This Dark Sweet Cherry & White Chocolate Zucchini Bread is one of my favorite variations of our longtime family zucchini bread recipe.
I’ve been making our original zucchini bread for at least 40 years. It is wonderfully moist, lightly sweet, and filled with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. The original cinnamon version is still the one we love most, but over the years I’ve had fun adding different ingredients to the batter.
I’ve made blueberry zucchini bread, chocolate chip zucchini bread, and this delicious combination of dark sweet cherries and white chocolate chips. They are all favorites in our kitchen, but there is something especially nice about the combination of juicy cherries and creamy white chocolate.
For this version, I used fresh dark sweet cherries. I pitted them and cut them into bite-sized pieces before gently folding them into the zucchini bread batter along with white chocolate chips. The result is a tender, moist loaf with little pockets of cherry and sweet bites of white chocolate throughout.
Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Bread
- It’s wonderfully moist. The grated zucchini gives this bread its tender texture, and it stays moist even after freezing and thawing.
- The cherries add something special. Fresh dark sweet cherries bring little bursts of juicy sweetness to every bite.
- White chocolate is a perfect match. Its creamy sweetness pairs beautifully with the tart-sweet flavor of the cherries.
- It’s based on a tried-and-true recipe. This isn’t a zucchini bread recipe I made once and forgot about. The base recipe has been part of our kitchen for more than four decades.
- It’s freezer-friendly. Bake several loaves, enjoy one now, and tuck the rest away for later.
What Makes This Cherry Zucchini Bread Different?
The original version of this zucchini bread is flavored with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Those warm spices are still here, but the cherries and white chocolate give this loaf an entirely different personality.
I especially enjoy using fresh dark sweet cherries when they’re available. After removing the pits, I cut the cherries into small, bite-sized pieces so there is a little cherry in every slice without having huge pieces that make the bread difficult to cut.
The white chocolate chips add creamy sweetness that balances the fruit beautifully.
It’s a simple change to the original recipe, but it feels like a completely different treat.
Dark Sweet Cherry & White Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
For the Zucchini Bread
- 2 Cups Zucchini grated
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Butter softened
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 3 Teaspoons Cinnamon
- ¾ Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
For the Cherry and White Chocolate Variation
- 1 Cup Dark Sweet Cherries pitted and chopped, optional
- 1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup White Chocolate Chips optional
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
text ingredients
Instructions
How to Make Dark Sweet Cherry & White Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Start by washing and grating the zucchini.
- If you’re using small or medium zucchini, I leave the peel on. The peel adds a little color and you won’t notice it in the finished bread. If you have a very large, overgrown zucchini, peel it and remove the seeds before grating.2 Cups Zucchini
- Add the grated zucchini to a large bowl along with the eggs, granulated sugar, softened butter, and vanilla extract. Stir until well blended.2 Large Eggs, 2 Cups Granulated Sugar, 1 Cup Butter, 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.3 Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 Teaspoon Salt, 3 Teaspoons Cinnamon, ¾ Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Don’t overmix the batter.
- Fruit tip: Toss the 1 cup chopped cherries with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour before folding them into the batter. This helps keep the cherries distributed throughout the loaf rather than sinking to the bottom. Gently fold in the chopped dark sweet cherries and white chocolate chips.1 Cup Dark Sweet Cherries, 1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour, 1 Cup White Chocolate Chips
- Pour the batter into prepared loaf pans with a spray of cooking oil.
- Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle it over the top of the batter.1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar, 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
- Bake at 350°F for approximately 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool before removing it from the pan and slicing.
Your Own Private Notes
Notes
Base Zucchini Bread Recipe note:
This cherry and white chocolate version starts with the same basic zucchini bread recipe I’ve been making for more than 40 years. The base recipe is delicious all on its own, with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice giving it plenty of warm flavor. The cherries and white chocolate are simply added to that tried-and-true batter. You can use the base recipe to create all sorts of zucchini bread variations. Add about 1 cup of a favorite mix-in, or combine flavors to create your own version. Some of our favorites are blueberries, chocolate chips, and dark sweet cherries with white chocolate chips. For the plain cinnamon zucchini bread, simply leave out the cherries and white chocolate chips. Everything else in the recipe stays the same. Serving note: The serving estimate is based on slicing two standard loaves into 8 slices each. The actual number of servings will vary depending on how the bread is sliced. This recipe makes: 2 (5 x 9-inch) loaves, 4 (3 x 5.5-inch) mini loaves, or 1 (9 x 13-inch) pan Reduce the baking time by 5-10 minutes for the mini loaf pans.Recipe Tips for Success
Don’t overmix the batter. Once the dry ingredients are added, stir just until everything comes together. Use bite-sized cherry pieces. This helps distribute the cherries throughout the loaf. Coat the cherries with flour. Toss the chopped cherries with about 1 tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter. This helps prevent the cherries from settling at the bottom. Frozen zucchini works too. If you froze shredded zucchini from your garden, thaw it completely and drain off the excess liquid before adding it to the batter. It works beautifully in this recipe. Watch your zucchini size. Small and medium zucchini can be grated with the peel on. Large, overgrown zucchini should be peeled and seeded. Don’t overfill your pans. Leave room for the bread to rise as it bakes. Let it cool before slicing. The bread will be easier to slice neatly once it has cooled. Make extra for the freezer. If you have plenty of zucchini, this is a great recipe to make in batches.Tips for Using Fresh Cherries
Fresh cherries are wonderful in this recipe, but there are a few things I like to do before adding them to the batter. First, wash the cherries well and remove the pits. I then cut them into small, bite-sized pieces. Try to avoid leaving large pieces of cherry in the batter. Smaller pieces distribute throughout the bread more evenly, giving you a little fruit in each slice.Nutrition
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Can I Use Frozen Cherries?
