Did you know that they sell quick bread box mixes in grocery stores!? I think that’s so strange. Fake flour, loads of sugar, and ultra dehydrated blueberries in a box to be mixed with water and eggs. This concerns me… deeply. Exactly how quick does a quick bread have to be to make it in this world?
I think homemade quick breads are dreamy. With enough creativity and guts, you can throw just about anything into a quick bread and call it delicious. This go around I tried zucchini and sweet potato. The combination produced a full and unique flavor: not too heavy on the zucchini or sweet potato flavors. And of course, because I’m me, I also loaded the bread with spices, nuts and cranberries. You can modify if to your taste, I make room for that in the recipe. Because, yes, I care.
What’s your favorite kind of quick bread? If you say the boxed kind, I swear, I’ll scream.
Zucchini Sweet Potato Bread
adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, November 1992
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves (the nutmeg and the cloves are optional, you’ll just have a less spicy bread)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar)
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup oil and 1/4 cup apple sauce. Less fat.)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup grated zucchini
1 1/2 cup peeled and grated sweet potato
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9×5x3- inch loaf pan and set aside. Sift the first 7 ingredients into a medium sized bowl. In a seperate, large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in the zucchini and sweet potato. Add the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Fold in the nuts and cranberries and stir well.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool bread in pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges of the bread with a butter knife and turn out on a rack to cool completely. Can be prepared 1 day in advance. Wrap in foil and keep at room temperature.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Guess what? I was one of those people who used the boxed quick bread mix when I was a teenager. GASP! I know, gross gross. But when you are 14 and your mom can’t even crack an egg, you gotta do what you gotta do, right? But I’m a reformed person now. Your post today has made me totally excited for summer when the zucchini produce is abundant. Can’t wait till I can try my hand at this yummy breakfast treat
May 8th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I simply LOVE baking quick breads at home. You can have a delicious breakfast or snack in a very few time, and like you’ve said, you can do experiments with anything you have in the kitchen. I think it’s even better when it’s raining outside, the spicy smell coming out of the oven gives a touch of magic to your home ^^
I like very very much your blog, recipes, photos and words
But sorry for my (probably) poor English ^^U
May 8th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Yum, sounds great. I love making sweet potato bread, and I love zucchini bread - it only makes sense that I would love a bread that combines the two!
May 8th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
This looks wonderful! Such an interesting but delicious-looking combination of flavors. I am totally with you on the homemade quickbread. I think that boxed breads are quite sad
I am usually a fan of banana bread, but I really want to try this recipe next time I made quickbread!
May 8th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Really luscious looking - the zuccini factor always gives it that moist, rich flavor. Sweet potato - hmmm… interesting idea. It looks amazing.
May 8th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I’m trying a strawberry and rhubarb quick bread this weekend…if it’s half as good as this looks, I will be in heaven!
May 9th, 2008 at 12:43 am
And because it has veggies in it it’s good for you, eh?
May 9th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Looks scrumptious. And sounds healthy :]
May 9th, 2008 at 10:48 am
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve been wanting a good zucchini bread recipe….this looks perfectly wonderful!
May 9th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Haven’t been to your site in a while, and man! I’ve been missing so much! I hardly knew which post to comment on first, but I figured I’d just comment on the first to say everything looks awesome, including this zucchini bread. Yum!
May 9th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I wouldn’t have thought to grate in the sweet potato! Come summer though, there will be lots of zucchini around my place to eat.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Mmmm… I hadn’t thought of sweet potato. Yum!
May 9th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
I have never had zucchini sweet potato bread, but after seeing yours I wish I had a slice right now! I love zucchini bread, so I bet I’d love this one too!
May 10th, 2008 at 2:38 am
I’m Australian and we don’t really have a tradition of quick breads here. This might be a weird question - but when do people typically eat these breads? Are they essentially a cake? Do you have them for dessert? Or are they more the kind of thing you toast and have with tea?
May 10th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Dana- Thanks so much!
Brilynn- I know, the grated sweet potato sounded totally weird to me too! But it really worked out wonderfully!
Hilary- I think here in the US people generally eat quick breads for breakfast, with coffee or tea. They’re not really a dessert item, although they often taste as sweet and delicious as a dessert. Breakfast or afternoon snack- that’s what I think quick breads are great for!
Thanks for commenting everyone! I always love to hear from you! xoxx- Joy the Baker
May 11th, 2008 at 8:59 am
This bread look delicious…I’m actually in the process of making it right now (and it smells delicious in the oven!).
One comment though, this makes two loaves, right, and not one? Unless I did something wrong, there was no way all of that batter was going to fit into just one loaf pan. I ended up using muffin tins for the other batter, hope they turn out right :-O
May 20th, 2008 at 5:56 am
I love both zucchini and sweet potato breads, but never thought to combine them, what a great idea!
May 30th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Love love love your website…all your recipes sound so delicious and wholesome!
June 14th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
[...] you baking for you Dad this Father’s Day? I was thinking of re-releasing this Zucchini Sweet Potato Bread since my Dad devoured it last time he came to visit. [...]
June 19th, 2008 at 10:15 am
[...] Well… you should. What the recipe is trying to tell you is that your cupcakes, or loaf of zucchini bread, or blackberry muffins need to combine with a certain temperature to do their thing. And we all [...]
July 29th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I LOVE YOUR SITE!!! I just stumbled upon it, literally!!!! WOW! I can’t wait to try some of these wonderful recipes! Thank you JOY!!!
August 5th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
One more question, how well does this Zucchini Bread Freeze?
August 5th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Diana- This bread freezes beautifully!
August 14th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
I love your site. you are very creative and the pics are soo tempting. I am not so good at baking but I really want to give this quick bread a try. I just wanted to ask if I can just use 3 cups of grated zucchini instead of sweet potato. I don’t have any at the moment. Please let me know. Thank you and keep up the great work =D
October 17th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Just tried your recipe today. It was fantastic. My husband LOVED it. Says it is definitely a make again. Very easy, quick and good tasting. Did your version of everything in (). Do Not skip the cloves and nutmeg. It definitely adds something to it. Also added the dried cranberries. This bread is wonderful and would be great as holiday gifts.
April 24th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
I baked this yesterday and it is (so far) the best loaf bread I’ve had! I keep munching on it…