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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Just made this for the first time this past weekend. Wow! It’s delicious!
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks so much Jenn! I’ll try it again with drained zucchini and see if that works. These are so delicious–I’d love for my people with Celiac to be able to eat them!
Delicious! I love the texture and the chocolatey richness. I will be storing these in the freezer for my chocolate cravings
If using zucchini that has been frozen do I drain some or all of the liquid?
Hi Marina, if there’s a lot of excess liquid when you thaw the zucchini I might let a little drain off; just be sure not to wring out any additional liquid.
I made this with frozen zucchini. I thawed it in a mesh strainer and let the liquid drain off as it thawed. The bread seemed a little dry so maybe I wouldn’t drain it completely next time.
Mine also didn’t rise very much so it was very dense. Going to buy new baking powder since mine is getting old. I thought 1/2 tsp wasn’t very much but not sure what the issue was. My baking soda is brand new.
Someone brought this recipe to our quilt retreat last weekend. OH MY GOODNESS – it was THE BEST! Everyone demanded the recipe! Truly a 5 star recipe!
I’ve made this bread several times, very moist, fudgy, and delicious. Everyone asked for the recipe!
I have made this amazing bread more times than I can count. I need to try more of your recipes. This gets requested constantly by my coworkers. Perfection. Always do a double batch and for the first time today, I did mini loaves. It’s a straight no fail. I double the espresso and that is all I do different. Love love this quick bread 🍞
Easy to stir together. My result looks just like the picture. Moist and delicious. This recipe is a keeper!
Can I substitute summer squash for zucchini? Boy is it plentiful!
Sure – enjoy!
I do and it does not change the deliciousness at all. The color of the yellow stands out more but that’s the only difference! 💛
I made this yesterday with home grown courgettes (zucchini). I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was pretty confident that my partner wouldn’t like it, and it would all be for me.
Bad news. . . . he loved it. I loved it too, so felt quite disappointed that I would have to share the rest LOL. Will definitely be making this again.
Just wondering if you could make something similar with sugar pumpkin, as I’m not so keen on the spice mix, cinnamon that is usually used.
Hi Catherine, so glad this was a hit! Unfortunately, I don’t think it would work with pumpkin. I would suggest using my pumpkin bread recipe and cutting back on the spices. If you want a chocolate fix, you could add chocolate chips to it. Hope that helps!
Thank you! I will try that and let you know how it goes 🙂
I have made this bread twice. Nice and moist fresh out of the oven, but a little dense and dry after it had cooled. Would more butter or another egg help?
Hi Bonnie, Sorry you’ve had a problem with this — it really shouldn’t be dry. Are you wringing the liquid out the zucchini?