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Chocolate Zucchini Bread is moist, sweet and filled with a hidden gem! It bakes perfectly and has a beautiful cracked sugar crust topping!
Chocolate plus zucchini is a delicious combination. Try this Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting or Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies for more dessert ideas.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Zucchini is my favorite summer vegetable. It is one of the best garden vegetables and grows abundantly for everyone to share. I love how easy this bread is to make and comes together so quickly. This quick bread bakes so well and looks delicious straight out of the oven. The zucchini is a hidden gem that creates a moist and delicious bread.
Top this with a sweet crust after baking and it is to die for. It creates a dessert like bread that everyone loves. Kids love this chocolate zucchini bread recipe and most don’t even know that zucchini is hidden in the bread. It is the perfect combination and loved by all!
Zucchini Bread Ingredients:
It is the perfect afternoon snack, early morning breakfast or a light dessert after dinner. Get your chocolate fix by enjoying this tired and true favorite!
- All Purpose flour: Helps thicken the quick bread.
- Cinnamon: Gives a hint of sweet and spicy flavoring.
- Salt: Just a pinch.
- Baking Soda: This will help the bread raise.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Added chocolate flavoring to the bread
- Canola Oil: The best type of oil for baking bread.
- Sugar: Sweet the bread with white sugar.
- Brown Sugar: Makes the bread moist and sweet.
- Eggs: Works well with the baking soda and creates a higher rise in the baked bread.
- Vanilla: Added for flavoring
- Sour Cream: Creates a moist and delicious inside.
- Zucchini: The main ingredient! Fresh is best and shredded then strained from the water.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: More chocolate!
Topping:
- Brown Sugar and White Sugar: Delicious sweetness added on top!
- Cinnamon: A sweet and spicy seasoning to add more flavoring.
How to Make Easy Chocolate Zucchini Bread:
It is easy to make and comes together quickly. This bread has the perfect blend of sweet with a healthy and twist of zucchini. Add in the chocolate and be even more amazed!
- Prepare Bread Pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a large 9″ bread pan and set aside. Mix topping ingredients and set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
- Mix Together: In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat together sugars, oil, and eggs for about 1-2 minutes until slightly fluffy. Add vanilla and sour cream.
- Add in Zucchini: Fold in the grated zucchini. Add the remaining dry flour ingredients. Stir to combine and lastly fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour Bread Batter: Pour into prepared 9″ bread pan. Sprinkle the topping on the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes. I set a time for 45 minutes and mine was done at that time. Oven temperatures vary, so just make sure a toothpick entered in the center comes clean.
- Serve When Cooled: Let cool for about 5-10 minutes and remove from pan. Delicious served a little warm, even with a little butter on top.
Preparing Fresh Zucchini:
Fresh zucchini is best when making this chocolate quick bread. I love to have fresh picked zucchini or bought from the store. Either way, this zucchini bread is always a hit!
- Summer or Fall Season: This bread is best made with the freshest zucchini vegetable. If possible, use a home grown zucchini rather than a store bought zucchini. Zucchini is best picked from the garden in the summer or fall season.
- Grating Zucchini: Cut the ends off the zucchini and do not peel if you would prefer. Use a grater to grate with the skin on or off. Fresh zucchini is very moist and watery. This will increase the breads moistness as it bakes as well.
- Drain Moisture: Place the grated zucchini in a sieve or several paper towels. Discard any excess liquid from the zucchini the best that you can. Let it sit while combining ingredients.
- Dry Zucchini: Add some water to the zucchini to help moisten the zucchini before adding it to the bread batter.
Variations and Substitutions:
Create your perfect bread using these variations and substitutions. Enjoy chocolate zucchini bread just the way you like it!
- Add Water: If you notice your zucchini is not moist. Either add 1 to 2 Tablespoons to the bread batter or soak the shredded zucchini for a few minutes before adding it to the bread batter.
- Flour: White flour is best. If you are wanting a whole wheat flour use half and half flour.
- Cocoa: Make sure to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder to help activate the baking soda. Do not use dutch process cocoa for this chocolate bread.
- Sugar: Add a little more sugar (3/4 cup) to make a sweeter bread.
- Yogurt: Substitute sour cream for a low fat plain greek yogurt. Vanilla flavor will also work or non greek yogurt.
- Chocolate Chips: Add in peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips for a variation. Chocolate chips are a must for this bread to become sweater and more flavorful.
- Slicing Bread: Let the bread cool before slicing the bread. It is best to slice the chocolate zucchini bread with a bread knife. Slice zucchini bread with a bread knife.
Storing Homemade Zucchini Bread:
There are a few ways to store zucchini bread. The trick is, to try and have left overs. This quick bread goes fast and is a great snack or dessert for everyone around!
