Some of us need no convincing when it comes to eating our veggies. For everyone else, there’s Chocolate Zucchini Bread. Rich, moist, and tender, this is a dessert that sneaks in a little bit of nutrition!
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we'll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
The most decadent way to use an abundance of zucchini.
Whether you’re growing it, you’re gifted it, or you’re just taking advantage of the vendors practically giving it away at the farmers market every week, zucchini is abundant in the summer.
Savory recipes like Zucchini Fritters and Zucchini Pasta are great for dinner, but when it’s time for something sweet, it’s time for chocolate zucchini bread.
- Your typical zucchini bread (or Vegan Zucchini Bread) tastes like cinnamon or spice cake, with a flavor that leans cozy, not rich. But this chocolate zucchini bread? Rich! Chocolaty! Decadent! It tastes like a dessert for real, with lots of chocolate flavor.
- Zucchini and yogurt combine to create a super moist, tender chocolate zucchini bread. (Moist, never soggy and certainly not dry!)
After making Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, Zucchini Banana Bread, and Healthy Zucchini Muffins, I’ve learned a thing or two about using zucchini in baked goods. Trust and believe, this chocolate zucchini bread won’t let you down!
5 Star Review
“How is this soooo good? So moist and chocolatey, and the zucchini adds great texture without screaming VEGETABLE! Love it!”
— Marie —
My Best Tips for the Perfect Loaf of Zucchini Bread
- Use Small or Medium Zucchini. If you’re using one of those giant zucchinis your neighbors leave on your doorstep in August, you’ll need to halve it lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. They’re bigger and tougher than the seeds in smaller zucchini, which means they’ll be noticeable in your chocolate zucchini bread. (Pro-tip: You can also use yellow squash.)
- Squeeze, Squeeze, and Squeeze Some More. You really want to get as much moisture out of the grated zucchini as you can. If you can squeeze the zucchini in a kitchen towel and no more liquid runs off, you’re good!
- Don’t Overmix. When it comes to quick breads, it’s always better to have some streaks of unmixed flour than to stir so much that the gluten in the flour toughens. This yields a quick bread that falls flat, both literally and figuratively.
- Use a Skewer to Check for Doneness. You know the wooden skewers you use to make Chicken Kabobs? They’re also great for testing quick breads for doneness. It should come out mostly clean, with just a few moist crumbs and melted chocolate chips clinging to it. (An instant-read thermometer is an even better option—it should read 200°F.)
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Prepare. Preheat your oven, then coat a loaf pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper.
Shred and Squeeze. Remove as much liquid out of the zucchini as you can. This is key!
Mix. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix Again. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Combine. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Finish the Batter. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips.
Bake. Pour the batter into the pan, add chocolate chips to the top, and bake the chocolate zucchini bread at 350 degrees F until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then finish cooling directly on the rack. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Add Some Nuts. Add chopped toasted walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts to the batter when you’re folding in the zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Glaze It. Instead of adding chocolate chips to the top, you can drizzle glaze over the bread after it’s finished cooling. (Use the glaze recipe from my Strawberry Bread.)
- Make It Vegan. Use an egg replacer formulated for baking, then swap in non-dairy yogurt.
- Make It Gluten-Free. Use a measure-for-measure all-purpose flour substitute instead of all-purpose and whole wheat flour.
What to Serve with Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- Nut Butter. Almond butter, peanut butter, Nutella—it’s all good here.
- Jam. Strawberry jam (try this Chia Jam), raspberry jam, and orange marmalade pair well with chocolate.
- Fruit. Accompany your chocolate zucchini bread with fresh fruit or Fruit Salad on the side.
- Other Breakfast Foods. I like pairing sweet quick breads with a savory option like Instant Pot Boiled Eggs for breakfast, or round out your meal with a Greek Yogurt Smoothie.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we’ll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups grated zucchini about 3 small or 2 ½ medium zucchini—scrape out the seeds if using a large late-season zucchini
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour or additional all purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder Dutch-processed or unsweetened both work
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt*
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup honey or pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 10 ounces chocolate chips I use bittersweet; about 1 2/3 cup
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper so that two opposite sides of the parchment over hang the pan a bit, like handles.
