Chocolate Paleo Zucchini Bread
Posted Jul 10, 2017, Updated Jul 01, 2024
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This paleo chocolate zucchini bread is an easy & healthy quick bread loaded with zucchini! It’s rich and chocolatey with a beautiful crumb.
If you’re looking for a chocolatey treat that is secretly healthy – you’ve found it in this paleo chocolate zucchini bread.
It’s rich and chocolatey while being loaded with fruit and vegetables. Plus, it’s dairy-free, gluten-free and has no refined sugar! So you feel like you’re eating a special treat but you’re actually fueling your body with fruits, veggies, protein and fiber.
Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread: Ingredients and Substitutions
- Coconut sugar: This is my favorite unrefined granulated form of sugar. If you have another (date sugar, maple sugar) feel free to use it as a substitute. I do not recommend using a liquid sweetener in place of coconut sugar.
- Coconut Oil: salted butter is a great substitute.
- Chocolate chips: choose a variety that complies with your dietary needs. Here are some suggestions:
Paleo Chocolate
- Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems. This is my favorite paleo chocolate. These gems are delicious and easy to toss into cookies (no bar chopping required).
- Hu Kitchen Dark Chocolate Bars. You can also buy dark chocolate bars and chop them up to toss into these paleo chocolate chip cookies.
- Lily’s Dark Chocolate. They make chips and bars that are stevia sweetened, low carb, keto, etc.
- Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Chips are a good option that are vegan, dairy-free but not fully paleo.
How to Make Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread
I suggest making this recipe in the blender so the zucchini is undetectable. If you’d prefer, you can combine the wet then dry ingredients then mix in shredded zucchini all by hand.
In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (coconut flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda baking powder, and salt). Set aside.
Then, put the zucchini and bananas in the container of a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
Once smooth, add the melted coconut oil, vanilla and eggs and blend until combined (about 5-10 seconds).
Next, add the dry ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
If desired, add the chocolate chips and pulse or stir to evenly distribute them throughout the batter.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes (depending on the size of pan you choose) or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean!
Once the bread is done, remove it from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
Let cool for at least 30 minutes before using the parchment paper to remove the bread from the pan and let it continue cooling until you’re ready to eat it!
Serve
Once cooled, slice and serve! We love enjoying this paleo chocolate zucchini bread plain, but you can slather it with honey butter, homemade almond butter, etc. Or serve with your favorite breakfast recipes.
Store/Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat for 10 seconds in the microwave.
Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe FAQs
Yes, bake in two standard muffin tins spaced apart at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
No, there are no substitutes for coconut flour in this recipe.
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Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup zucchini (unpeeled, 1 small zucchini)
- 3 bananas (overripe)
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×5” loaf pan with parchment paper, grease it and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (coconut flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda baking powder, and salt). Set aside.
- Place zucchini and bananas in the container of a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
- Add melted coconut oil, vanilla and eggs and blend until combined (about 5-10 seconds).
- Add the dry ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes (depending on the size of pan you choose) or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean!
- Once the bread is done, remove it from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
- Let cool for at least 30 minutes before using the parchment paper to remove the bread from the pan and let it continue cooling until you’re ready to eat it!
Notes
- Coconut sugar: This is my favorite unrefined granulated form of sugar. If you have another (date sugar, maple sugar) feel free to use it as a substitute. I do not recommend using a liquid sweetener in place of coconut sugar.
- Coconut Oil: salted butter is a great substitute.
- Chocolate chips: choose a variety that complies with your dietary needs. Here are some suggestions:
- Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems. This is my favorite paleo chocolate. These gems are delicious and easy to toss into cookies (no bar chopping required).
- Hu Kitchen Dark Chocolate Bars. You can also buy dark chocolate bars and chop them up to toss into these paleo chocolate chip cookies.
- Lily’s Dark Chocolate. They make chips and bars that are stevia sweetened, low carb, keto, etc.
- Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Chips are a good option that are vegan, dairy-free but not fully paleo.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I think you totally should write that cookbook! Sounds like a great idea if this is the kind of recipe that would be in it! Pinned!
LOL Katie! 😉 Maybe one day when I have a little more time and my kids are a little less little! 😉
Wow, the middle looks so gooey! This looks insanely delicious! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Thank you Andy! Every one of my kids LOVED it which is really saying something! Definitely no fighting to get them to eat their veggies this way! 😉
Haha, zucchini is the best ingredient to put in everything! I could totally eat paleo if it meant I got to eat this delicious looking cake everyday 🙂
Seriously! I just made pasta sauce with a ton of zucchini in it! LOL!
I’ve even put zucchini in ice cream before! Seriously, you can add it to just about everything. This bread looks fantastic. Super rich and moist. Love it!
WOAH! That’s something I haven’t tried! Definitely need to check out that recipe Liz!
The side view photo tells it all-what zucchini? Shhh. This looks incredible! Pinning!
Yes! It’s completely undetectable!
OMG! Yum! We have zucchini growing in our garden and this zucchini bread would be PERFECT (and my husband has been requesting something like this!)
Yes it totally would be a great way to use up all that zucchini!
This looks so moist and chocolatey and I’m so trying it — I need to get some coconut flour quick! My now 15 year old used to pick all the green flecks out of everything but finally stopped doing it when he ate zucchini bread a few years ago! 🙂
You will love it Marcie! It’s so funny! Gabe will eat entire green peppers raw…but tries not to eat a food with green specks in it! LOL!
Haha, I’m all about putting zucchini in everything! I can’t help it once they’re in season. I love how you made one of my favorite quick breads paleo!
I love paleo baking! Coconut and almond flour are my favorites!
What a killer paleo recipe! And i think I have all of the ingredients. My kids are gonna be happy. 🙂
Woo hoo! My kids LOVE this bread!
I love that you put zucchini in everything and that you eat dessert every night. I just love that about you!!
Thanks Becky! I feel like 2017 has been the year full of reminders that life is short. So why not eat dessert every night?! 😉