Yes, you can use frozen cherries, although fresh cherries are my first choice for this particular variation.
If using frozen cherries, thaw them first and drain away excess liquid. Pat them gently with a paper towel before chopping and adding them to the batter.
Can I Use Other Add-Ins?
Absolutely. This is one of the reasons I have kept this zucchini bread recipe for so many years.
The original cinnamon zucchini bread is our favorite, but the same basic batter works beautifully with different additions.
Some of the variations I’ve made include:
- Blueberries
- Chocolate chips
- Dark sweet cherries and white chocolate chips
There are plenty of other combinations you could try, too. Nuts, dried fruit, different types of baking chips, apples, or other fresh fruit could all be fun possibilities.
For most additions, I recommend starting with about 1 cup of your favorite mix-in per full batch of batter. If you’re combining two ingredients, use your judgment and avoid adding so much that the batter becomes overly crowded.
Making Mini Loaves
This recipe is especially nice when made into mini loaves.
A full batch makes approximately four 3 x 5.5-inch mini loaves, two 5 x 9-inch loaves, or one 9 x 13-inch pan.
I love the mini loaves for gifting. They are also convenient for freezing because you can thaw one loaf at a time.
If you’re baking several batches, you can even make the original cinnamon version first and then divide the remaining batter among different flavors.
That’s how I have made many of our zucchini bread variations over the years.
Freezing Zucchini Bread
This zucchini bread freezes beautifully.
Let the bread cool completely before wrapping it well in plastic wrap or freezer-safe wrapping. Place the wrapped loaves in a freezer bag or airtight freezer container.
When you’re ready to enjoy one, simply thaw it.
The bread remains wonderfully moist after thawing, which is one of the reasons I like making several loaves at once.
I’ve made as many as 48 mini loaves in one baking session. Having homemade zucchini bread in the freezer makes it easy to pull out a loaf when company comes, when we’re craving something sweet, or when I want to give someone a homemade treat.
A Thoughtful Homemade Gift
A mini loaf of homemade zucchini bread makes such a nice gift.
The cherry and white chocolate version feels especially pretty for holiday baking, but you don’t need a special occasion to share it.
A few wrapped mini loaves would be lovely tucked into a basket for a friend, neighbor, new mom, or someone recovering from surgery.
Sometimes homemade food is one of the simplest ways to let someone know you’re thinking about them.
Do I need to peel the zucchini?
No. I wash the zucchini well and grate it with the peel on. The peel adds color, and you won’t notice it in the finished bread.
If the zucchini is large and overgrown, I do peel it and remove the seeds before grating it. The peel can become bitter on a very large zucchini.
Can I use fresh or frozen cherries?
Yes. Fresh dark sweet cherries are wonderful in this recipe. Frozen cherries can also be used. Thaw and drain them well before chopping and adding them to the batter.
Can I use another type of chocolate?
Certainly. White chocolate is my favorite with the cherries, but milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips would give you a different flavor.
Can I use frozen shredded zucchini?
Yes. Frozen shredded zucchini works very well in this recipe. Thaw the zucchini completely, then drain off the excess liquid before adding it to the batter. You don’t need to squeeze it completely dry. Just remove the extra liquid that accumulated during freezing and thawing.
How should I store zucchini bread?
Once completely cooled, store the bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for a few days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing it.
Can I make this into mini loaves?
Yes. This recipe makes approximately four 3 x 5.5-inch mini loaves. Mini loaves are perfect for gifting and freezing.
A Favorite Twist on a Classic
I don’t think I’ll ever stop making our original cinnamon zucchini bread. After 40 years, it has certainly earned its place as a family favorite.
But I also love having fun with a recipe that I know works.
The dark sweet cherries and white chocolate chips turn this familiar zucchini bread into something a little different without losing the moist, tender texture that makes the original so good.
It’s a reminder that sometimes you don’t need an entirely new recipe. You just need a favorite recipe and a little inspiration.
And when fresh cherries are in season, this is definitely one of the variations I reach for.
This is one of those recipes that has been part of our kitchen for so long that I can’t remember when I wasn’t making it. After more than 40 years, it is still the zucchini bread recipe I reach for first.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.
A delicious 40 year zucchini bread recipe.