Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You may also like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
My boyfriend and I made this on Sunday and it is delicious! Thank you for sharing a great recipe!
Do you think I could double this and put it in a bundt pan?
What do you think about adding orange zest? What about Greek yogurt which I like to add because it adds protein. Would you just add it or substitute it for something? I use Greek yogurt in my banana bread recipe. Thank you for the help! Carrie
I do think that would work, Carrie. Please lmk how it turns out!
Just made this as muffins. A neighbor gave us some zucchini and I’ll confess, I have a serious aversion to green things… so I pureed after I grated ?. Absolutely delicious!
This is by far the best chocolate zucchini bread recipe I ever served. Everyone who tried it wanted the recipe.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!
Do you think I could substitute oil for the butter? My husband is extremely lactose intolerant. I do have chocolate chips that are milk-free. I know he would love this!
Hi Meg, I haven’t made this bread with anything but butter, but I noticed in the comments that some other readers have used it coconut oil successfully. Another option is a dairy-free butter substitute. Hope you enjoy!
HOLY MOLY…just made this, I did a double batch not knowing how it would be. So glad I did, it’s so chocolatey and good. I subbed Smart Balance for butter and it worked. Try this recipe.
Will this be ok if I use salted butter? Also wondering if this recipe still does well if doubled, many don’t turn out quite the same.
Hi Jean, Yes, you can use salted butter if that’s what you have on hand. While it varies by brand, most salted butter has approximately 1/4 tsp. salt per stick, so you should reduce the salt in the recipe as needed. And this should double nicely. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve been making this bread recipe for a few years now and just love it. Well last night I made it for the National night out crowd in my neighborhood and had some left over, so I took it to work today to get it finished off and there was a person there who once I said the word zucchini refused to try it. Well one of the nurses heard me talking about it and peaked her head in and wondered who brought it in. She said it was amazing and tasted like a really great brownie. So long story short, the guy who said, my mom can’t even get me to eat things with zucchini it, ate it and loved it! So hats off to this amazing recipe.
Fantastic! I did squeeze out some water from the zucchini because I’ve had breads fail in the past because they were just too wet. I made 12 muffins and a mini loaf. Texture and taste are phenomenal!
Hi Jenn
Do you think this bread would ship well? I want to overnight it to my aunt from LA area to SF. Is there a bread that would be better for mailing??
Thanks so much. Your site is amazing and I can’t wait for the book!!
I suspect that if you’re sending it via overnight mail, it will arrive just fine. Hope your Aunt enjoys!
Thought I’d share: Try UPS. I send our daughter (lives in Boston) GF breads/muffins. In my town in Yorktown Heights,, NY., as long as I get to UIPS facility by 5 PM (M to Thurs), my packages go regular rate but delivered by NEXT DAY. No overnight fees. Check it out where you live, should be the same. Packages always arrive safe, undamaged and overnight.