Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Moist and fudgy Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe is filled with shredded zucchini and no one will be any the wiser since it tastes just like chocolate cake. It’s super delicious and secretly healthy.
I’m giving you an excuse to eat cake for dinner. It can be our little secret that there is a green veggie in this Chocolate Zucchini Bread. Plus, we all know that quick breads are really just cakes disguised as breads. I love how life works itself out sometimes.
I speak often about my seasonal love affair with zucchini recipes and strawberries. When these fruits and veggies are at their peak, I add them to all sorts of savory summer dishes (hello, strawberry bread). Zucchini Bread or zucchini muffins are the perfect way to use up all that zucchini in the garden or just grab one at the grocery store.
This year, this moist, fudgy chocolate zucchini bread has been my sweet zucchini recipe favorite. This Chocolate Zucchini Bread is the epitome of a decadent baked good that actually has some added health benefits for you and your family! No one has to know. The zucchini not only brings a healthy factor to this bread, but the liquid in it also helps to make and keep it moist while baking.
I’m all here for it when it comes to sneaking veggies into a decadent chocolate bread without our kids (or big kids) even noticing! Heck, I even have to trick myself into eating vegetables most of the time.
TIPS:
You do not have to peel the zucchini before making zucchini bread. The peel on the outside of a zucchini is a lovely dark green and very tender and as a bonus, saves you time to leave unpeeled. I just wash the zucchini, cut off the ends and then grate the entire zucchini. It’s very simple to do and I enjoy seeing the little flecks of green in the bread after it’s baked.
Every oven is different as far as temperature goes, so I recommend checking the bread towards the 45-50 minute mark. It is better to check it early on than to overcook it. My piece of advice when making this? Make more than 1 loaf. This bread disappears quickly. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled or baked in batches.
Zucchini: 2 cups grated with the liquid. The batter in the end should be thick but not sticky like cookie dough (for example). It is thick but thin enough to spread it out easily in the loaf tin. Make sure you are FINELY shredding it.
Make it healthier: feel free to swap half the chocolate chips for chopped walnuts or dried tart cherries. Let me know what variations you try and how you like it!
Flavor: the bread is moist and for a nice chocolatey flavor, I recommend adding more chocolate chips to your liking. I usually add ¾ cups or even up to 1 cup. The bread is not overly sweet, as is. I sometimes use ½ teaspoon of salt instead of 1. To intensify all the flavors definitely add 1 teaspoon of salt.
Cocoa powder matters: good quality chocolate powder really does improve the flavor. It should be intensely dark in color rather than lighter one.
I love freezing this bread. You can prepare this zucchini bread for freezing depending on how long you intend to keep it frozen. If you just want to freeze it for a week or two, I’d wrap it in plastic wrap or foil and place the loaf in a large freezer ziplock bag.
If you plan on freezing it for up to 6 months (I wouldn’t recommend more than that), I’d wrap it more securely, making sure it’s airtight and wrapping it in a double layer of foil or plastic wrap, then also place it in a ziplock bag.
If you have any leftover zucchini, use it in my California Spaghetti Salad that has zucchini in it. This salad is one of my most popular recipes. You can also make this Creamy Italian Chicken and Zucchini Skillet. Enjoy!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½-⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + more for topping
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup of oil
- 2 + ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups zucchini grated with liquid
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 + ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Grate the zucchini in a bowl and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients in another mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs; add oil, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini in with the liquid.
- Add in the dry ingredients and beat on low with a mixer.
- Fold in chocolate chips and pour into a 9 x 5 inch loaf tin (greased or lined with parchment paper). Top with more chips if desired. Make a small cut lengthwise about ¼ inch deep in the center of the bread.
- Bake for about 55 minutes minutes OR until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The bread should be still moist inside. It may need 5-10 extra minutes, depending on your oven.
- Let the bread sit in the loaf tin for 10 minutes before taking it out and leaving on a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
TIPS:
Every oven is different as far as temperature goes, so I recommend checking the bread towards the 45-50 minute mark. It is better to check it early on than to overcook it. Zucchini: 2 cups grated with the liquid. The batter in the end should be thick but not sticky like cookie dough (for example). It is thick but thin enough to spread it out easily in the loaf tin. Flavor: the bread is moist and for a nice chocolatey flavor, I recommend adding more chocolate chips to your liking. I usually add ¾ cups or even up to 1 cup. The bread is not overly sweet, as is. I sometimes use ½ teaspoon of salt instead of 1. To intensify all the flavors definitely add 1 teaspoon of salt. Cocoa powder matters: good quality chocolate powder really does improve the flavor. It should be intensely dark in color rather than lighter one.
This looks great! Great for dinner, of course, but really the perfect breakfast food. 🙂 Neat recipe — thanks.
Most delicious, my family and friends loved it. I will definitely keep making it as long as I have zucchini. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome…! Great recipe thank you