This is the best chocolate zucchini bread recipe — tender, moist, and oh-so fudgy. It is the perfect way to make use of the season’s bounty of zucchini. The best part is that you can’t taste the squash at all! It’s a great way to sneak in a few extra vegetables while enjoying a chocolatey treat (especially for kids!).
One of my favorite things about chocolate zucchini bread is that it is freezer-friendly. I often double the recipe and freeze the extra loaf once it has cooled completely. It’s such a simple snack or dessert to pull out of the freezer when I have guests over! If you want another quick bread recipe, then try my chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe, chocolate chip banana bread recipe, or banana bread recipe.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Flour — you need all-purpose flour for this easy chocolate zucchini bread recipe.
Sugar — granulated sugar (also called white sugar) sweetens the loaf and adds moisture. Swap half for brown sugar to add a caramelized flavor to the bread.
Cocoa powder — opt for dutch-processed cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor. Natural unsweetened cocoa powder can also be used.
Leavening — baking powder and baking soda help the quick bread rise. Make sure they haven’t expired so the quick bread rises properly.
Cinnamon — ground cinnamon adds depth and warmth, enhancing the cocoa flavor.
Espresso powder — use espresso powder or instant coffee for the chocolatiest flavor. The zucchini bread will not taste like coffee at all; rather, the coffee enhances the flavor of the cocoa powder.
Salt — salt brings out the other flavors in this recipe.
Oil — vegetable oil adds moisture for a tender loaf and keeps the bread moist for days.
Butter — use unsalted butter so the loaf does not turn out too salty. You can use all oil, but the butter adds a delicious flavor.
Eggs — large eggs help bind the batter and provide structure.
Vanilla — storebought or homemade vanilla extract wakes up the other flavors and adds a mouth-watering aroma.
Zucchini — you need shredded zucchini to make this recipe. Use a box grater or food processor with the grater attachment to shred the zucchini.
Chocolate chips — I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can swap them out for dark chocolate chips for less sweetness or milk chocolate chips for more sweetness. Alternatively, you can chop up your favorite plain chocolate bar and use that instead.
How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, espresso powder, and salt.
2. Shred the zucchini using the largest holes of a box grater. Do not drain off any excess moisture.
3. Whisk together the melted butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, along with the grated zucchini and chocolate chips. Stir until combined, and you have a very thick batter.
4. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or baking spray. Line it with parchment paper, if desired. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake at 350°F for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs. Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then remove it and place it on the wire rack to cool completely before enjoying.
Can I Make This Recipe Into Muffins?
Yes, you can use this recipe to make chocolate zucchini muffins. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners and divide the batter amongst them. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Do You Have To Squeeze Out The Water From The Zucchini?
For this recipe, do not squeeze out the water from the zucchini. You need the liquid for a moist, fudgy chocolate zucchini bread.
How To Store And Freeze Chocolate Zucchini Bread
The quick bread can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week.
You can also freeze this recipe. Once cooled completely, wrap it well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Alternatively, wrap individual slices, pop them into a freezer bag, and freeze them so you can just grab a slice or two when the mood strikes. Thaw for a few hours in the fridge and then warm them up in the microwave or toast them.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Use room-temperature eggs so they are easier to incorporate into the batter and won’t resolidify the melted butter. Set them out 30 minutes to an hour before you start baking. If you forget, bring them to room temperature fast by placing them in a large bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
- Use a scale to measure your flour. This will keep you from accidentally using too much flour. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into the measuring cup before leveling it off with a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter. You’ll end up with a tough loaf instead of a soft, moist loaf.
- Use a light-colored loaf pan to prevent the edges and bottom of the chocolate zucchini bread from browning too much.
- Add nuts. Replace some of the chocolate chips with a handful of chopped nuts. Toasted walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts are great add-ins.
- For a pretty finishing touch: Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top of the batter before baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you do not need to peel zucchini. The skin is very thin and does not affect the taste or texture of the quick bread.
If your loaf is dry, there are two likely causes. First, you may have used too much flour, which tends to happen if you scoop flour directly from its bag or container. See the Pro Tips section above for how to avoid this. Second, squeezing the liquid out of the zucchini will give you dry quick bread. The liquid in the zucchini is essential for a moist, soft loaf, so don’t squeeze or drain any of it off.
To make gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread, simply swap the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour. You may need to add a little bit of extra moisture, typically 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or milk per 1 cup of gluten-free baking flour.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this chocolate zucchini bread recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder (50g)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil (120ml)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted (60ml)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups packed shredded zucchini (220g)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (180g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, espresso powder, and salt.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture, along with the zucchini, and chocolate chips. Stir together until combined. (The batter will be very thick). Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove the bread and cool completely on the rack or until slightly warm before slicing and serving. The bread can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. Individually wrapped slices freeze great, too!
Notes
- Use room-temperature eggs so they are easier to incorporate into the batter and won’t resolidify the melted butter. Set them out 30 minutes to an hour before you start baking. If you forget, bring them to room temperature fast by placing them in a large bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
- Use a scale to measure your flour. This will keep you from accidentally using too much flour. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into the measuring cup before leveling it off with a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter. You’ll end up with a tough loaf instead of a soft, moist loaf.
- Use a light-colored loaf pan to prevent the edges and bottom of the chocolate zucchini bread from browning too much.
- Add nuts. Replace some of the chocolate chips with a handful of chopped nuts. Toasted walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts are great add-ins.
- For a pretty finishing touch: Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top of the batter before baking.
Leave a Reply