeze out
  • ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup avocado oil, or other light flavored oil or melted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups white whole wheat flour, or 1¾ cup all-purpose
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Optional lemon glaze

  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease a 9×5-inch heavy-weight steel loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
  • Place lemon zest and sugar in a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the lemon zest and sugar together for at least a minute. This step helps to release the lemon oils into the sugar and really brings out the lemon flavor without needing to use an extract.
  • Whisk in the grated zucchini, lemon juice, egg, yogurt, oil, and vanilla.
  • Add the flour then sprinkle over the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a rubber spatula or large spoon to mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
  • Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until the loaf is a light golden brown around the edges and no longer look wet in the center, about 45-55 minutes
    If you have a kitchen thermometer, bake until the loaf has an internal temperature of 200℉. This will indicate that the bread is baked through without over baking.
  • Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan then transfer the loaf to a cooling rack to cool for 20 minutes before enjoying.
  • While the loaf cools, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and there are no lumps. Drizzle the glaze over the loaf.
  • Once completely cool, slice into 12 pieces. The loaf can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerated for 4-5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 166kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 209mg, Potassium: 142mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 128IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.