Olive Oil Zucchini Bread with a Crackly Cinnamon-Sugar Top

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A dessert-serious zucchini loaf: fruity olive oil and sour cream keep the crumb custardy for days, dark brown sugar pushes it toward butterscotch, and a cinnamon-sugar lid bakes into a thin, shattering crust. The zucchini is blotted, not wrung dry, so its moisture ends up in the bread instead of in the sink. Serve thick slices warm with a smear of butter, or cold from the fridge with coffee.

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb / 450 g), grated on the large holes of a box grater
• 1/4 tsp fine salt (for drawing out the zucchini)

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (225 g), spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp fine salt

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (160 g)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (65 g)
• 1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil (110 g)
• 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate or chips (optional)

• 2 tbsp turbinado or demerara sugar
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the lower third. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with a parchment sling that hangs over the long sides.
2. Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater — no need to peel. You want about 2 1/2 packed cups (350 g). Toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt, pile it in a colander set over the sink, and leave it for 10 minutes while you mix everything else.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar hard for 60 seconds, until the mixture loosens and looks glossy with no dry sugar lumps. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream, then the sour cream and vanilla, until smooth and emulsified.
5. Turn the drained zucchini onto a clean kitchen towel, roll it up, and press gently to blot off surface liquid — press, do not wring. It should feel damp, not dry; that water is what keeps the crumb tender.
6. Stir the zucchini into the wet mixture with a flexible spatula. Add the dry ingredients and fold just until no streaks of flour remain, about 15 to 20 strokes. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate, if using. The batter will be thick and scoopable.
7. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Stir the turbinado sugar, granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together and scatter it evenly over the surface, all the way to the edges.
8. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until the top is deep brown and domed, the crack in the center looks dry, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with only moist crumbs (internal temperature 205–210°F / 96–99°C). If the top is browning fast at the 45-minute mark, tent loosely with foil.
9. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then lift out by the parchment onto a rack. Cool at least another 40 minutes before slicing — cutting hot will smear the crumb. Serve slightly warm or fully cooled.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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