This easy Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe is made with zucchini and loaded with chocolate chips. It’s super moist, rich, delicious and oil-free! No one will know there’s zucchini hidden in this healthy recipe because this zucchini bread is still decadent.
I have a treat for you today and it’s a healthy treat. That’s right, you heard me. A healthy treat, and what a fantastic treat this is! My husband is absolutely madly in love with this bread. So am I, of course.
A slice of this moist and luscious chocolate zucchini bread is only 144 calories. Don’t get turned off at the sound of zucchini, you can’t even taste it in this bread. When I first told my husband that I made this recipe with zucchini he turned his back and was not interested. As per usual, I begged for him to try a piece and when he did he squealed with delight. He does that a lot, complains at veggies, but throwing some zucchini in this bread is a brilliant idea!
What Ingredients Are in Chocolate Zucchini Bread?
This recipe has the usual ingredients you’ll find in a quick bread, like flour, baking powder and soda, salt, brown sugar, and a few healthy substitutions. What’s the point of putting a vegetable in this bread without making sure everything else is healthy, right? I cut out the oil completely and replaced it with applesauce!
I also used some good plain greek yogurt to add a touch of tanginess, a hint of cinnamon, and some nice big chocolate chunks. These get so deliciously melty! You won’t believe something so decadent could be good for you.
What Does Chocolate Zucchini Bread Taste Like?
Surprisingly, this bread tastes nothing like zucchini. All you taste is delicious, moist, chocolaty goodness! I know it can be intimidating to load up your sweets with a vegetable, but trust me on this one. The zucchini adds incredible moisture to your loaf without the need to add fat like butter or oil.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
You’ll want to make sure to preheat your oven to 375 F degrees a few minutes before you get started. This recipe is so easy, you’ll have everything measured out and mixed in no time at all.
Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, applesauce, yogurt, and brown sugar until the sugar has mostly dissolved. Add the zucchini and mix until well combined. Dump the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients, and whisk well until the mixture is uniform. Now you can fold in those big chocolate chunks!
Pour the batter into a well greased loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. Can you barely wait? I’m excited for you!
How to Tell When Your Chocolate Zucchini Bread Is Done Baking
It can be hard to tell when a chocolate chip filled loaf with cocoa in the batter is done! If you use the toothpick test and it comes out dirty, what is that? Is it uncooked batter? Is it melted chocolate? The frustration!
Use a few toothpicks and test out different parts of the loaf. Melted chocolate will stick to the toothpick and look very glossy and smooth. Raw batter will be slightly more dull than melted chocolate, and will have a bit more texture versus that silky chocolate.
How to Store Chocolate Zucchini Bread
One of the reasons I love making quick breads is how perfectly they freeze and thaw back out. You can make a big batch of loaves, freeze them and take them out of the freezer as they’re needed. Let the loaf cool fully to room temperature, then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and then a layer of foil. This will last in the fridge for about 1 week in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.
Did You Love This Quick Bread? Try These!
- Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
- Easy Banana Bread
- Olive Ham and Cheese Loaf
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Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup zucchini grated
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Evenly spray cooking oil in a loaf pan.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl whisk the egg, applesauce, yogurt and brown sugar together. Stir in the zucchini.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly dispersed in the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter in the loaf pan, transfer loaf pan to the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Love this as a loaf but is it possible use the batter to make muffins and just adjust the baking time? Can’t wait for your new book to release 🙂
Hi Mary,
You can definitely make this into muffins too. Bake them at 350°F on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins feels bouncy when you press on them, about 20-30 minutes. Let us know how they turn out!
My 5 year old granddaughter wanted to make chocolate zucchini bread. So glad I found your recipe. So easy and delicious. She loved it.
Thank you, Jo.
My pleasure, so glad you liked it!