- Place the grated zucchini in a clean dish towel and squeeze well to wring out excess water.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, sugar, honey, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until mostly combined—the batter will be thick and seem dry at this point. Do not over-mix; some dry spots are fine.
- Add the zucchini; if desired, reserve a handful of chocolate chips for sprinkling on top, then add the rest to the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir slowly and deliberately to combine the zucchini evenly with the batter. You’ll want to smush it around a bit so that the zucchini moistens the batter and everything is evenly combined. As soon as it looks evenly distributed, stop mixing.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer (your pan will be full to the brim). Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top. Bang the pan on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles.
- Bake the chocolate zucchini for 45 minutes, then rotate the pan 180°F, tent with foil and continue baking for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer or long, thin knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it (don’t use a toothpick—it won’t reach in far enough). You also can use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness—the bread should register 200°F.
- Place the pan on a wire rack and let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Using the parchment handles, lift the bread out of the pan and onto the wire rack. Let cool before slicing.
Notes
- *Use 2% or full-fat Greek yogurt for richer results; nonfat will also taste good, so use what you have.
- TO STORE: Store leftovers well-wrapped at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- TO FREEZE: Wrap chocolate zucchini bread well, then freeze it for up to 6 months. Let it thaw at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we’ll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
Frequently Asked Questions
Zucchini skin is thin and it’s also going to be grated into very small bits, so there’s no need to peel the zucchini before making chocolate zucchini bread. Leave it on and you’ll get some extra nutrients too!
The most likely culprit is grated zucchini that was too wet. There’s nothing to remedy this after the fact, unfortunately—just remember to squeeze out the liquid longer the next time you make it!
You can leave the seeds in the zucchini if it’s small or medium, but if it’s large, you’ll need to remove them first.
The top of the zucchini bread should spring back when you poke it gently; if it doesn’t, the zucchini bread is undercooked. If you insert a skewer and it has batter on it when you pull it out, that’s another sign that your zucchini bread isn’t ready yet. To be certain, use an instant-read thermometer. When the bread registers 200°F, it’s done.
How is this soooo good? So moist and chocolatey, and the zucchini adds great texture without screaming VEGETABLE! Love it!
Hi Marie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This bread is sooo good! It tastes like a brownie!
Hi Alyssa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Just found this on your site and had a large zucchini to use. This bread is very tasty, however, very dense. Next time I make it I won’t leave it in the oven the whole time. Otherwise, it is very good.
Hi Christine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was delicious! I used only All Purpose flour and maple syrup. So moist, not to sweet and oh so chocolatey.
Thank you TCV!
Baked this yesterday and it was gone by this morning! It’s not super sweet, which I really liked because it let the chocolate flavor shine. I think it would be great with a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans mixed in too. Will try to add that next time.
Yum, thanks Carla!
Made this today and my kitchen smells incredible! The bread came out moist with a rich chocolate flavor, but not too sweet, which I appreciate. I do think squeezing out the zucchini really well is key, otherwise it might get too wet. I enjoyed making this recipe. Thank you so much!
I just made this today and it was super easy to put together. I doubled the recipe and made 5 mini loaves for friends and co-workers. I just tried a piece and it is absolutely delicious. Not too sweet. The chocolate chips make a HUGE impact on the choc flavor. As I was making this I thought I bet you could use carrots, too. Thanks for sharing!
Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but I’m glad I gave it a shot. The zucchini adds moisture without affecting the taste, and I loved that the bread wasn’t too sweet. I did use a mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips since that’s what I had on hand, and it worked great. It was a bit time-consuming to prep the zucchini and squeeze it out, but the final result was worth it. Would definitely make it again.
I’m so glad to hear, Bianca! THANK YOU!
Tried this out over the weekend and it turned out pretty well. The loaf was moist and chocolatey. The honey and yogurt make it feel a bit healthier too, which I appreciated. I added a few walnuts for crunch and liked the result.
Great to hear, Hannah! Thank you!
Didn’t tell anyone there was zucchini in it and nobody noticed. It smells amazing out of the oven and tastes even better the next day. Love that it’s not overloaded with sugar. It’s got that perfect soft inside with just a bit of a crust. Definitely a win in my book. Thank you!
So glad to hear, Penelope! THANK YOU!