This moist and tender Chocolate Zucchini Bread is for chocolate lovers! A combination of cocoa powder and chocolate chips makes this flavorful and delicious quick-bread extra chocolaty.
This is what our doctors mean when they tell us to increase our vegetable intake, right? I mean, there are two whole cups of zucchini in this loaf… it’s practically a salad.
OK, all kidding aside, is this the healthiest way to eat your veggies? Probably not. Is it one of the most delicious? Yes, yes, absolutely YES. If you’re looking to use up a bounty of summer zucchini, and/or you’re looking to satisfy a chocolate craving, this Chocolate Zucchini Bread is perfect!
More quick breads: EASY BANANA BREAD – APPLE CRANBERRY BREAD – PUMPKIN MUFFINS – HONEY OAT BREAD – CINNAMON BREAD – CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This bread is made up of all the usual suspects (flour, leavening, eggs, etc.), but here is what sets this recipe apart and makes it our favorite:
Brown Sugar: Using brown sugar instead of white sugar adds extra moisture and a slightly richer flavor.
Cocoa Powder and Chocolate Chips: Two kinds of chocolate! Unsweetened cocoa powder gives this loaf its dark color and base flavor, and chocolate chips add little pockets of melty, fudgy goodness throughout.
Zucchini: The first step of this recipe to lay out the shredded zucchini on a kitchen towel or paper towels. This allows the excess moisture to be absorbed so that the bread is moist without being too wet. I advise against squeezing the zucchini dry because leaving some of the liquid in the zucchini is what makes this loaf so tender and soft.
Tips for Making Chocolate Zucchini Bread:
- Do not overmix. Overmixing can lead to bread that is tough, and it can also make your loaf sink in the middle. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet ingredients.
- Use the medium holes on a box grater to shred the zucchini. Using the small/fine holes will break down the zucchini too much and you will end up with a watery mess. The medium holes on a box grater (or food processor) produce the perfect size shreds of zucchini, which almost disintegrate into the loaf while baking. If those seem too large for your liking, you can rough chop the shredded zucchini after grating (I don’t find this step necessary).
- Don’t skip the chocolate chips! Those little pops of melty chocolate make this loaf extra fudgy and rich. Use your favorite variety: milk, semisweet or bittersweet. If you don’t have chocolate chips, you can used a chopped chocolate bar, too!
- Make sure your brown sugar is fresh and soft. In addition to sweetening the loaf, this ingredient also adds moisture. Dry, hard, crumbly brown sugar will not mix in as well and give us the texture we’re looking for.
- Adjust baking time based on your pan size. My loaf pan is 10×5. If you’re using a smaller loaf pan you will likely need to increase the bake time by several minutes. Also, this recipe can be made into muffins, which you’ll want to start checking at around 15 minutes.
Grate that zucchini. Grab those chocolate chips. Let’s whip up the most delicious Zucchini Bread ever! And after a loaf (or two?), if you still have some zucchini left to use up, try these other tasty zucchini recipes:
- Zucchini Brownies
- Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Grilled Sausage and Vegetable Skewers
- Baked Zucchini Donuts
- Carrot Zucchini Muffins
- Zucchini Breakfast Cookies
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Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini, loosely packed
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- scant 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed, make sure it's fresh and soft
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10x5 (or similar sized) loaf pan and set it aside.
- On a clean kitchen towel or several paper towels, spread out the shredded zucchini in an even layer. Allow the towels to soak up any excess moisture while you continue with the rest of the recipe.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Add the grated zucchini* and whisk until combined. Add the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the pan. Sprinkle the additional 2 tablespoons chocolate chips on top of the batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (if there are melted chocolate chips on the toothpick, that's OK, just not raw batter). Place the loaf pan on a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and place directly on the rack to cool completely.
Micki says
This was absolute perfect timing! I had a garden overflowing with zucchini, and this was the perfect way to use up some of it! Yum!
Celebrating Sweets says
Awesome! Thanks for stopping by.
norene Carmen says
Do you flip the bread out of the pan right away?
Allison says
Hi there! I usually remove it from the pan after 10-15 minutes. I just updated the recipe with that note. Enjoy!