Chocolate Zucchini Bread
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Published Jul 12, 2024, Updated Oct 04, 2024
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This double chocolate zucchini bread is moist, fluffy and super chocolatey. It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious. No one will ever know there’s zucchini in it!
It’s zucchini season and thanks to my father-in-law’s garden, our fridge is already overflowing with loads of both zucchini and summer squash!
I have a ton of zucchini recipes on my site already (i.e these healthy zucchini muffins, my fave zucchini banana bread and these simple turkey zucchini boats) but today we’re adding to the collection with this double chocolate zucchini bread!
This loaf is similar to my chocolate banana bread recipe, but we’re using zucchini instead of bananas to keep this loaf super moist. I love how it tastes like a decadent chocolate cake, but is made with better-for-you ingredients like greek yogurt, coconut sugar and whole wheat flour.
With ingredients like this, I’m totally fine to enjoy it for breakfast! Plus chocolate for breakfast = best day ever!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make – This recipe is straight forward and made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
- Healthier – You guys, this bread legit tastes like chocolate cake, but is made with whole grain flour, greek yogurt, coconut oil and coconut sugar. Also, each slice is under 200 calories and has 5 grams of protein. Not too shabby!
- Hidden veggies – No only does the zucchini keep the bread moist, this loaf is a great way to sneak some veggies into your kids diet! The zucchini goes undetected and they’ll love the chocolate flavor.
Ingredients Needed
- flour – you can use all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour for this loaf. I usually use whole wheat pastry flour if I have it on hand for some extra nutrients.
- cocoa powder – can’t have chocolate bread without cocoa powder for that chocolatey flavor! Make sure you’re using unsweetened cocoa powder. Cacao powder works as well.
- cinnamon – the perfect spice that makes this loaf taste like classic zucchini bread.
- eggs – helps to bind the ingredients together and gives the loaf structure.
- coconut sugar – the less-processed upgrade for granulated sugar or brown sugar. It also adds a nice caramel-like sweetness to this loaf.
- coconut oil – we’re only using a quarter cup of coconut oil in the entire loaf. It doesn’t need a ton of oil thanks to the moisture the zucchini and Greek yogurt adds.
- plain Greek yogurt – this adds a little protein and helps to keep the bread moist without the need for more oil. I used full-fat Greek yogurt, but 2% or low-fat yogurt will also work.
- finely grated zucchini – the star of the show here. There’s no need to squeeze the grated zucchini… the liquid from the zucchini replaces the oil and helps to keep this loaf moist.
- chocolate chips – for extra chocolatey goodness! I like Lily’s dark chocolate chips because they are lower in sugar and calories.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Substitutions & Variations
- Coconut sugar: If you don’t have coconut sugar I recommend using cane sugar or light brown sugar. Granulated sugar will work too!
- Coconut oil: If you don’t have coconut oil you can use melted butter or another neutral oil instead.
- Make it dairy-free: To make this loaf dairy-free swap the yogurt with a dairy-free yogurt.
- Add mix-ins: Feel free to add extras like chopped nuts, dried fruit or even a swirl of peanut butter for added flavor and texture.
- Want to make it vegan? I haven’t tested a vegan version of this recipe, but you could use a vegan yogurt and try using flax eggs in place of the regular eggs. Again, I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure how it’ll turn out, but if you do try it let me know how it turns out for you. You can also just make my vegan zucchini bread instead. It doesn’t have cocoa powder, but it does have chocolate chips and it’s delicious!
- Want to make it gluten-free? I also haven’t tested this recipe with a gluten-free all-purpose flour option, but if you try it let me know how it turns out in the comments below. You could also try these zucchini brownies instead which are made with a combo of oat flour and almond flour.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Step 1: In a medium bowl, stir flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Step 2: In a large bowl add the eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil, greek yogurt and vanilla. Whisk to fully combine until smooth. Then stir in the grated zucchini.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Then gently stir in the chocolate chips
Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with additional chocolate chips if desired and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Brittany’s Tips!
- Don’t over-mix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined. It’s okay if there are a few streaks of flour still visible. Over-mixing can result in a loaf that’s dense.
- Line loaf pan: Don’t forget to coat your loaf pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper to prevent the bread from sticking to the pan and to make removal easier.
- Check for doneness: Use a toothpick or butter knife to check if the bread is done. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let cool: Let the bread cool completely before slicing. This helps the bread to set properly and makes it easier to slice.
How to Store
- At room temperature: Wrap the bread in foil or plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- In the fridge: For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week.
- In the freezer: This bread freezes great. Wrap the loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil or place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! While some zucchini recipes may call for squeezing out the excess liquid, it’s not necessary in this recipe. The extra moisture provided by the zucchini plays an important role in keeping the bread exceptionally moist and tender. So, there’s no need to worry about taking the extra step to squeeze out the water from the zucchini. Just grate it and stir it in!
No! There is no need to peel the zucchini before grating. The skin is thin so don’t worry about spending time peeling the zucchini.
More Quick Bread Recipes
- Protein Banana Bread
- Strawberry Banana Bread
- Tahini Banana Bread
- Vegan Apple Bread
- Almond Flour Banana Bread
- Oat Flour Banana Bread
Be sure to check out all of the quick bread recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt, I used full fat
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups finely grated zucchini, no need to squeeze liquid
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, stir flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil, greek yogurt and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini.
- Add dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir together until just combined. Be sure not to over mix the batter!
- Gently stir in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with additional chocolate chips if desired. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaf from pans and let cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- Gluten-free: I haven’t tested this recipe with a gluten-free all-purpose flour option, but if you try it let me know how it turns out in the comments below.
- Dairy-free: To make this loaf dairy-free swap the yogurt with a dairy-free yogurt.
- Vegan: I also haven’t tested a vegan version of this recipe, but you could use a vegan yogurt and try using flax eggs in place of the regular eggs. Again, I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure how it’ll turn out, but if you do try it let me know how it turns out for you.
- Coconut sugar: If you don’t have coconut sugar I recommend using light brown sugar, cane sugar or granulated sugar.
- Coconut oil: If you don’t have coconut oil you can use melted butter or another neutral oil instead.
- Mix-ins: Feel free to add extras like chopped nuts, dried fruit, or even a swirl of peanut butter for added flavor and texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
