Brown Butter Miso Zucchini Bread

This isn’t your average zucchini bread. Nutty brown butter meets savory miso for a loaf that’s rich, moist, and full of unexpected flavor. The zucchini keeps it tender, while the miso-butter combo adds that “what is this amazing flavor?” magic. It’s the kind of quick bread that disappears in a day.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    •    Nutty & savory-sweet: Brown butter + miso = flavor upgrade.

    •    Moist but not heavy: Zucchini and yogurt make it perfectly tender.

    •    Easy yet impressive: Pantry staples with one bold twist.

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Ingredients

12 oz / 340 g zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry

1¾ cups / 210 g all-purpose flour

1 tsp / 4 g baking powder

½ tsp / 3 g baking soda

1 tsp / 2.6 g ground cinnamon

½ tsp / 1 g ground cardamom

½ tsp / 1 g ground nutmeg

½ cup / 100 g brown sugar

½ cup / 100 g white sugar

2 large eggs (about 3.5 oz / 100 g total)

½ cup / 120 ml olive oil

¼ cup / 60 g plain yogurt

¼ cup / 57 g salted butter

tbsp / 15 g white miso paste

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Method

    1.    Brown the butter + miso

    •    In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.

    •    Cook until golden and nutty, with browned milk solids on the bottom.

    •    Whisk in miso until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

    2.    Mix dry ingredients

    •    In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.

    3.    Prep zucchini

    •    Shred zucchini (skin on). Wrap in a cheesecloth or thin kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

    4.    Mix wet ingredients

    •    In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, olive oil, both sugars, yogurt, and the miso-brown butter mixture for about 2 minutes until smooth.

    •    Stir in shredded zucchini.

    5.    Combine

    •    Pour wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Using a spatula, fold until just combined (do not overmix).

    6.    Bake

    •    Grease a 9x3 inch (23x12 cm) loaf pan with butter and line with parchment paper.

    •    Pour batter into the pan and bake at 350°F / 175°C for 60–70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

    •    After 25 minutes, loosely cover the loaf with foil to prevent over-browning.

    7.    Cool & serve

    •    Let loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

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Tips & Variations

    •    Add chocolate chips or toasted walnuts for extra indulgence.

    •    Swap cardamom for ginger or allspice for a spicier loaf.

    •    Flavors deepen overnight — it’s even better the next day.