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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast Bread Recipes

    Best Chocolate Zucchini Bread

    Published: Apr 29, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

    62 shares
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    5 from 43 votes
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    Pinterest image for chocolate zucchini bread.

    My Chocolate Zucchini Bread is a delicious and healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Not only does it taste amazing, but it’s also a great way to add more vegetables to your diet.

    This moist and rich chocolate quick bread recipe is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack.

    chocolate zucchini bread sliced on white cutting board.

    My easy chocolate zucchini bread recipe is a chocolate lovers dream come true with its rich chocolate flavor. This is the perfect way to use up all the zucchini your garden produces.

    I usually make two loaves of zucchini bread when I make the recipe, That way, I can freeze one loaf and have a chocolate treat on hand when guests stop by.

    chocolate zucchini bread sliced with knife on white cutting board.

    I know after one bite, you’ll agree that this is the best zucchini bread recipe, and the moist, rich, chocolaty flavor will remind you of your favorite chocolate cake. No one will ever know it was made using vegetables! 

    Adding chocolate is a delicious variation to classic zucchini bread, and no one will ever know that you’ve snuck an abundance of zucchini into this delicious loaf cake.

    If you love my chocolate zucchini bread, make sure to check out the recipe for my double chocolate banana bread.

    Ingredients to make Chocolate Zucchini Bread

    ingredients to make recipe

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Chocolate Zucchini Bread. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Made with simple ingredients

    • fresh zucchini
    • semisweet chocolate chips (or dark chocolate chips)
    • natural unsweetened cocoa powder
    • all-purpose flour
    • brown sugar
    • vegetable oil
    • vanilla extract
    • eggs (room temperature)
    • unsalted butter
    • baking soda
    • table salt

    I sometimes add instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder to my chocolate recipes, as it enhances the chocolate flavor. I didn’t use it in this recipe but feel free to add a teaspoon of the powder to the dry ingredients.

    How to make Chocolate Zucchini Bread

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    • Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
    collage showing how to make recipe.
    • Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt to a medium bowl.
    • Whisk the dry ingredients until well blended. Set the flour mixture aside until needed.
    • Add the eggs, melted butter, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and brown sugar to a large bowl.
    • Mix the wet ingredients until well blended and smooth. *Don’t worry if there are a few small clumps of brown sugar.
    • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
    • Mix them together just enough to blend. Mix by hand, don’t use an electric mixer so you don’t overmix the batter.

    *Since this recipe doesn’t use much flour, it makes it easy to substitute gluten-free flour, oat flour, or whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. For a vegan version of this quick bread, use flax eggs and melted coconut oil instead of eggs and butter.

    collage showing how to finish making recipe.
    • Add the shredded zucchini to the mixture.
    • Mix until just combined.
    • Add ¾ cup of the chocolate chips to the mixture.
    • Blend the chips into the mixture using a rubber spatula.

    *Use a box grater or food processor to prepare the zucchini. Grated zucchini or shredded zucchini will both work for my chocolate zucchini cake recipe.

    collage showing how to bake bread.
    • Pour the zucchini bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top the batter with the remaining chocolate chips.
    • Place the loaf pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean. *Don’t confuse melted chocolate with the batter. You don’t want to overbake the Chocolate Zucchini Bread.
    chocolate zucchini bread on wire rack.

    Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool. After 10 minutes, remove the fudgy chocolate zucchini bread from the pan and let it continue to cool on the wire rack before cutting it up into individual slices.

    *You can also make chocolate zucchini muffins from this decadent chocolate zucchini bread batter.

    chocolate zucchini bread sliced on white cutting board.

    Not only is my Chocolate Zucchini Bread delicious it’s a great way to use up the abundance of zucchini you may have in your garden or fridge. It’s also a healthier alternative to traditional chocolate cake or bread, as it’s packed with fiber and nutrients from the zucchini.

    I know this will become one of your favorite zucchini recipes with its rich chocolate flavor and moist crumb.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    Should you squeeze the water out of zucchini to make bread?

    It depends on the recipe you are using. If not stated, the extra liquid was taken into account. Unless the zucchini you’re using is excessively juicy, squeezing the squash could be removing some of the moisture needed to make the bread.

