This zucchini raisin bread machine recipe makes a lightly sweet, yeasted loaf studded with raisins and a hint of cinnamon. It’s not cake. It’s actual bread, and that’s exactly the point. Load up the bread machine with fresh shredded zucchini and let it do the work while you find something better to do with your summer afternoon.
It makes excellent breakfast toast and a great peanut butter sandwich, and it’s one of the best ways to put a garden zucchini surplus to use.
Ingredients
This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients alongside fresh shredded zucchini. It was inspired by my savory zucchini bread for the bread machine recipe, tweaked to be sweeter and fruit-studded.
Using Raw Zucchini
Zucchini can have a lot of water in it, which could potentially throw off a yeasted bread recipe, but I tested this recipe a number of times and it came out perfectly .
I used just 1 ½ cups of shredded zucchini, which was very lightly packed.
I grated the zucchini on a standard box grater, the largest holes. I suppose a food processor could work but could also give more water / juice.
I did not strain the zucchini or squeeze out the water – I suppose you could but that isn’t how this recipe was tested.
A Bit of Whole Wheat Flour
There’s just a bit of whole wheat flour in the recipe.
It definitely adds some whole grain flavor and texture but it isn’t heavy in any way.
Whole wheat also absorbs water a bit differently so I figured it would help with any excess water from the shredded zucchini.
Raisins
I used basic dark raisins because I always have them in my pantry. You could skip the raisins if you don’t like them.
You could easily use golden raisins or other small dried fruit instead – think dried cranberries, currants, etc.
Spice
I went with basic cinnamon but you could skip it or use something else you prefer instead. Apple pie spice would be nice or something like cardamom or ginger.
Dairy or Non-Dairy?
I used milk for the liquid but you could easily use water instead if you need to skip milk for some reason.
You could also use shortening or margarine instead of butter.
Yeast Choices
I use instant yeast for ease in every bread machine recipe I test. If you want to use active dry yeast or bread machine yeast, simply follow your manufacturer’s instructions but I can’t say for certainty in what amount.
About My Bread Machine
This recipe was tested in a Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Bread Machine.
Because I’ve tested recipes on another machine in the past and have read many other bread machine recipes, I believe this recipe will work in any machine that can make a 2 pound loaf. Do follow your manufacturer’s instructions if they vary from anything I’ve written.
How to Serve
This bread makes an ideal toast in my opinion. It’s perfect toasted with just a bit of butter with tea for a light snack or breakfast. It’s tasty spread with peanut butter or other nut butter too.
Use it to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for those packed lunches.
Troubleshooting
The loaf is too dense. This recipe uses whole wheat flour which produces a denser loaf than an all-white flour bread. That’s expected. If it’s unpleasantly dense, make sure the zucchini wasn’t packed too tightly when measured and that the yeast was fresh and active before the cycle started.
The loaf collapsed in the center. Too much moisture is the most likely cause. Zucchini releases water during the kneading cycle. If your zucchini is particularly watery, try reducing the milk by a tablespoon or two on your next bake.
The raisins are all at one end of the loaf. This can happen if the raisins were added too early or too late in the cycle. Add them when your machine signals the mix-in time, which is typically near the end of the first kneading cycle.
The yeast didn’t activate. Make sure your instant yeast is fresh and was added last on top of the flour, away from the salt and liquids, before the cycle begins. Salt in direct contact with yeast before mixing can inhibit the rise.
The crust is too dark. Try selecting a lighter crust setting next time. The whole wheat flour and brown sugar in this recipe can cause the crust to darken more than a plain white loaf.
How to Store
Keep baked and cooled bread in an airtight container where it should stay fresh for up to 5 days when kept at room temperature.
For longer term storage, put the entire loaf or even slices into freezer bags or other freezer containers and freeze.
Use up frozen bread within 6 months for best flavor and to prevent freezer burn. Let frozen bread thaw on the counter prior to serving.
Yeasted Zucchini Raisin Bread Recipe for the Bread Maker
A lightly sweet yeasted zucchini raisin bread made entirely in the bread machine. Fresh shredded zucchini, a touch of cinnamon, and juicy raisins make this a perfect breakfast toast or sandwich loaf.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 ½ Cups Shredded Zucchini
- ⅓ Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 ½ Cups Bread Flour
- 1 ½ Cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 teaspoons Instant Yeast
- ½ Cup Raisins
Instructions
- Place everything but the raisins in the machine bread pan in the order written (or as directed by your machine's instructions). Usually liquid ingredients are followed by salt and the dry ingredients with the yeast being added last on top of the flour, but again follow your bread machine manual for best results.
- Put the bread machine pan in the bread maker and close the lid.
- Select the whole wheat dough cycle. Select medium crust (or desired crust color). Use a 2-pound loaf setting.
- Press Start.
- Add the raisins when your machine suggests adding things - mine beeps towards the end of the first kneading cycle.
- Let the machine finish the baking process.
- When done, remove the pan from the machine, run a butter knife around the sides of the loaf pan. Using oven mitts, turn pan upside down and gently shake to remove bread from pan and let bread cool to room temperature on a wire cooling rack before slicing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 113Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 191mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g
I try but cannot guarantee this nutritional information is 100% accurate.
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