Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Bread with Lemon Butter Glaze
This Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Bread is bright, moist, and packed with real lemon flavor. I focused on bringing lemon forward in the best possible way. From blending sugar with fresh lemon zest to release fragrant citrus oils to using homemade lemon buttermilk for even more lemony depth.
WHAT MAKES THIS LEMON ZUCCHINI BREAD SPECIAL
- Lemon flavor – I quadrupled down on the lemon flavor. Starting with blending sugar with fresh lemon zest to release vibrant, fragrant lemon oils, then using homemade lemon buttermilk for even more lemony depth, adding lemon extract to teh batter and finishing off with a fresh zesty lemon butter glaze for the win.
- Balanced sweetness – I intentionally use a little less sugar in the batter so the sweet lemon butter glaze can truly shine without making the bread overly sweet.
- Zesty lemon butter glaze – This simple-to-make glaze deserves its own moment. I’ve been making it for years, and it never disappoints. It’s bright, buttery, intensely lemony, and finished with just a touch of sea salt to balance everything beautifully.
- A different way to use zucchini – Instead of folding grated zucchini into the batter at the end, I blend the squeezed zucchini with the wet ingredients. The result is a delicate bread-meets-cake texture and a naturally soft green tint.
- Easy to make – I love how quickly the batter comes together. The wet ingredients are blended in a food processor or small chopper, then poured into the dry ingredients and mixed just until combined with a few gentle strokes before going straight into the oven.
- Light, moist, and tender – Similar to my one-bowl chocolate buttermilk cake, this lemon zucchini bread relies on simple baking chemistry to create a moist, tender crumb. The combination of oil, buttermilk, and baking soda works together to keep the bread light, moist, and soft. Learn how these ingredients work together.
BREAD INGREDIENTS
DRY INGREDIENTS
LEMON BUTTERMILK
The recipe uses lemon zest and lemon juice to make the glaze, so it makes sense to use some of the lemon juice to make homemade buttermilk. It’s simple: combine room-temperature milk with lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir and use in the recipe. For this recipe, make a quick lemon buttermilk by replacing 1 teaspoon of the milk with 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.
INTENSIFY LEMON FLAVOR
To bring out the fullest lemon flavor, pulse the sugar with fresh lemon zest. This helps release the fragrant lemon oils into the sugar, lightly tinting it yellow and intensifying the citrus flavor throughout the baked bread.
BLEND WET INGREDIENTS
What I love about this recipe is how quickly it comes together with the press of a button. Blend all the wet ingredients together until smooth. It takes 15-20 seconds.
Instead of folding grated zucchini into the batter at the end, I like to blend the squeezed zucchini with the wet ingredients in a small food processor for about a minute, just until smooth. It helps the zucchini blend seamlessly into the batter, giving the bread a soft, delicate texture without any noticeable shreds in the finished loaf.
QUICK BREAD BATTER – TOP TIP FOR OVERMIXING
To bring the wet and dry ingredients together, I like to use the wire beater from a handheld mixer. Its open design and wide spacing between the wires let everything blend smoothly without flour getting caught in the tool, which can sometimes happen with a traditional whisk. That trapped flour often leads to extra mixing, and with quick breads, that’s where things can go wrong, resulting in a loaf that turns dense or tough.
The 4-prong wire beater helps everything come together quickly and evenly in just a few strokes, keeping the batter light and well combined without overworking it. As soon as you no longer see dry streaks of flour, stop mixing. It literally takes 5-8 seconds. Pour batter into a prepared standard-size loaf pan lined with parchment.
BAKE
Bake the bread until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs sticking to it. Let it cool on the counter for 10 minutes and then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely before drizzling with the lemon glaze.
LEMON BUTTER GLAZE
I’m lucky to have fresh lemons literally within arm’s reach, but if you don’t, there are some good alternatives out there. One I’ve used and genuinely like is Volcano Italian Organic Lemon Juice. It has a clean, bright flavor and works really well in recipes like fresh lemon royal icing or lemon curd. It’s a solid option when fresh lemons aren’t available.
Prepare the glaze once the bread has cooled. Gently heat fresh lemon juice, butter, and lemon zest together just until the butter melts. Then whisk in the powdered sugar vigorously until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Drizzle the thick glaze over the cooled bread using a whisk or spoon, then finish with a light sprinkle of sea salt or Himalayan salt. If your glaze seems too runny or too thick, be sure to check my Success Tips section for helpful troubleshooting.
SUCCESS TIPS & FAQ
- will the bread taste like zucchini?
- gummy, heavy, or bread that is too wet?
- why blend the zucchini instead of folding it in?
- will olive oil make it taste savory?
- why is my butter-glaze too thin or too thick?
Will the bread taste like zucchini?
