Meet chocolate zucchini bread —the delicious, guiltless, chocolatey treat of the summer. For kids—and healthy eaters—of all ages. Sneaking more veggies onto the dinner plate is nothing new. But doing it with chocolate flavor!?
Zucchini is great in baked goods because it adds a little moisture, so your bread is super moist, not bone dry.
So Much Squash!! Zucchini, if we’re being specific. I love growing a summer garden and when the zucchini is happy, I can’t cook it fast enough. I used to make this bread to sneak a serving of veggies past my kids. Now I make it to keep up with my garden. It’s a great way to use—and share—the bounty of summer.
Here’s the other truth-I would happily choose chocolate over veggies for a snack any day. So at least this way I’m having my chocolate and my vegetables too. Decadent. Virtuous. I’m in.This falls into the category of cut-a-slice-to-eat-anytime-you-want. Which also makes it a summertime favorite, especially when busy eaters are hungry at different times.
Looking for more delicious quick bread recipes? I’ve got your back! Try my easy zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, apple bread, and peach bread. All these loaves are delish, I promise. 🥰
Let’s make this sweet bread!
CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD INGREDIENTS
- Butter: We use unsalted butter.
- Eggs: Large eggs, brought to room temperature.
- Sugar: This recipe use brown sugar! You can use light brown sugar or dark. I prefer dark for this bread!
- Vegetable Oil: Any neutral flavored vegetable will work.
- Salt: Enhances all flavors in this bread.
- Zucchini: The star of the show! Try to buy smaller zucchini. They tend to be more tender.
- Flour: All purpose flour. I typically use Gold Medal.
- Cocoa Powder: I like Hershey’s Cocoa unsweetened cocoa powder. Some people say dutch-processed cocoa powder is best, but I love my Hershey’s!
- Baking Powder: This causes the sweet bread to rise.
- Baking Soda: Also helps the bread to rise.
- Espresso Powder: The bread will not have a coffee flavor at all! The espresso powder enhances the chocolatey flavor!
- Chocolate Chips: I use semisweet chips. You can mix it up and use whichever type you’d like! Looking for a deeper chocolate flavor, use bittersweet chips! With the cocoa and the chocolate chips, this bread really shold be called double chocolate zucchini bread.
- Coarse Sugar: Add some pretty sparkle to the top of this bread.
TIPS
To Drain or Not Drain? In this recipe, you do not drain or wring the excess moisture out of the grated zucchini. If you do, the bread will be unpleasantly dry.
Zucchini Muffins: This batter makes great muffins as well!
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Store the whole loaf or individual slices in an airtight container or in a Ziploc bag in the fridge for a week.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes. Cut them into individual portions, cover well with plastic wrap them and then store them in an airtight resealable bag. It can last for 2-3 months in the freezer.
- Make-Ahead Tips: I like to make these ahead of time then cut them into individual portions and freeze them.
VARIATIONS
- Nuts: This is delicious with nuts added to the recipe. My favorites to add are pecans or walnuts. Just fold in 1 cup of chopped nuts when you fold in the chocolate chips.
- Yellow Squash: Prefer yellow squash to zucchini? Feel free to substitute it!
- Vanilla: You can increase the amount from one teaspoon of vanilla extract to two.
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
- 9X5-inch loaf pan
- Medium Bowl or Large Bowl
- Whisk
- Box Grater
- Parchment Paper
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPE
- Grate. Grate the zucchini.
- Combine. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix. Mix wet ingredients in a bowl (egg, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini.) Add the dry ingredients. Mix.
- Fold and transfer. Fold in chocolate chips and pour into the loaf pan. Top with chips.
- Bake. Bake for almost an hour or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
*** The complete instructions are below.
MORE ZUCCHINI RECIPES
- Squash Casserole
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Zucchini Corn Fritters
- Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats
TRIED THIS RECIPE?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- butter or nonstick cooking spray
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt, such as Diamond Crystal
- 2 cups lightly packed coarsely grated zucchini, from about 1 large or 2 small zucchini
- 1 3/4 cups (223 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (63 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (167ºC). Butter a 9X5-inch loaf pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Fit with a sling made out of foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add eggs, brown sugar, oil vanilla, and salt to a large mixing bowl then whisk vigorously (by hand) until the mixture is smooth and glossy, about 30-45 seconds.
- Mix in grated zucchini stirring until evenly incorporated.
- Set a large sieve over the mixing bowl and sift in flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and espresso powder directly over the egg mixture. Use a large rubber spatula to gently stir mixture, removing any air pockets, being careful to not to overmix.
- Remove and set aside 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips. Add the remaining chocolate chips and fold until they're evenly distributed in batter.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with coarse sugar and reserved chocolate chips, gently pressing them in slightly, to the top of the batter.
- Bake the loaf in preheated oven, for 75-80 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Allow the loaf to cool in loaf pan for 15 minutes. Use the sling, remove loaf to a wire baking rack, and cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours.
Fans Also Made:
Nutrition
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I used young zucchini, didn’t have much liquid so it was rather dry. The flavor was good. Will make again but will use more mature zucchini.
Yaaay! That’s great, Sue! 🙂
Thank you
Absolutely delicious and moist,… my family and I loved it!!! Definitely Making again!!
Yaaay! I’m so happy you like this bread as much as we do! It’s really super moist. Thanks for the positive feedback and rating 🙂
It’s in the oven now… the batter was quite thick and the recipe didnt state any butter or any other liquid other than the 3/4 cup of oil. Hopefully it’ll be ok and not dry
I have made this and mine seems real heavy I did add the oil. Something is not right. Says add zucchini with liquid? What liquid? No milk or water is added
Hi, Leann. Zucchini with liquid means that the zucchini will not be squeezed to remove the liquid. Grate and add the zucchini as is. Hope this helps.
Oh my, I tried your chocolate zucchini cake last summer. We love how moist it was. This bread is super moist too! Thank you. I’m gonna bake more!
I’m glad you like both the cake and bread! Chocolate and zucchini go together perfectly, right? Thank you so much for your feedback!
i want to make this bread but the recipe does not include any oil or butter. is this a mistake ????????
Sorry about that Barbara! I’ve fixed the recipe. It uses 1/2 cup of vegetable oil <3