This easy zucchini bread is super quick and easy because it’s made using a cake mix, so it mixes together quickly and comes out moist and delicious every single time.
The whole family is going to absolutely love this bread. You can serve it warm with or without butter and it’s the perfect breakfast, dessert, or treat.
Table of Contents:
Cake mix zucchini bread is really the easiest way to make zucchini bread. If you don’t feel like measuring tons of ingredients but want a delicious treat, this is perfect. You can add a glaze if you want to, but this quick bread is good on its own as well.
This is also a great way to use up extra zucchini you either bought or that someone gave to you. In my case, I’m always being given fresh veggies from gardeners and I love it because I can make treats like this.
Ingredient Notes:
Now let’s talk about just some of the ingredients that are in this cake mix zucchini bread. (The printable list of all ingredients is in the recipe card below.)
Yellow cake mix: This recipe starts with a yellow cake mix which makes things super easy. It would probably work with a chocolate cake mix or a spice cake mix as well. I generally like to use Betty Crocker’s yellow cake mix, but you can use your favorite brand.
Oil and melted butter: You’ll add both oil and butter here because the oil will help give this sweet bread a lot of moisture and the butter adds that yummy buttery flavor.
Vanilla & Cinnamon: It’s always good to add a bit of vanilla as it just rounds out the flavors and helps to make things taste homemade. The cinnamon is the perfect complement to the zucchini and really gives it that spice cake taste but not in an overpowering way.
Shredded (or grated) zucchini: This is the star of this sweet bread and it gives it so much moisture. You can just use a box grater and shred it easily that way.
| Ideas for Customizing this Bread |
|---|
| Feel free to use a chocolate cake mix to make this a chocolate zucchini bread. You could also add chocolate chips or white chocolate chips, plus feel free to add any type of nuts you like. |
How to Make this Bread:
Let’s talk about how to make this zucchini bread using a cake mix. (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 325°F and make sure to grease and flour (or spray) an 8×4-inch loaf pan. You could also use a 9-inch loaf pan.
Step 2:
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients (except for the shredded/grated zucchini) with an electric mixer on medium until well mixed.
Step 3:
Add the zucchini and mix in by hand with a large spoon or a silicone spatula.
Step 4:
Add the batter to the pan and spread evenly.
Step 5:
Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with either a few moist crumbs on it or clean, but with no raw batter. (Start checking at about 40 minutes.)
Remove the bread from the oven and set the pan on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes.
Step 6:
Remove the bread loaf from the pan and let it cool completely on the rack. Make sure to let the bread cool completely before cutting it or the bread may crumble.
| What Can I Pair This With? |
|---|
| This bread would be wonderful with a bit of warm butter added, or even some cream cheese spread. You could also add fruit, honey or whipped cream. You could pair this with yogurt, warm tea or coffee. |
Easy Zucchini Bread with Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) box yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups shredded or grated zucchini
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour (or spray) an 8×4-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients (except for the shredded/grated zucchini) with an electric mixer on medium until well mixed.
- Add the zucchini and mix in by hand.
- Add the batter to the pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with either a few moist crumbs on it or clean, but with no raw batter. (Start checking at about 40 minutes.)
- Remove the bread from the oven and set the pan on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool completely on the rack.
- Make sure to let the bread cool completely before cutting or the bread may crumble.
Notes
Nutrition
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Tips & FAQs:
Absolutely and it comes together quickly and easily by just adding in a few other ingredients. You can see all the ingredients and steps in the recipe card below this FAQ section.
You can most likely use any type of 15-ounce cake mix, but I used a yellow cake mix for this recipe. I personally prefer Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix, but Duncan Hines is also good.
Most likely. I find yellow cake mix works well, but a chocolate cake mix or a spice cake mix would probably work just as well and will lend different flavors.
No, just add the cake mix dry and then add the rest of the ingredients listed in the recipe, but not on the back of the cake mix box.
You can use either unsalted or salted butter. I prefer unsalted for baking, but since this recipe only calls for a small amount, either will work. Try to use real butter though and not margarine as the point of adding the butter is to get that rich, buttery taste and margarine just won’t do that.
No, but it adds a nice flavor to the bread and is part of what makes a zucchini cake so good.
Yes, it’s a good idea to wash, dry and then peel the zucchini before shredding it. It goes fast if you use a vegetable peeler.
It’s easy to just use a box grater (cheese grater). If your zucchini is large, cut it into 3-4 inch sections (usually that’s cutting the zucchini in 1/2 or into 1/3), then just scrape the zucchini on the box grater. You can use the shred side of the grater or the grate side. Either work.
The zucchini does need to be either shredded or grated though as just cutting into small chunks won’t accomplish a good finished product.
The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out with either a few moist crumbs on it or clean, but no raw batter. A crack may form along the top and that’s normal.
Make sure to let this bread cool completely before trying to slice it. If it’s still very warm when sliced, it can be harder to cut and may crumble more.
This bread can be made ahead of time and frozen if desired. Let the baked bread cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to two months. To thaw, place the wrapped bread on the counter at room temperature and let thaw completely, then remove the wrapping.
This bread can be stored at room temperature, covered well, for about two days, then store the bread in the refrigerator for another 3-4 days to prolong freshness.
I have not tested this recipe out as muffins, but it may work fine. Fill 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes) with cupcake liners and fill with batter about 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F and start checking for doneness at around 20-25 minutes.
This bread is best eaten at room temperature or warmed. You can also add a little butter to a slice and warm it up in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
Feel free to add raisins, white chocolate chips, chocolate chips and/or nuts to the bread batter.
Video:
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