Name: Spicy Zucchini Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 1 Loaf
Ingredients: For the Zucchini Bread; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoons baking powder; 2 teaspoons mild curry powder; ¼ teaspoon ground ginger; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 cup light brown sugar; ¼ cup granulated sugar; ½ cup melted coconut oil, cooled; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups shredded zucchini, rest on paper towels to drain; ½ cup chopped, toasted cashews; 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, sliced, seeds removed as desired; ⅓ cup powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon lime juice; 3 tablespoons mango purée

Sides

Spicy Zucchini Bread

Author: Mary DiSomma

There are certain recipes I make knowing full well I’ll need to bake extra—because there will definitely not be leftovers! My spicy zucchini bread is one of them. My neighbors love it, my family loves it, and I love it too. I recently brought a loaf to my daughter while she was moving into her new place and remembered just how good it is.

Growing up in an Italian family, we cooked with zucchini often. My mom always made zucchini with eggs, and to this day that flavor combination takes me straight back to her kitchen. After I traveled to India for a dear friend’s wedding, I was inspired to play with my mom’s recipe. I fell in love with warm, layered spice blends and started adding them to my own zucchini and eggs recipe.

Scrambled Eggs with Zucchini➝

This zucchini bread recipe takes its inspiration from there. It's moist and tender like the classic version you know and love, but spiced up with curry powder, jalapeño, toasted cashews, and a glossy mango glaze that makes it truly unique. If you’re searching for an amazing zucchini bread recipe, you’ll want to give this one a try!

Ingredient Tips

Your success with this recipe will depend partly on the freshness of your spices. For the benefit of all your home cooking, it’s a good idea to go through your dry herbs and spices every now and then! Check their expiration dates and give them a sniff. You’ll know it’s time to restock when their aroma has faded and they smell kind of dull.

Preparation + Preservation Tips

Nope—not unless your zucchini has particularly tough skin, which is rare with fresh summer zucchini. Very large zucchini may have a tougher skin, so I recommend going for the smaller ones. Their skin is tender, full of nutrients, and adds those lovely green flecks that make a homemade zucchini bread recipe look so inviting. So if you ask me, peeling takes away some of the charm. Just give the zucchini a good wash, trim off the ends, and shred.

No need to squeeze out the juice either. Since this is a moist zucchini bread recipe, that natural moisture gives the loaf its soft crumb. Letting the shredded zucchini rest on paper towels helps wick away excess moisture without drying it out completely. If you squeeze aggressively, you risk taking out too much liquid, and suddenly your bread becomes dry and dense. A gentle drain gives you consistency without sacrificing texture.

For this beautiful easy zucchini bread recipe, I recommend a standard metal loaf pan. Metal conducts heat more efficiently and gives you a more even rise with more reliable browning. A glass or Pyrex loaf pan also works, but glass heats up slower and retains heat longer, so you may find the edges bake differently than the center. If you’re using a glass pan, start checking for doneness a few minutes earlier.

You can glaze this loaf the same day you plan to serve it or several hours ahead if you’re entertaining. Once the bread has completely cooled, the mango glaze sets beautifully and looks like you just picked it up from the bakery.

If you’re making the bread itself a day ahead, just wait until the day of serving to glaze. The loaf itself will deepen in flavor overnight as the spices settle in. Toasted with butter the next morning? Oh my goodness!

Extra Tips

Mango purée is easier to find than you might think. I’ve seen Goya brand frozen mango fruit pulp at stores like Jewel-Osco and Mariano’s, for example. If you can’t find purée, no problem. A good-quality mango jam works just as well. Just warm it gently and press it through a fine-mesh sieve to create a smoother glaze. In a pinch, apricot preserves could work too. But I will say the mango adds a special flavor and really complements the curry and jalapeño!

And don’t toss any leftover glaze! It’s fabulous swirled into yogurt or spooned over my homemade vanilla ice cream recipe.

Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream➝

This isn’t your standard sweet loaf. The curry brings warmth and complexity, the jalapeño adds a gentle heat, and the mango glaze swoops in with the perfect touch of sweetness.

I love enjoying a slice with chai and a drizzle of crème fraîche. If you end up with extra mango glaze, don’t let it go to waste—it’s delicious on pancakes, yogurt, or a scoop of my homemade vanilla ice cream. Check out my suggestions below for some pairing ideas.

For the Bread

Homemade Chai Spice Mix➝

Easy Homemade Crème Fraîche➝

For the Mango Glaze

Jalapeño Cornbread Recipe with Peach and Hot Honey➝

Dutch Baby with Blueberries, Lemon Curd, or Apple Pear Compote➝