This zucchini bread coffee cake pairs a simple zucchini batter with a ribbon of cinnamon filling and our favorite crumb topping. A delicious way to use up extra summer squash!
I should have put zucchini in my coffee cake years ago.
A touch of cinnamon helps the summer squash feel cozy (it's the perfect summer-to-fall transition brunch!) This coffee cake is also decidedly sweeter than something like our banana zucchini bread or blackberry bread, thanks to the sweet cinnamon filling and crumb topping.
I almost always make this the night before I need it, cover it with a tea towel on the counter overnight, and slice it in the morning for a quick breakfast.
Like our pumpkin coffee cake and banana bread coffee cake, this recipe features three main components:
- The zucchini batter itself
- A quick cinnamon filling
- Our classic buttery streusel topping
You'll need a few different bowls in order to prep each component, but once everything is mixed, the assembly is pretty quick.
Ingredients
Find a full ingredients list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.
- Shredded zucchini. Shred your squash with the large holes of a box grater. Don't squeeze out any water: it lends important moisture to this coffee cake! This recipe uses 180 grams, or one medium-to-large zucchini. Save extra zucchini for another recipe (like this lemon zucchini bread!)
- You'll need two forms of butter here: Melted butter goes in the batter itself; room temperature butter is the backbone of the crumb topping.
Use a kitchen scale
Measuring ingredients like flour by volume (with cups) is notoriously unreliable. Because each person fills a cup of flour a little bit differently, it's easy to accidentally use too much in a recipe and end up with dry, dense bread.
But when you use a kitchen scale to measure by weight (in grams), you get a perfect measurement every time. So if you have a kitchen scale, please use it! (No kitchen scale? Measure ingredients like flour with the scoop and level method for best results!)
Substitutions and Variations
- Add extra toppings. Dust cooled coffee cake with powdered sugar, or add a drizzle of cinnamon glaze.
- Add a handful of toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans to the coffee cake batter at the end of mixing if you'd like some extra texture.
- Double the crumble if you like a thicker top layer. As written, this recipe makes enough crumb topping for a thin layer that covers most of the coffee cake's surface (just enough to add some texture).
- If you have picky eaters who won't love the specks of green in this coffee cake, peel your zucchini before shredding it (the veggies will be virtually undetectable).
Step by step instructions
Prep the filling
Mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl with a pinch of kosher salt. Set this aside while you prep the rest of the components.
Make the crumb topping
In a separate bowl, use a fork to combine softened room temperature butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour with a pinch of salt. Take your time mixing this crumble: The goal is to fully mash the dry ingredients into the butter.
The crumble will start off looking sandy and light, but will darken in color as you continue to mix it. You'll know it's ready when it clumps together easily: It should hold its shape when you pinch it together between your fingers. Set this mixture aside while you mix the batter.
Learn to make a perfect crumble in our streusel topping post, which has additional step-by-step photos and a ton of helpful notes!
Make the batter
Whisk egg, sugar, and melted butter together in a large bowl. Add the shredded zucchini and stir to combine.
Pro Tip: You don't need any fancy equipment to make this batter! We usually just whisk it together with a fork. That said, you can certainly use a hand mixer or stand mixer if you prefer.
Add remaining dry ingredients to the bowl with the zucchini and stir until the batter is about halfway mixed.
In a separate, small measuring cup, whisk remaining wet ingredients (milk, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar) together. Slowly add that mixture into the batter, stirring until everything is combined and no dry flour remains.
You should end up with a fairly thick, airy batter:
Assemble
Line an 8x8 metal square pan with parchment paper, then scoop half of your zucchini batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. (You can eyeball this - it doesn't have to be perfect!)
We recommend using a small offset spatula to spread the batter around: This simple tool helps you press the batter into each corner and get the top as smooth as possible.
Grab the cinnamon sugar filling mixture you made earlier, and sprinkle it across the surface of the batter. Try to distribute the filling evenly, being sure to reach all the way to the edges and into each corner.
Learn more: How to line a baking pan with parchment.
Add the remaining coffee cake batter to the pan in a few large dollops across the surface of the filling (18), so it feels like you're connecting the dots as you spread the batter around. This makes it easier to spread the final layer of batter without tearing up the filling layer underneath.
Use your offset spatula to spread the batter into an even layer, again reaching to each edge and into the corners.
Finally, sprinkle the crumb topping across the surface of the coffee cake. Break up any extra-large clumps up as you go, so that you have an even layer of streusel mixture with similarly-sized clumps.
Bake
Bake the coffee cake in a preheated 325° Fahrenheit oven, until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let zucchini crumb cake cool completely (at least 30 minutes, but preferably an hour or more) before slicing. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar (optional), then slice and serve.
Pro Tip: A toothpick may still pick up some the cinnamon filling when the coffee cake is done - that's ok! You're primarily looking for the tester to be clean of any large, raw clumps of zucchini batter.
Storing leftovers
Store extra coffee cake slices in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. The cake itself will stay fairly moist thanks to the zucchini in this recipe, but the streusel topping will soften the longer it sits.
To help leftover coffee cake feel "fresh" again, heat it in a hot oven (we recommend 325° Fahrenheit) until it's warmed through and the crumb topping is slightly crispy.
Note: We tend to store zucchini coffee cake on the counter, though some food safety guidelines recommend storing any baked good with cooked vegetables (like zucchini) in the fridge as opposed to on the counter. The fridge air can dry this coffee cake out a little bit, but it's not a huge deal, so store it however you're most comfortable.
FAQs
Yes! This batter works great in muffin form. If you make this recipe as zucchini muffins, you'll need to reduce the bake time (we recommend 23-25 minutes for coffee cake muffins in the oven, similar to our banana chocolate chip muffins!)
