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Easy Creamy Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

creamy zucchini bread with cream cheese swirl - featured image
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This isn’t your standard zucchini bread. The cream cheese swirl bakes right into the middle, leaving pockets of tangy, almost cheesecake-like richness throughout, and the bread itself is genuinely creamy and tender.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup (60g) plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups (about 200g) grated zucchini, squeezed dry
  • 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for swirl)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for swirl)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  2. Grate 1 ½ cups of zucchini using the large holes of a box grater. Place in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and squeeze firmly over the sink until no more liquid drips out. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add ¼ cup sugar, egg yolk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; beat until completely combined and creamy. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
  6. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few lumps are fine).
  7. Fold in the squeezed-dry zucchini until evenly distributed.
  8. Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top, spreading gently but leaving a small border around the edges. Pour remaining batter over the cream cheese layer and spread carefully to cover.
  9. Drag a butter knife or skewer through the batter in a figure-eight pattern 3-4 times to create swirls (do not over-swirl).
  10. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If top browns too quickly, tent with foil at the 40-minute mark.
  11. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use parchment overhang to lift the loaf out and transfer to the rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

For best results, use full-fat cream cheese. Squeeze zucchini thoroughly to avoid a soggy loaf. Room temperature ingredients mix more evenly. Let the bread cool completely before slicing. The flavor improves after a day.

Nutrition

Keywords: zucchini bread, cream cheese swirl, easy zucchini bread, creamy zucchini bread, summer squash bread, quick bread

Find it online: https://leilameals.com/easy-creamy-zucchini-bread-with-cream-cheese-swirl/