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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Under substitutions, it says to use 1 cup of butter and reduce the salt by 1/2 tsp. instead of 1/2 butter. Can this be correct to use twice as much butter?
Hi Suzi, can you tell me where you saw that? Thanks!
Hi Jenn! I’ve been making this loaf for 5 years!! Admittedly, the batter is thick, but this is what makes this loaf so moist and dense. This is a family, friends, and neighbor favorite.
Last year hubby planted 5 zucchini plants lol, and I made this alot. Always turns out perfect, and no complaints from said family, friends and neighbors.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe Jenn!
have loved other recipes by jenn but was disappointed in this one. made it exactly according to the recipe, didn’t wring out the zucchini, and carefully measured the flour. the bread was salty and dry, and the chocolate flavor was not very rich. i tested the bread at 55 minutes and still had just a touch of wet batter. waited another 3 minutes and just took it out because it looked very done. after resting overnight i was shocked at how dry the bread was. i’ve made other chocolate zucchini breads that were much more moist and flavorful. wondering if this recipe needs buttermilk or sour cream to add flavor and moisture…but either way i’ll probably use a different recipe next time.
First I love your recipes and have made sooo many of them! I also have your cookbook and have tabs on almost every page! I just doubled this recipe and made 2 loaves. I couldn’t wait beyond the 10 minutes so tried it as soon as I got it out of the pan. This is a total winner, So much depth and not overly sweet. Love Love Love!!
Delicious and just right! I made 4 loaves and am working on another 4 to put into the freezer and give as gifts. This recipe is like chocolate cake. Yum!
Made this vegan (swapped vegan unsalted butter instead of cow butter and 2 generous flax eggs instead of large chicken eggs, dark chocolate chips instead of semi sweet) and gluten free (swapped Bob mills 1-to-1 GF for the white flour). And this was AMAZING! Great recipe, turned out with a beautiful crust and fudgy yummy inside!
I made 2 loaves this afternoon. One was with regular flour and one with gluten free flour.
Went exactly by the recipe. Looked totally like your pictures. But I’m sorry to say how very disappointed I was. I found them to be dry and nowhere near sweet enough for my taste. My aunt used to make the most wonderful chocolate zucchini bread. So moist and delicious. And yes sweet like a dessert. I’m afraid her recipe died with her. Never to replicate that taste again. So sad.
Absolutely LOVED this! The bread turned out so moist and delicious. The only changes I had, due to a lack of what was in my pantry (LOL) I did have to use Hershey Cocoa powder, I used about a 1/4 cup of coffee that I had left over in my coffee pot, I only had milk chocolate chips and instead of shredding my zucchini, I put in food processor and chopped it fine. I lightly packed 2 cups of it and left the moisture in it. Seriously, so GOOD!
Try Use 1/2 hot chocolate instead of half of the brown sugar (which is sugar)
Delicious recipe thank you!
I doubled the recipe, got a little worried about how thick the batter turned but it was perfect after I added the zucchini! I used mini semi sweet chocolate chips as well. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
I’ve never made any zucchini bread until this year when someone gave me a largish tender zucchini from their garden. In total, it made 5 loaves of zucchini bread: 2 traditional zucchini bread, 2 banana zucchini bread and this one, chocolate zucchini bread, which is my new favorite and go to from this day forward!! While not a trained chef, I am an experienced cook and baker. I followed this recipe 98% changing 1 cup of chocolate chips for 1/2 cup chocolate chips & 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Once all ingredients were combined, yes, the batter was quit thick. So I grabbed my EVOO bottle and poured in about 1/4 cup and stirred it into the stiff batter. It came out of the oven at 55 minutes. Once barely warm to the touch I wrapped it in foil and resisted the temptation to cut into it until the next morning (about 8 hours). It is so wonderfully moist, not too sweet or over chocolatey. Everything about this loaf is “just right”!!
I have been following Once Upon A Chef for a couple of years now and can honestly say never has a recipe ever disappointed. Having a starting point for a recipe is what the thrill of cooking/baking is all about. Thank you so much for this tweaked recipe!! 😋😋