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Carrot Cake Zucchini Bread

Carrot cake zucchini bread is a warmly spiced vegetable quick bread baked in a loaf pan, then finished with a thick cream cheese frosting swirl. Expect tender crumb, grated carrot and zucchini throughout, and a sweet spiced aroma from cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ginger
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.75 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
  • 0.75 cup carrots, finely grated
  • 0.5 cup raisins or pecans (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake the loaf
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan for easy release. Ensure the pan is fully coated with a thin, even layer.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until the dry mix is evenly colored. Look for no visible spice clumps.
  3. Beat brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth. The mixture should look glossy and uniform.
  4. Stir in grated and squeezed-dry zucchini and finely grated carrots. Fold until the vegetables are distributed throughout.
  5. Fold dry ingredients into wet just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Stop when you no longer see streaks of flour.
  6. Fold in raisins or pecans if using. You should see them suspended evenly in the batter.
  7. Bake at 350°F for 55–65 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. The top should be set and lightly browned, and the center should no longer look wet.
  8. Cool the loaf completely before frosting. The loaf must be fully cooled to prevent the frosting from melting.
Make the frosting and finish
  1. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Stop when the frosting is thick and spreadable with no lumps.
  2. Spread the frosting generously over the cooled loaf. Swirl the top for a thick, cake-like finish.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini well so the loaf stays tender but not soggy, and bake until the toothpick is truly clean. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; let slices come to room temperature for the best texture. Freeze the unfrosted loaf up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and frost after thawing. For a lighter option, swap the vegetable oil and Greek yogurt for an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce to reduce added fat while keeping the loaf moist.