    Should I peel the zucchini to make bread?

    No, don’t peel the zucchini. As tempting as it may be to peel the zucchini, it’s a completely unnecessary step.

    Can I freeze chocolate zucchini bread?

    Yes, you can freeze chocolate zucchini bread for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, or place it in an airtight container before freezing.

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    chocolate zucchini bread sliced on white cutting board.
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 43 votes

    Best Chocolate Zucchini Bread

    My Chocolate Zucchini Bread is a delicious and healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Not only does it taste amazing, but it's also a great way to add more vegetables to your diet.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time50 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course: Breakfast Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 275kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • ½ tsp sea salt
    • 2 large large eggs room temperature
    • ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
    • ¼ cup vegetable oil
    • ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini packed
    • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or your choice of chocolate chips
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350°F.
    • Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
    • Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt to a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside until needed.
    • Add the eggs, melted butter, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and brown sugar to a large bowl and mix until well blended and smooth.
      *A few small clumps of brown sugar is okay.
    • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just enough to blend.
      Don't overmix.
    • Add the shredded zucchini and mix until just combined.
    • Add ¾ cup of the chocolate chips to the mixture and using a rubber spatula mix them in just enough to blend.
    • Pour the zucchini bread batter into the prepared pan.
    • Top with the remaining chocolate chips.
    • Place the loaf pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean.
      Don't confuse melted chocolate with the batter.
    • Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool.
    • Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the bread to loosen it from the pan.
    • Carefully remove the chocolate zuchinni bread from the pan. Let the bread cool on the wire cooling rack until slightly warm. Cut into slices and serve.

    Notes

    The Chocolate Zucchini bread can be kept wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container on the counter, unrefrigerated for up to 4 days.
    To freeze the zucchini bread, allow it to fully cool, then double wrap it in plastic wrap, and again in aluminum foil.  It can stay frozen for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 202IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Dee

      May 22, 2023 at 6:03 pm

      5 stars
      Oooh, it was so moist and full of flavor. It was my first time trying to make zucchini bread and It was delicious!

      Reply
    2. Linda

      May 22, 2023 at 10:49 am

      5 stars
      In love with this zucchini bread! I usually find it dry, but this one has a nice texture and moist. Perfect for breakfast or tea time.

      Reply
    3. Moop Brown

      May 22, 2023 at 8:35 am

      5 stars
      I am a big fan of chocolate desserts and appreciate that this one allows me to enjoy sweets while also incorporating vegetables at the same time. Every one loved it.

      Reply
    4. Hayley Dhanecha

      May 22, 2023 at 4:15 am

      5 stars
      We loved chocolate and zucchini bread for our afternoon tea yesterday with the family! Moist and perfect!

      Reply
    5. Katie Crenshaw

      May 21, 2023 at 10:27 pm

      5 stars
      This zucchini bread turned out so moist. The chocolate added the perfect level of sweetness. We ate the whole loaf in one day. It was so good.

      Reply
    6. Amy

      May 21, 2023 at 12:28 pm

      5 stars
      What a moist and delicious zucchini bread. I loved the double chocolate flavor from the chocolate chips and cocoa powder. I’ll definitely make this one again.

      Reply
    7. sophie

      May 19, 2023 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      This bread was incredibly moist, rich in chocolate flavor, and the addition of zucchini added a lovely texture.

      Reply
    8. Tammy

      May 19, 2023 at 12:21 pm

      5 stars
      Zucchini makes a super moist cake and this was delicious, Dennis! I’ve had never made a zucchini chocolate loaf before and was happy I did!

      Reply
    9. Lauren Michael Harris

      May 16, 2023 at 9:15 am

      5 stars
      I love a good zucchini bread and this chocolate one was amazing! I’m going to have to plant some zucchini in the garden asap because I need to make this again….and again!

      Reply
    10. Gloria

      May 15, 2023 at 12:29 pm

      5 stars
      Gardens are getting seeded and I’ll b e making this again when my own are available. It was delicious and we need all the zucchini recipes we can find.

      Reply

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    My name is Dennis Littley or “Chef Dennis” as I’m known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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