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Lemon Zucchini Bread with Crumb Topping

Dense, moist, and sticky-sweet, bursting with vibrant citrus, decked out with crunchy, buttery crumbs, and smothered in tangy, sweet-tart glaze, this Lemon Zucchini Bread will be an instant classic. Easier than it sounds, and it calls for lots of in-season ingredients!
Course Bread
Keyword lemon zucchini bread, lemon zucchini bread with crumb topping, zucchini bread
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12
Author Sarah

Ingredients

For Lemon Zucchini Bread:

  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 cups grated zucchini about 2 medium
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. lemon extract
  • zest of 1 large lemon
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda

For Crumb Topping:

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 tbsp. butter melted

For Lemon Glaze:

  • zest of 1 large lemon
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp. melted butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
  • 3 - 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For Lemon Zucchini Bread:

  • In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest.
  • In another large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
  • Line two loaf pans with parchment paper or foil, allowing the ends to hang over the edges of the pan. Spray with non-stick spray.
  • Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
  • Prepare crumb topping.

For Crumb Topping:

  • In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, sugar, and flour.
  • Drizzle butter gradually over the flour mixture, stirring and tossing, until pea-sized crumbs form.
  • If mixture is too wet, allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes as the butter firms back up. Stir and toss again, and if it's still a bit wet, add a tablespoon or two of flour, and toss til coarse crumbs form.
  • Scatter crumbs evenly over top of the batter in the prepared pans, working from the edges toward the center -- work from the edges inward.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until edges are golden, and a toothpick inserted near the center of each loaf comes out clean. I recommend rotating the pans halfway through baking time.
  • Remove pans to wire racks to cool for 15-20 minutes (no longer -- bread will want to stick to the pans!).
  • Run a knife around any exposed edges to loosen, and remove bread loaves from pans using foil or parchment paper to lift them out. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Prepare glaze.

For Lemon Glaze:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, melted butter, vanilla, and lemon extract.
  • Add three cups powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar, as needed, to achieve desired consistency. I like a thick glaze, not a thin, drippy one, so I typically add the full amount of powdered sugar.
  • Drizzle glaze over cooled loaves. Allow to set slightly, about 20 minutes, before cutting and serving.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

This recipe will also make one large 9x5-loaf, plus 6-8 regular-sized muffins. Bake loaf at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes, and muffins at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
This recipe will also make about 24 regular-sized muffins. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.