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The Best Moist Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread with Cinnamon Swirl

Close-up of a moist slice of snickerdoodle zucchini bread featuring a thick cinnamon-sugar crumb topping.
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You must try this incredibly moist Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread. It captures the soft, tangy flavor of your favorite snickerdoodle cookies in a tender loaf, complete with a warm cinnamon swirl. This is the perfect way to use up summer zucchini.

Ingredients

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  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, squeezed dry
  • 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • For the Cinnamon Swirl: 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • For the Cinnamon Swirl: 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • For the Topping: 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • For the Topping: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set this dry mixture aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1 1/2 cups of the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This step is key for a soft crumb.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. In a separate small bowl, mix the squeezed, shredded zucchini with the sour cream or yogurt.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  7. Gently fold in the zucchini mixture until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  8. Prepare the cinnamon swirl: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon until combined.
  9. Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the batter. Top with the remaining batter, and then sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
  10. Prepare the topping: Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the loaf batter.
  11. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with foil after 40 minutes.
  12. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • Squeeze the moisture from your shredded zucchini very well. Excess water will make your bread dense.
  • Cream of tartar is essential here; it reacts with the baking soda to give you that signature, slightly tangy snickerdoodle flavor.
  • For an extra soft texture, treat this like a cake and avoid overmixing the batter once the flour is added.
  • This loaf tastes even better the next day once the spices have fully settled into the moist crumb.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://eatableempress.com/snickerdoodle-zucchini-bread-recipe/