Zucchini Bread with Craisins and Vanilla Bean Glaze
I’m a bit of an outcast among my friends and family: I don’t like coffee. (I know, I know – the horror!) Both of my parents drank coffee, and I remember waking up as a child to the smell of freshly-brewed joe wafting down the hallway and the sputtering sound of the coffee maker percolating away. It’s always been a homey, comforting smell to me, but I can’t seem to stomach the taste, no matter how doctored up I make it.
I don’t know about you, but there always comes a time during the day when I am low on energy and could easily curl up and take a nap. My eyes droop, I start to tune out. It usually happens shortly after the kids get home from school. I find it odd that their energy level is not contagious. Does this happen to anyone else? This is where I usually curse myself for not liking coffee. I could use the caffeine right about now.
Enter this zucchini bread. It’s the perfect pick-me-up for that mid-afternoon lull in my energy. Add a cup of tea, 5 minutes to catch up on a few pages of a book (or, more realistically, go through schoolwork and the mail), and I’m suddenly back in the game. The warm cinnamon and spicy nutmeg are a great match for the tangy craisins. The zucchini keeps the bread moist and gives it a good crumb. Top it all off with a vanilla bean glaze, and I feel like someone hit the reset button. Bring on the rest of the day!
- 1¼ cups flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 cup craisins
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed to remove most of moisture
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste OR 1 vanilla bean, split in half and seeds scraped
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the inside of a loaf pan.
- Whisk the first seven ingredients (flour through nutmeg) together in a large bowl. Stir in the craisins.
- In another bowl, stir together the butter, eggs, greek yogurt and vanilla extract. Stir in the zucchini.
- Gently fold together the wet and dry mixtures until they are just combined.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Cool for 30 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack then remove from pan to cool completely.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Pour over the zucchini bread and let set for 30 minutes.
4 Comments
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I think I know who wrote this!! (Anna?
looks yummy! I think Jackson and Logan might like it too!
Sara
You know me well! I’ll have to surprise the boys with a loaf some time soon.
I’ve never made Zucchini bread, but after having seen so many recipes lately, I think I’m going to give it a try some time next month. Bookmarked this recipe cause it looks delicious.
Hi Johanna, Zucchini bread is one of my favorites. I hope you like it, too!