No, it will not taste like zucchini. In my recipe, lemon takes the stage. Zucchini sits back and, along with buttermilk, contributes to a moist loaf and a hit of refreshing green color.
Gummy, heavy, or bread that is too wet?
This is a very common issue. Zucchini naturally holds a lot of water, and if it isn’t squeezed well enough, the loaf can end up dense, damp, or underbaked in the center. Whether you decide to blend zucchini or use grated zucchini in the batter, squeeze the excess liquid from grated zucchini.
Why blend the zucchini instead of folding it in?
- I hear you. Let me explain. Blending shredded and squeezed zucchini with wet ingredients helps achieve a uniform batter. Grated zucchini can clump up, creating wet spots in the baked loaf.
- Using pureed zucchini creates a softer, finer crumb and a more even, delicate texture.
- Blending the zucchini into the wet ingredients also makes it much easier to mix with the dry ingredients without overmixing, which can sometimes happen when trying to evenly fold the grated zucchini into the batter.
- I love the subtle green color that pureed zucchini introduces to the batter.
- And let’s be honest, once little picky eaters spot zucchini shreds, they suddenly become very suspicious of the whole loaf. Blending keeps the texture smooth and lets the bright lemon flavor shine.
Will olive oil make it taste savory?
No, the bread doesn’t taste like olive oil at all. The bright lemon flavor really takes center stage here. Using light olive oil simply helps create a soft, moist texture alongside the zucchini and buttermilk, without adding a savory or noticeable olive-oil flavor.
Why is my butter-glaze too thin or too thick?
This is pretty common with butter glaze and comes down to the liquid-to-powdered sugar ratio or temperature. This glaze crusts as it sets so keep it covered with a damp cloth if not using right away.
- Runny Glaze
- If the glaze is cool and too runny, whisk in an additional tablespoon or 2 of powdered sugar.
- If the glaze is still warm, allow it to cool further or use a cold water bath to accelerate cooling. As butter starts to solidify, the glaze thickens (view steps 1-2).
- Thick Glaze
- Glaze has cooled and thickened too much to drizzle – Reheat it for 2-3 seconds in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water. It takes 2-3 seconds of hot steam to soften the glaze to a pourable consistency (view steps 1-4).
- Too much powdered sugar-to-liquid ratio? Add a few drops of lemon juice or water.
How long does the bread keep?
It keeps well for 1 to 2 days when covered at room temperature, or up to 7 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it for 3-4 months. I like to slice it first, wrap each slice individually, and then stack them in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or container. That way, I can easily grab a slice or two whenever I want.
Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- Food chopper/processor
- loaf pan
- microplane
Ingredients
Zucchini Bread
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour 175 grams
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp zest from 2 large lemons
- ¼+⅛ cup granulated sugar 75 grams
- 1/4 cup light olive oil 55 grams, 60 ml
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Extract
- 1/3 cup buttermilk or kefir 80 grams, 80 ml
- 1½ cups 1 medium-size coarsely shredded unpeeled zucchini Squeeze out as much liquid as you can. If using frozen zucchini, let it thaw .
Lemon Glaze
- 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120-125 grams
- 1 tsp lemon zest optional
- sea or Himalayan salt
Instructions
Zucchini Batter
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).Tip: If using a fan-forced oven, preheat to 340°F (170℃)
- Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour (1¼ cups, 175 grams), baking soda (1/2 teaspoon), baking powder (1/2 teaspoon), and salt (1/4 teaspoon).
- In a blender or a food processor, pulse granulated sugar and lemon zest (2 tablespoons)10 times. Pour in light olive oil (1/4 cup, 55 grams), eggs (2 eggs), Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), lemon extract (1/2 teaspoon), and buttermilk (1/3 cup, 80 grams). Blend until smooth. Add grated and squeezed zucchini and blend for 30 seconds, until smooth with bit of green
- Pour wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Stir, just until combined. Don't overmix. Pour a batter into a prepared loaf pan
Bake
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs sticking to it.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then lift the bread from the pan using parchment and allow it to cool before glazing.
Glaze
- In a small pan, heat lemon juice (1½ tablespoons) and butter (1 tablespoon), just until butter is melted. Add powdered sugar (1 cup, 120-125 grams) and stir vigorously until smooth and thick.Tip: If needed, place the bowl in a cold water bath to speed up cooling. As the glaze cools, it will naturally thicken. If it gets too thick, heat it over a simmering water for 5-10 seconds.
Drizzle Glaze
- With a whisk, drizzle glaze over cooled bread. Allow to set. Slice and enjoy. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
This recipe was first published on January 5, 2013. On May 29, 2026, I updated this recipe with a brand-new version, featuring step-by-step process pictures, written instructions, and a new recipe card.
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Hi, I’m Hani
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.
Hi, I’m Hani
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.
I never thought to put lemon glaze on zucchini bread! That's brilliant!