- Storing Chocolate Zucchini Bread: Storing the bread in a ziplock bag at room temperature will work perfectly. This will last about 3 to 4 days long.
- Freezing a Loaf of Bread: Tightly wrap the zucchini bread in plastic wrap. Place in a ziplock bag and place in the freezer for 1 month. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperture over night. This will last for about 2 to 3 days at room temperature.
More Fresh Zucchini Recipes:
- Crispy Parmesan Fried Zucchini
- Best Ever Zucchini Crust Pizza
- Cheesy Zucchini Fritters
- Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Zucchini
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Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 Cup All Purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 Cup canola oil
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 1/4 Cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 Cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 Cups zucchini grated and strained
- 1/2 Cup mini chocolate chips
Topping:
- 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoon white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a large 9" bread pan and set aside. Mix topping ingredients and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat together sugars, oil, and eggs for about 1-2 minutes until slightly fluffy. Add vanilla and sour cream.
- Fold in the grated zucchini. Add the remaining dry flour ingredients. Stir to combine and lastly fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour into prepared 9" bread pan. Sprinkle the topping on the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes. I set a time for 45 minutes and mine was done at that time. Oven temperatures vary, so just make sure a toothpick entered in the center comes clean.
- Let cool for about 5-10 minutes and remove from pan. Delicious served a little warm, even with a little butter on top. 🙂
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this the other night and it was a huge success with my girls. Thank you so much for sharing. I love finding new recipes to try out and anything with some nutritional value is a great plus. It worked out perfect also because I had some leftover shredded zucchini from making my Zucchini brownie recipe for my daughters birthday cake on Sunday. You can get this recipe on my blog if you are interested. Again, thank you so much for sharing.
http://aimeesmanyblessings.blogspot.com/
This bread is absolutely fabulous.
This was amazing! I veganized it by replacing the eggs with flax eggs (1 T ground flaxseed mixed with 3 T water for each egg), and replacing the sour cream with mashed banana. It was perfect – thank you!
Thank
you! I was wondering what to replace the sour cream with to make it dairy free. 🙂
I have made this twice first time as directed tasted great but did not keep the loaf shape. The second time I poured it in a 9×13 pan added a T more of the two sugars for the topping and a full t of cinnamon it turns out more like a coffee cake. So yummy! My boys-husband, 2.5 and 1.5 year olds love it!
I have made this loaf 3 times and had to throw all of them out. I am a baker so this is not the first time I was baking. but like Jese said it did not hold its shape. The middle was still unbaked. So I used 9×13 pan and baked it for 30 to 35 min and it came out perfect. So yammy!
Forget bread…this was like cake! I would classify this as the greatest chocolate CAKE I’ve ever had. It was amazing. I will never make regular chocolate cake again after this.
Yeah this is more of a dessert huh? Hehe
I made this last night, cooled, & sliced this morning. SOOO delicious & moist thanks to the zucchini and sour cream.
Two issues I had:
1) The yummy topping on mine cracked as it cooled which meant it mostly disintegrated into chunks and pieces when I turned it over to cool on the rack. Not sure why that happened, but although it messed up the presentation a bit, wasn’t a huge deal.
2) I had a problem getting mine out the pan. Maybe I didn’t use enough butter or flour in the pan beforehand or maybe it’s because I had it in the pan a little more than the 5-10 mins after it was baked. So be mindful of both of those things,
Thanks for the awesome recipe! definitely making again!
This bread looks so dang good. I want a slice right now!!!
Yes, yes, yes! I want this bread in my life! This looks amazing!!!
Love chocolate zucchini and especially love generous neighbors! Looks fantastic Alyssa!
Holy yum, I need this in my life asap! I love the sugar crust that you created on the bread. I’m borderline drooling just looking at these photos 😉
Have you tried using dark mashed beans in replace of oil and eggs? I just heard that you can do this and the brownies I tried, you really couldn’t tell any taste difference. It makes them protein packed which takes away guilt! Can’t wait to sneak these past my kids.
That is something I would love to they! I wonder how many mashed beans you would use??
Hi,
Being In the uk I’m not 100% sure is T a teaspoon or a tablespoon? Can’t wait to make this as I have a glut of courgettes coming!
Thanks
A T is tablespoon and a t is teaspoon. :). I hope you like it!
Suzanne of Simply Suzannes at Home
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I think my family and I will love it.
Thanks for sharing,
Suzanne
Wow…. I can go for a couple of slices with my morning coffee. Looks delicious, pinning!
This bread looks amazing — I love chocolate and zucchini together! I have zucchini that I should use up in this form right away.
Can I bake in 2 loaf pans?
Awww what wonderful neighbors! This bread looks so moist and perfect!