Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Posted Jul 09, 2021, Updated Aug 16, 2024
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This double chocolate zucchini bread recipe is irresistibly moist and intensely chocolatey. Chocolate zucchini bread is easy to make in one bowl (no mixer required) and will become your favorite way to use up the abundance of summer zucchini!
I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the abundance of summer zucchini than to make a gorgeous, moist loaf of chocolate zucchini bread! It’s intensely chocolatey, loaded with zucchini and has an almost brownie-like texture and a tender crumb (also try chocolate zucchini muffins).
Plus, this chocolate zucchini bread recipe is easy to make in one bowl (no mixer required)! It will become your favorite way to use up the abundance of summer zucchini!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
As always, I recommend making my recipes as written for the best results, but here are a few notes on the ingredients in this chocolate zucchini bread and possible substitutions.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter, vegan butter (like Earth Balance) or coconut oil are all great substituions, however coconut oil will leave the bread with a little coconut flavor.
- Canola oil. You can use coconut oil, more butter, or even applesauce in place of the canola oil if you prefer.
- Eggs. I imagine an egg replacer would work well in this chocolate zucchini bread recipe, however I have not tried it so I can’t say for certain. If you do make an egg-free version, let me know how it turns out in the comments.
- Zucchini. There’s no substitute for the zucchini (obviously)! Simply shred it and use it in the bread (do not squeeze out the water).
- Granulated sugar. regular white granulated sugar and organic cane sugar work well in this recipe.
- Light brown sugar. If you want a little more molasses flavor you may use dark brown sugar instead. You can also use coconut sugar.
- All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour. I have not tried all-purpose gluten-free flour so if you do report back and let me know how it goes.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Choose your favorite variety. For extra-dark chocolate zucchini bread use dark cocoa powder.
- Cinnamon. The little touch of cinnamon in this chocolate banana bread recipe makes it extra special, you can omit it but I don’t recommend it!
- Chocolate chips. choose your favorite variety and darkness: milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark, even white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips can be used to spice things up.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This recipe is very easy to make, but as always we’ll walk through the process step-by-step and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by combining the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Then, whisk together melted butter, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Next, add the white and brown sugars and stir or whisk until the mixture is smooth.
When the mixture is smooth, add the dry ingredients and stir or whisk until combined and there are no lumps or pockets of flour.
Next, gently fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips.
Bake & Cool
Transfer the chocolate zucchini bread batter to a prepared loaf pan and bake on the lower rack in a preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the chocolate zucchini bread cool in the loaf pan for at least 1 hour. After one hour, remove the loaf from loaf pan, releasing the sides with a sharp knife and transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Serve
Cut the double chocolate zucchini bread into slices and serve slightly warm with a slather of cinnamon honey butter or homemade peanut butter!
Store
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze
Individually wrap slices of chocolate zucchini bread in plastic wrap, then freeze in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw either remove the bread from the freezer and slowly let it come to room temperature, or warm in the microwave.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe FAQs
No! In this recipe, the moisture from the zucchini is necessary for a moist loaf!
You do not need to peel zucchini to make this bread. Leave the nutrient-rich skin in tact when you shred it to use in this recipe!
Yes! I recommend thawing it in a colander before using it in this recipe, so that some of the excess water drains out, but do not squeeze it out.
I suggest using this recipe for double chocolate zucchini muffins.
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Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups zucchini shredded (about 1 medium zucchini)
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9×5” loaf pan, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
- Add white and brown sugars and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Add dry ingredients and stir until combined and there are no lumps or pockets of flour.
- Gently fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake on the lower rack in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the loaf pan for at least 1 hour.
- After one hour, remove the loaf from loaf pan, releasing the sides with a sharp knife and transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Slice the chocolate zucchini bread and serve slightly warm or room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter, vegan butter (like Earth Balance) or coconut oil are all great substituions, however coconut oil will leave the bread with a little coconut flavor.
- Canola oil. You can use coconut oil, more butter, or even applesauce in place of the canola oil if you prefer.
- Eggs. I imagine an egg replacer would work well in this chocolate zucchini bread recipe, however I have not tried it so I can’t say for certain. If you do make an egg-free version, let me know how it turns out in the comments.
- Zucchini. There’s no substitute for the zucchini (obviously)! Simply shred it and use it in the bread (do not squeeze out the water).
- Granulated sugar. regular white granulated sugar and organic cane sugar work well in this recipe.
- Light brown sugar. If you want a little more molasses flavor you may use dark brown sugar instead. You can also use coconut sugar.
- All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour. I have not tried all-purpose gluten-free flour so if you do report back and let me know how it goes.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Choose your favorite variety. For extra-dark chocolate zucchini bread use dark cocoa powder.
- Cinnamon. The little touch of cinnamon in this chocolate banana bread recipe makes it extra special, you can omit it but I don’t recommend it!
- Chocolate chips. choose your favorite variety and darkness: milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark, even white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips can be used to spice things up.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The flavor was delicious! I uses gluten free 1:1 flour. No change in texture as far as I thought. I do wish I would have made it into 2 loves though. My singular 9.5x 5 over flowed quite a bit. I should have known better when the batter went nearly to the top. Luckily, I set whatever I bake on top of a cookie sheet. I will definitely make again but divide into 2 pans.
I made this for the first time a few weeks ago and it was easy and SO good! The only change I made, due to personal preference, was to reduce the white and brown sugars by half and it was plenty sweet for me. My friend’s teenage son loved it so much that she asked me for the recipe. She was shocked to see that it contained zucchini–her son hates zucchini so she had to hide the recipe from him lol.
SO GOOD. Dangerously good!!!
When do you add the cocoa ? Directions does not tell ?
With the flour! I fixed that!
My girls and I made this together, we substituted coconut oil for the canola oil and LOVED that flavor payoff. Tasted like a Mounds bar. Ours seemed a bit more open and fluffy in texture, not closed and dense like zucchini bread usually is. I am wondering if we didn’t have enough zucchini?? TBH we didn’t measure it, just grated a big one and eyeballed it. I also forgot to leave it alone in the pan after baking, so it sorta fell apart when I turned it out.,. Oops!
But, these issues did not stop us from enjoying it and sharing some with our neighbors!!