For small muffins, we don't find the cinnamon filling is really necessary; you can skip it to save a bit of time. We do recommend doubling the crumb topping if you make muffins, so you can have a thicker layer with more coverage (they'll look a bit nicer this way!
You can use a stand mixer or electric mixer if you like, but you really don't need to! If you do use a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl very well. Because we're working with such a small amount of batter in this zucchini coffee cake, pockets of dry ingredients can easily get trapped at the bottom of a stand mixer. It may take a little finessing to make sure everything is well incorporated.
Yes! This zucchini coffee cake recipe is easy to make a day in advance: Bake it as directed, then leave it on the counter overnight, covered with a clean tea towel to preserve the texture. The zucchini in this batter will keep it nice and moist, making it a perfect make-ahead brunch idea! We don't recommend covering it with an airtight seal (like a piece of plastic wrap or a tight fitting lid) if the coffee cake is just sitting overnight: A clean tea towel protects it from any dust while still allowing just enough airflow to keep the topping nice and crispy.
Note: Some food safety guidelines recommend storing ANY baked good made with vegetables in the fridge, as opposed to on the counter. We tested this recipe both ways: Each worked fine in our testing, so store the coffee cake however you're most comfortable. If you store the coffee cake in the fridge overnight, we recommend placing the pan into a COLD oven and heating it to 325°, then baking an additional 5-15 minutes, just long enough to re-crisp the crumb topping. Never put a cold glass or ceramic pan into a hot oven, as it can shatter.
📖 Recipe
Zucchini Coffee Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 9 slices 1x
- Category: Baking, Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Description
This cozy zucchini bread coffee cake is perfect for summer! With a ribbon of cinnamon filling and a buttery streusel topping. Shred your zucchini with the large holes of a box grater, but don't squeeze out any of the water - it will help keep this coffee cake moist.
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 53 grams brown sugar (¼ cup)
- 2 grams cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- 15 grams all purpose flour (2 Tablespoons)
- Pinch of kosher salt
For the Crumble:
- 80 grams brown sugar (about ⅓ packed cup)
- 60 grams all purpose flour (about ½ cup)
- 7 grams ground cinnamon (about 1 Tablespoon)
- 70 grams unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (about 5 Tablespoons)
- Pinch of kosher salt
For the batter:
- 53 grams unsalted butter, melted (½ stick, or ¼ cup)
- 80 grams milk (⅓ cup)
- 1 egg
- 4 grams vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- 15 grams apple cider vinegar (1 Tablespoon)
- 100 grams sugar (½ cup)
- 180 grams shredded zucchini (about 1 medium-large zucchini; do not squeeze any of the moisture out)
- 270 grams all purpose flour (about 2 ¼ cups)
- 2 grams cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- 4 grams kosher salt (1 teaspoon)
- 5 grams baking soda (1 teaspoon)
- 7 grams baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons)
Optional:
- Powdered sugar, for topping
Instructions
Prep the components:
- Line a metal 8x8 pan with parchment paper. Heat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit.
- Make the filling. Whisk brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Make the crumble. Add softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and a pinch of kosher salt to a small mixing bowl. Use a fork to slowly mash the dry ingredients into the butter, until you have a crumbly mixture that holds together when pressed. Keep mashing until no dry bits remain: Everything should be worked into the butter, kind of like a very thick compound butter. Set aside while you make the batter.
Make the batter:
- Whisk sugar, egg, and melted butter together until you have a smooth mixture.
- Stir shredded zucchini into the wet ingredients.
- Add flour, cinnamon, kosher salt, baking soda, and baking powder to bowl. Stir until the mixture is about halfway combined.
- In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Slowly stream this liquid mixture into the batter, stirring as you go, and mix until ingredients are just combined.
Assemble and bake:
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared metal pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter into an even layer that reaches all corners of the pan.
- Spoon filling evenly over the first layer of batter. Top with remaining batter, and once again use an offset spatula to spread it out into an even layer (Tip: It helps to place the remaining batter over the surface of the filling in multiple small scoops, rather than spreading out from one large blob in the center, so that it feels like you're connecting the dots as you spread it into an even layer).
- Top with the prepared crumble. Break the crumble up as you go if needed, so that the pieces are fairly uniform in size.
- Bake 45-50 minutes at 325° F, until the top is lightly browned and a cake tester inserted into the center of the coffee cake comes out clean. Let cool completely, top with a dusting of powdered sugar (optional), then slice and serve.
Notes
Additions and substitutions. Add chopped, toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans) to the coffee cake batter if you like. Omit the filling if you'd like to reduce the sugar in this recipe. Top with powdered sugar or a quick cinnamon glaze. Use melted coconut oil or vegetable oil in place of the melted butter.
For help with the crumble (streusel) topping, including additional step-by-step photos and expert tips, read through our full cinnamon crumble topping tutorial.
Please use a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients like flour by volume (with cups) is notoriously unreliable. While we've provided approximate volume measurements for convenience, we recommend using a kitchen scale and following the gram measurements listed above. We use and recommend Escali kitchen scales. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, measure ingredients (especially flour, which is the most finicky) with the scoop and level method for best results.
Don't worry if your zucchini isn't a perfect 180 grams. We've successfully tested this recipe with as low as 125 grams of shredded zucchini - the coffee cake won't be quite as moist, but it'll still taste good! If you have extra zucchini, save it in an airtight container in the fridge for other recipes later in the week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One 2.5-inch slice
- Calories: 358
- Sugar: 26.1 g
- Sodium: 343.9 mg
- Fat: 12.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 57.4 g
- Protein: 5.7 g
- Cholesterol: 50.2 mg
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