Chocolate Zucchini Bread
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This rich chocolate zucchini bread makes the perfect afternoon snack whenever you’re in need of a chocolate fix.
This chocolate zucchini bread makes the perfect afternoon snack whenever you’re in need of a chocolate fix. It has a deep chocolate flavor from unsweetened cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips, yet it’s not so sweet that it tastes like dessert. Plus, it’s loaded with zucchini, so there’s some virtue in it.
What you’ll need to make Chocolate zucchini Bread
How to make Chocolate zucchini Bread
Begin by grating the zucchini. I use a food processor as it’s a bit quicker, but you can also do it by hand with a box grater.
Next, melt the butter in a large mixing bowl.
Add the brown sugar.
And stir until smooth.
Stir in the eggs and vanilla, then set aside. (Note: it’s important to stir the brown sugar into the melted butter before adding the eggs, as the hot butter alone could cook the eggs.)
Next, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
Add it to the wet ingredients.
And stir to combine — it will be very thick.
Next, add the grated zucchini and chocolate chips.
Stir until well combined. It will still be very thick — that’s okay.
Transfer the mixture to a greased loaf pan, and spread the batter evenly with a spatula.
Bake for about an hour, then let the loaf cool in the pan for about ten minutes.
Turn the loaf out onto a rack to cool completely. It’s delicious right out of the oven but it’s best to wait at least an hour to slice it, otherwise it may crumble a little. Enjoy!
Note: My starting point for this recipe was this recipe from King Arthur Flour. I replaced the vegetable oil with butter, swapped out the honey for more brown sugar, and reduced the salt.
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Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This rich chocolate zucchini bread makes the perfect afternoon snack whenever you’re in need of a chocolate fix.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⅔ cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a knife
- ⅓ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (ok to substitute natural cocoa powder)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee (optional)
- 2 cups shredded zucchini, gently packed (you'll need about 2 medium zucchini; do not wring out the liquid)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees and grease an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the butter in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl and microwave for one minute, or until just melted. Stir in the brown sugar until completely smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until incorporated. (Be sure to add the eggs after the brown sugar is mixed in, as the hot butter alone could cook the eggs.)
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and instant coffee (if using) in a medium bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir until well combined. It will be very thick.
- Stir in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips. (It will still be thick -- that's okay.)
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (save for perhaps a smear from the melted chocolate chips). Let the loaf cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 1/2-inch slices servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 231
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Sugar: 21g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Sodium: 184mg
- Cholesterol: 41mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Can gluten free flour be used in this recipe? I have a few friends that are gluten free and I’d love to be able to make this for them. I’ve made your recipe several times over the few years and it’s always a hit.
Hi Bridgett, I don’t have a lot experience with gluten-free baking, but I think you could prepare this with a gluten-free baking mix like King Arthur’s or Pamela’s. Enjoy!
I made 2 loaves today using 1 1/3 cup white whole wheat flour and 2 cups all purpose flour. My loaves came out moist and with great flavor. I baked my loaves 60 minutes. Excellent recipe!
This is an amazing recipe! Love that I can mix it by hand and use the extra zukes that seem to jump into my market basket at our local farmer’s market. I made this to take to our son who is working at a camp in the Poconos (Camp JRF) after teaching in China. I added a shake of cinnamon and a some extra chips to the top. Will bring two loaves because I know he will want to share with other staff! Thanks so much for recipes I have come to depend on . Cannot wait for the cookbook, Jenn!
Made a double batch of this bread yesterday. Its delicious, not too sweet and just the right amount of chocolate. I added walnuts to mine. Also, I didn’t have enough light brown sugar so I substituted about half of it with dark brown sugar, also, I sifted my dry ingredients since I always have issues with clumps in my cocoa. Sent a loaf to work today with my hubby. Will definitely put this one in my keeper file. Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, can I substitute coconut oil for the butter? I tried but have not been able to get a smooth consistency when I mix in the brown sugar, even if the coconut oil is heated. If I can’t use coconut oil, is there any other substitute for dairy that I can use? Margarine?
Hi Sridevi, I haven’t tried this bread with coconut oil, but I noticed in the comments that few other readers have used it successfully. If you’re struggling with the coconut oil, another reader used earth balance coconut spread, so you could try that.
Hi Jennifer,
I tried it with canola oil and with virgin coconut oil. Online research said to use 1/4 less than the butter quantity in the recipe, so I used 3/8 c of the oil. Both versions came out great, but I preferred the coconut oil because it added another subtle flavor. Everyone loves being my guinea pig on this recipe!
Thanks!
Sridevi
Mine was hard as rock on top but still liquid in the middle after an hour and half of baking? Where did I go wrong? Was I supposed to squeeze the liquid out of the zuccini first?
Oh no! I’m sorry it didn’t turn out well, Hilary. I’m happy to help troubleshoot. First, did you by chance make any substitutions?
I didn’t! Compared to your pictures my batter did look quite a bit thicker prior to the addition of the zucchini. Not sure if that would affect it.
It’s a really thick batter, so I don’t think that’s it, as long as you measured everything properly. What about your baking powder and baking soda — could they be expired?
For the rock hard on the outside, liquid on the inside:
Could have been a pan substitution or oven issue?
Did you use a pan with a smaller surface area and thus the batter was deeper?
Or did you use glass – high heat transfer – instead of metal?
Or both?
Regardless, you could try lowering the temperature of your oven by 25 deg.
I used a bigger (surface area) dish made of glass, but the two changes cancelled each other out. Turned out well at the same temp and time.
Is your Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread consider healthy??
Thanks!!
While I definitely wouldn’t classify it as a health food, the zucchini helps to boost the nutritional value of the bread a bit. I think it could be considered a healthy indulgence :).
We love, love this recipe. We make zucchini bread multiple times every year and this is our favorited recipe by far.
Love your chocolate zucchini bread. After making it several times (with no changes to the recipe) I decided I would try adding 1/4 tsp orange extract to your recipe. Yum!!! I lucked out and found an all natural orange extract at my local grocery store. I love receiving your emails. Nancy
Sounds delicious, Nancy. Chocolate and orange are always a good combination. So glad you are enjoying the emails 🙂
YUM! It’s better than the one I used to make. Stiff batter + wet zucchini = perfect loaf (instead of that “interesting” 9×13 cake I used to bake up- always wondering if there would be that soggy swamp in the middle). This is perfect with that first cup of coffee at 4 a.m. when the dog has to go out. Next time I’ll add a little cinnamon and maybe a few nuts if I remember, but it’s just great as it is! Thanks!
So happy you enjoyed it, Karen — and glad I’m not the only one up at 4am 🙂