This Best Old Fashioned Zucchini Bread in 60 Minutes is packed with fresh zucchini, pineapple, nuts and just the right amount of sugar and spice. If fall has you thinking about getting back to basics, this easy zucchini bread recipe will earn a place among your favorites.
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The Danshari Method in the kitchen
Like the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi, which embraces the beauty of a simple, well-loved and well-used minimalist approach to life, Danshari is a modern take on our relationship with the things that fill our lives. The focus; however, is less on minimizing and more on mindful choice and optimization.
I’ve often taken this approach (or some variation on a theme) to my life in general – at times cutting back on the extraneous and re-evaluating before refilling my days with a focus on the things that matter most to me. But let’s face it, life can be chaotic, downright manic at times – and it’s a continual process.
Recently, I’ve found myself reassessing my time in the kitchen in terms of old and newer recipes and the food I consume in general. And I find I cycle with the seasons. In the spring and summer, I like to play more in the kitchen. By fall, I’m beginning to crave old, familiar flavors that evoke memories and by the time winter hits, I want nothing but simple, flavorful food. Nothing fancy, just the essence of good food that nourishes both body and soul.
For example, around the same time I began working on this post, I also shared a recipe for Crazy Simple 15 Minute Skillet Granola. I was craving the familiar crunch of this simple granola, which I use to top everything from yogurt and fruit to vanilla ice cream. It wasn’t a recipe I was planning to post at the time, but it just seemed like the right time to transfer it from the folder of personal recipes I keep to the blog world.
There’s nothing extraordinary about this granola recipe or my zucchini bread recipe. Essentially, they are both just very simple, solid, and delicious recipes. And they are ones I have intentionally chosen to keep in my personal rotation over the years. I think there’s something to be said for those recipes that seem to weather the seasons.
If you’re interested in learning more about Danshari, check out this article by Trudy Roth on The Ancient Art of scaling Back to Upscale Your Life.
So, what does Danshari have to do with this recipe for Best Old Fashioned Zucchini Bread in 60 Minutes?
More than you might think. I was starting to feel that familiar shift in thinking – the season of scaling back – coming upon me. It wasn’t until I read an Instagram post by a foodie friend of mine, who is a chef in LA, that it pierced the veil.
In his post, he openly and elegantly shared his philosophy on food and what drew him to the business – the art of cooking and the joy he gets from creating. The crazy hours, the heat, the perils and injuries that come with working in a commercial kitchen – none of that diminishes the joy he feels when he’s in the right place – the kitchen – doing what he loves most. If that doesn’t speak to mindful choice and optimization, I don’t know what does!
So again, what does the practice of Danshari have to do with this zucchini bread recipe? It’s part of my process of scaling back, of seeking out time-tested classics and refocusing on simple, good things. For me, scaling back and simplifying has always been a way to clear the clutter that impedes my creativity and confuses my taste buds.
I enjoy playing with flavors, textures and the odd pairing of ingredients here and there. But chasing the next big thing in the food world shouldn’t steal your joy in the kitchen. And sometimes you need to get back to simple – like a palate cleanser – before you can fully appreciate and experience the next big thing.
Such is the case with this recipe for what I call the Best Old Fashioned Zucchini Bread in 60 Minutes. This recipe is packed with fresh zucchini. A touch of pineapple brightens up the flavor profile, while walnuts (or pecans if you prefer) and a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg deliver familiar, earthy notes. Brown sugar adds homey sweetness to this quick bread. The result is something very familiar – like what your mom or grandmother might have made, but it’s also a touch less sweet and fresher.
The process is also simple. Wet and dry ingredients are divided and mixed separately before being combined together and transferred to a quick loaf pan to bake. No fancy steps, just a quick mix, an hour in the oven and a little time to cool before enjoying. It doesn’t get any easier.
Keeping it simple
I like simple pleasures. A hot cup of tea or coffee to pair with a generous slice of this Best Old Fashioned Zucchini Bread in 60 Minutes definitely ticks all the right boxes for me. I hope you give this easy zucchini bread recipe a try. Keep it simple and always delicious!
Best Old Fashioned Zucchini Bread in 60 Minutes
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy1
loaf15
minutes55
minutesThis variation on a classic zucchini bread is packed with zucchini, pineapple and nuts.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups A.P. Flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg (slightly more if using prepared, ground nutmeg)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup fresh shredded zucchini
1/4 cup fresh crushed pineapple (mince the pineapple, press out the excess juice and reserve for another use)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans tossed in 2 Tbsp. A.P. Flour
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a standard-size loaf pan by spraying the sides with nonstick spray and lining with parchment paper as shown. Set aside.
- In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
- Toss the walnuts and 2 Tbsp. of A.P. flour in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, eggs, zucchini and pineapple. Whisk on medium speed until all the wet ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the walnuts and mix in by hand with a spatula.
- Pour the zucchini bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 – 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.
- Bread will keep stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
