Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe + Video
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At A Glance
This chocolate zucchini bread bakes up tender, fudgy, and perfectly sweet. You’ll whisk pantry staples in one bowl, fold in finely grated zucchini for moisture, and let the cocoa powder do the heavy lifting on flavor. I’ve included dairy-free options, freezing and make-ahead tips, and a few troubleshooting tricks so your loaf turns out tall and sliceable every time.
This chocolate zucchini bread should definitely have a spot on your dessert table. It’s cakey with a perfect balance of sweetness and chocolatiness. The recipe uses grated zucchini for moisture and unsweetened cocoa powder for deep chocolate flavor without a lot of sugar.
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What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Oat flour – gluten-free if needed
- Baking powder – make sure it’s fresh
- Salt
- Granular sweetener – e.g., coconut sugar or monk fruit
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Ground cinnamon – not cinnamon sugar
- Zucchini – Use finely grated zucchini. Press once in a clean towel to remove only excess surface moisture, not all moisture.
- Virgin coconut oil – in liquid state for measuring
- Eggs
- Unsweetened almond milk
How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F. (176℃) and spray a loaf pan with oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
- In another bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients.
- Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry mixture until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes with a loose foil cover.
- Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing.
Pro Recipe Tips
- If the zucchini is well-drained, the recipe, as is, should work without issue. After shredding, squeeze out as much moisture as possible using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
- The batter should be thick but pourable, not runny. If the batter seems too wet after mixing, add 2-3 tablespoons of oat flour to thicken it.
- If the top gets too brown before the center sets, tent loosely with foil for the last 45 minutes or more.
- Rest 1 hour before slicing to keep the loaf from crumbling.
Mix-Ins And Recipe Variations
- Walnuts or pecans: chop them small and add them to the dry ingredients.
- Orange: add 1 teaspoon orange zest to the wet ingredients.
Make Ahead And Storage
- Fridge: up to 5 days, wrapped to prevent drying.
- Freeze loaf or slices: wrap tightly, freeze up to 3 months. Thaw it wrapped in the fridge.
- Refresh slice: warm 10 to 15 seconds.
Recipe Troubleshooting Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Sinks in the middle: It’s underbaked or has too much moisture.
- Dense or gummy: Overmixed batter or too little bake time. Mix just until combined and extend bake 5 to 10 minutes if needed with a loose foil cover.
- Dry: It has too little zucchini moisture or too much flour. Level the flour when measuring.
- Bitter: Dutch cocoa with too much baking powder or over-baked edges. Always level your dry ingredients when measuring.
FAQs About Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Do I peel the zucchini?
No. Fine-grate with the peel on.
Can I make muffins instead?
Yes. Fill the liners two-thirds full, and bake until a tester has moist crumbs.
Can I cut the sugar?
You can reduce it by about 10 to 15 percent; the texture will be slightly less tender, but it will work.
Which cocoa should I use?
Unsweetened natural cocoa powder. Carob powder will work, as well as cacao.
How fine should I grate the zucchini?
Use the small holes on a box grater so the shreds melt into the texture of the loaf.
Zucchini’s Impact on Baking
Zucchini is naturally high in water. Even after squeezing it out, residual moisture could make the batter slightly wetter. However, this is usually balanced by the absorbent nature of oat flour. That said, a knife inserted into the center will still pull out with what appears to be moist batter. But after the full baking time, all it needs is time to cool.
How To Serve Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Warm a slice with a little almond butter.
- Toast a slice lightly and add a swipe of yogurt or cream cheese.
- Drizzle with a touch of melted chocolate and berries.
Equipment Needed For Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- 9×5-inch loaf pan
- Two mixing bowls
- Whisk and spatula
- Box grater
- Parchment
More Quick Bakes You’ll Love
- Apple Bread
- Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Bread
- Oat Flour Banana Bread
- Lemon Bread
- Persimmon Bread
- Cinnamon Bread
- Irish Spice Bread
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Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe
CLICK TO WATCH THIS RECIPE IN ACTION!
Equipment
- 1 Standard Loaf Pan
- 2 Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Box grater
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour (gluten-free if needed)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (+ 1 tbsp. for a richer flavor)
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup granular sweetener
- tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground cloves
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded and drained zucchini (firmly packed)
- ⅓ cup liquid coconut oil
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk (reduced by 1-2 tbsp. if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. (176℃) and spray a loaf pan with oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.2 cups oat flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tbsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. salt, 1 cup granular sweetener, tsp. ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp. ground cloves, ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- In another bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients.1 cup shredded and drained zucchini, ⅓ cup liquid coconut oil, 3 large eggs, ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
- Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry mixture until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes with a loose foil cover.
- Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
