Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or even as a snack, this chocolate zucchini bread recipe is great for any time of the day! You won’t even believe that there’s zucchini in this bread as it practically melts into the bread, leaving you with a moist and tender crumb. Even better, zucchini doesn’t have a strong flavor, so you won’t taste it. It’s the perfect recipe for when your garden is overflowing with zucchini this summer.
This is such a quick bread recipe to make, you can have it ready in no time. It’s super fudgy and has double the chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder and chocolate chips. What’s not to love about it? Want another easy bread recipe? Try my chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe, chocolate chip banana bread recipe, or banana bread recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Cocoa powder — I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder as it is darker, less acidic, and fudgier in baked goods.
Leavening agents — the batter for this chocolate zucchini bread is thick, so make sure the baking powder and baking soda are fresh, as you’ll need them to help the loaf rise.
Espresso powder — don’t worry, this won’t make your bread taste like coffee. Instead, espresso powder enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
Oil — vegetable oil adds a ton of moisture to the bread, improves the crumb structure, and keeps the crumb soft.
Butter — make sure to get unsalted butter as there is salt added to the batter in the recipe.
Zucchini — you can use a box grater or a handheld grater to quickly shred the zucchini. You do not peel the zucchini, so make sure to give the zucchini a good wash before using it. Pick a zucchini that has blemish-free skin and is firm.
Chocolate chips — I like semisweet chocolate chips, but you can also use dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips for the bread if you prefer.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, espresso powder, and salt.
2. Shred the zucchini.
3. 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.
4. Transfer the batter into a greased 9×5 loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, then let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove the bread and cool completely on the wire rack or until slightly warm before slicing and serving.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Ignore the temptation to squeeze the liquid out of the shredded zucchini! This batter is thick and uses that extra moisture during baking, resulting in a decadently fudgy slice of bread.
- Careful not to overmix the batter, or you’ll overdevelop the gluten, and you’ll end up with a tough loaf of bread instead of a soft and moist loaf.
- You can save a couple of chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the dough before baking for a prettier loaf.
- Use a scale to measure your flour. This will yield the most accurate results. However, if you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup, leading to a heavy loaf.
- Use a light-colored loaf pan to help prevent the edges and bottom of the loaf from browning from over-baking.
- Use room temperature eggs so they incorporate into the batter without over-mixing. If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl of warm tap water for 5 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store this bread?
The bread can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also keep it in the fridge for a day or two longer.
Can this be frozen?
This bread freezes wonderfully. You can wrap the entire loaf of bread or individual slices in plastic wrap once cooled. Freeze for up to 3 months, and when you’re ready to eat the bread, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm up in the microwave or defrost in the microwave.
What else can I add to this?
Feel free to add a handful of chopped nuts instead of some of the chocolate chips. Chopped walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts are great add-ins.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- Loaf pan
- Mixing Bowls
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 9x5-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!
Video
Notes
- Ignore the temptation to squeeze the liquid out of the shredded zucchini! This batter is thick and uses that extra moisture during baking, resulting in a decadently fudgy slice of bread.
- Careful not to overmix the batter, or you’ll overdevelop the gluten, and you’ll end up with a tough loaf of chocolate zucchini bread instead of a soft and moist loaf.
- You can save a couple of chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the dough before baking for a prettier loaf.
- Use a scale to measure your flour. This will yield the most accurate results. However, if you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup, leading to a heavy loaf.
- Use a light-colored loaf pan to help prevent the edges and bottom of the loaf from browning from over-baking.
- Use room temperature eggs so they incorporate into the batter without over-mixing. If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
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