Enjoy the season’s fresh zucchini with this tasty Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread! It’s soft, sweet, and has an irresistible cinnamon-sugar swirl throughout.
Happy Thursday, friends! I’m excited to share this Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread. As kids head back to school and autumn approaches, I wanted to highlight one last summer vegetable before pumpkin season fully arrives. This loaf captures both the bright, fresh notes of summer zucchini and the warm spice of fall with a soft, tender crumb and a caramelized cinnamon sugar ribbon running through the center.
I’ll admit I’m not a zucchini superfan — it’s often pretty neutral to me. But when shredded zucchini is folded into this brown sugar and cinnamon batter, it becomes something special. The loaf is moist and fluffy with pockets of sweet caramelized cinnamon sugar that add texture and bursts of flavor. It’s a great way to use fresh zucchini and a simple recipe to make at home.
On a personal note, my blog schedule is filling up this fall with several themed weeks of recipes, so I’ll be baking a lot in the coming weeks. For now though, your priority should be this zucchini bread — it’s quick to mix, comforting to bake, and makes your kitchen smell amazing.
If you find zucchini a little dull, this cinnamon-swirl loaf may change your mind. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing quick bread that showcases zucchini in a sweet, warmly spiced way. Give it a try soon — you won’t regret it!
Other zucchini desserts to try
- Honey Greek Yogurt Zucchini Bread
- Old Fashioned Zucchini Pie
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Snack Cake
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Pineapple Cranberry Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Pumpkin Seed Cake
- Vegan Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Brown Sugar Zapple Crisp
Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 large zucchini grated (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup nondairy milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons warm water
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt
- for the cinnamon swirl
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick spray or coat with vegan butter and flour. Set aside.
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Prepare the flax “egg”: mix ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons warm water and set aside to thicken.
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Grate the zucchini and place it in a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze firmly over the sink to remove excess moisture — this step prevents a soggy bread.
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In a large bowl, combine the squeezed zucchini with nondairy milk, vegetable oil, flax mixture, vanilla, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
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Stir in the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt — until a thick batter forms.
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Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon swirl mixture (½ tablespoon brown sugar + ½ teaspoon cinnamon) over the batter.
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Add the remaining batter, then top with the remaining swirl mixture. Use a knife to gently swirl the cinnamon and sugar through the batter — don’t over-swirl to preserve pockets of caramelized sugar.
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Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 35–40 minutes. Avoid opening the oven while lowering the temperature.
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Allow the bread to cool briefly, then remove it from the pan to finish cooling completely. Cooling in the pan can cause the cinnamon-sugar swirl to harden and stick.
