Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread is incredibly moist and is studded with chocolate chips in every bite. It’s a simple quick bread recipe that comes together fast using basic ingredients. This has got to be the tastiest way to eat your veggies!
About This Recipe
This double chocolate zucchini bread tastes like a loaf of zucchini bread ran into a rich chocolate cake.
It’s incredibly moist thanks to the shredded zucchini and oil in the batter, and the combination of chocolate chips and cocoa powder add intense chocolate flavor. There are just 10 ingredients in this recipe, all of which are pantry staples I keep on hand at all times.
If your garden or farmers market is overflowing with zucchini, you need to make this chocolate chocolate chip zucchini bread! The prep work takes just 15 minutes (if that) and the bread bakes in a loaf pan.
Make just one loaf for now, or bust out a couple more pans and make a few loaves to freeze for later. This would also make a great back-to-school gift for the teachers in your life!
Tools You’ll Need
You don’t need much equipment to prepare the chocolate zucchini loaves:
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: For measuring the dry ingredients.
- Liquid Measuring Cup: For measuring the oil.
- Box Grater: Use the largest holes on the box grater to shred the zucchini.
- Mixing Bowls: You’ll need two mixing bowls to prepare the quick bread batter.
- 9×5-inch Loaf Pan: Holds 2 pounds of batter. I suggest using a metal loaf pan because it conducts heat better than glass or silicone.
- Parchment Paper: The loaf pan should be lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Here are my top tips for lining pans with parchment paper, should you need extra help!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need 10 simple ingredients to make the zucchini chocolate bread:
- Light Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Oil (Canola or Vegetable)
- All-Purpose Flour
- Natural Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Zucchini
- Chocolate Chips
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
It doesn’t get much easier than this chocolate chocolate chip zucchini bread! Below is an overview of the recipe steps:
- Combine the sugar, eggs, and oil in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Fold the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Add the shredded zucchini to the batter, followed by the chocolate chips.
- Turn the batter into a parchment paper-lined loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately scatter over extra chocolate chips. Let cool before turning out.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Recipe Tips
- When shredding the zucchini, I suggest using the coarsest side of a box grater. It’s faster and easier than dragging out your food processor, trust me!
- Use natural cocoa powder in this recipe as opposed to dutch processed because the flavor is strong and it reacts better with the baking soda for a better rise. Natural cocoa is lighter in color and is non-alkalized. Its acidic flavor helps mellow the metallic taste of the baking soda as well.
- If your loaf begins to brown too much, loosely cover the pan with foil towards the end of baking.
- You MUST cool the zucchini bread in the loaf pan. The cake is so moist that if you try to turn it out of the pan before it’s completely cool it will fall apart.
- Don’t have regular chocolate chips? You can use mini as well!
Recipe FAQs
Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
How many zucchini are equal to 1 ¾ cups?
1 ¾ cups of shredded zucchini is around 1 to 2 medium sized zucchini.
Do I need to wring out the zucchini before adding it to the batter?
No! For this recipe, you don’t need to squeeze out or dry the zucchini before adding it to the batter. The zucchini adds moisture so we don’t want to take any of that away!
Do I need to peel the zucchini before shredding?
Nope, simply wash under cold tap water and pat dry before shredding.
Can I add other mix-ins?
Go for it! You can add up to 1 cup of mix-ins, including: nuts, dried fruits, baking chips, and so on.
I do not recommend adding any fresh fruit to the batter because the zucchini already packs in so much moisture. If you add more moisture in the form of chopped fruit, the bread will never set properly.
Can this recipe be made with frozen zucchini?
If you have shredded frozen zucchini on hand, go ahead and thaw it out for this recipe. I suggest wringing some of the excess moisture from the shredded zucchini since it will release quite a bit after it thaws.
Storage Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Individual slices can also be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.
The bread is best at room temperature, so place on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before serving leftovers.
Try Making Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread at Home!
Next time you’re looking for an easy dessert using zucchini, give this chocolate chocolate chip zucchini bread a try!
Did you love how moist the bread was? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought.
On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see a photo of your zucchini chocolate bread!
More Quick Bread Recipes:
Thanks to its bright, fruity flavors, Glazed Coconut Banana Bread is perfect for spring and summer baking.
This Cinnamon Applesauce Bread is perfect for fall and features some of fall’s best flavors, such as cinnamon, apples, and walnuts.
Classic banana bread just got a makeover with some coconut oil, shredded coconut, lemon juice and lemon zest. This Coconut Lemon Banana Bread is great year-round!
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread tastes delicious during the fall and winter months. It features multi-grain flours, plenty of fall spices, and dried cranberries.
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Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread is incredibly moist and is studded with chocolate chips in every bite. It’s a simple quick bread recipe that comes together fast using basic ingredients. This has got to be the tastiest way to eat your veggies!
Ingredients
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola)
- 1 cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup natural cocoa powder (100% cacao powder, not Dutch processed)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups shredded zucchini
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, plus extra to scatter after baking
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x5-inch (2 lb.) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl add the sugar, eggs and vegetable oil. Use an electric whisk to beat until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula fold until just combined. Add the shredded zucchini to the batter and fold it in.
- Lastly, add the chocolate chips and fold them in. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake in the center of the preheated oven for one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and immediately scatter over the extra chocolate chips. Leave the cake to cool in the pan for around 45 minutes before turning out.
- Once cooled, slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Zucchini: 1 ¾ cups of shredded zucchini is around 1 - 2 medium sized zucchini. You don’t need to squeeze out or dry the zucchini before adding it to the batter. The zucchini adds moisture so we don’t want to take any of that away.
Cocoa powder: Use natural cocoa powder in this recipe as opposed to dutch processed because the flavor is strong and it reacts better with the baking soda for a better rise. Natural cocoa is lighter in color and is non-alkalized. Its acidic flavor helps mellow the metallic taste of the baking soda
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3-5 days. Individual slices can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to one month. Always bring to room temperatre/thoroughly defrost before eating.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 391Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 237mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 3gSugar: 26gProtein: 5g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy. This provided information is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
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