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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Great recipe. 🙂 I added 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon instead of espresso powder/instant coffee. 🙂
Oh my. My family and I ate entirely too much of this bread today. My kids kept asking me if there was really zucchini in it. The recipe doubled well. I made two mini loaves which took about 45 minutes and a large loaf which was slightly over an hour. So utterly delicious. A definite repeat.
Excellent!! Another huge hit with the family. You are now my ‘go to’ site for guaranteed delicious recipes and easy to follow recipes.
Thank You
“Fabulous” barely covers it! I amended the recipe, but kept it as close to the original as possible. Subbed half the butter with apple sauce, used half brown sugar/half Splenda with a dash of molasses to make up for the plain Splenda, and used half whole wheat flour. Squeezed the zucchini in tea towels well to lessen excess liquid, and used Hershey’s special dark cocoa. One hour in the oven was perfect timing. For those who have had trouble with the bread collapsing, make sure to use fresh baking soda and baking powder. Amazing chocolate flavor, perfect moistness and zucchini undetectable! Excellent recipe even with amendments.
It’s Sunday morning and I’m craving chocolate zucchini bread. Low and behold I come across Once Upon a Chefs recipe for chocolate zucchini bread. I had all ingredients. I divided between 4 small loaf pans. Two plain, then added chopped walnuts and flaked coconut. It was delicious! My husband also loved the cake. Will freeze all except for for one and take to my grandson birthday party today. Thanks so much:)
Hi there,
I love your recipes! I wanted to try this one to use up some zucchini I have and didn’t want to make an extra trip to the store. I also wanted to make it a bit healthier. Do you think it would be okay if I skipped the chocolate chips and used ghee instead of butter? Thanks in advance!
Hi Ida, Yes and yes!
Top notch and super simple to make! Thank you!
Can I use yellow squash instead of zucchini?
Hi Betsy, Yes, that should work. Enjoy!
Super crumbly. Did I mess up?
Hi Holly, did you wait at least an hour before trying to slice it? Also, is it possible you may a measuring mistake?
I made this recipe as muffins. They weren’t super crumbly at all. My mild complaint is that they were too dense. Tasted just fine but I wouldn’t use the recipe again for muffins. Consistency just didn’t seem right for muffins. Much more cake-like.
Hi Jenn.
Just been reading the rave reviews for this double chocolate zucchini bread. I wonder if you could convert the recipe to grams when you have time. Thanks so much.
Anita
Done! To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you.