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This moist Chocolate Zucchini Bread has a tender crumb and is super chocolatey! Loaded with walnuts and chocolate this easy recipe is so delicious and rich. A great way to use up all those zucchini from your garden!
Moist, fluffy, and loaded with chocolate – this Zucchini Bread Recipe is my go-to summer quick bread to make during zucchini season. I also love to make Zoodles during this time of the year and my Seafood Zucchini Marinara is one of my favorite light summer dinners but you know I have a sweet tooth.
Another advantage of this recipe besides that it is perfect to hide vegetables from picky eaters is that it’s seriously easy to make. Three easy steps and you’re done. I think the hardest part might be not to grate your fingers!
The grated zucchini makes this bread super moist and tender and the walnuts give it a little bit of a crunch. This is definitely one of these recipes you should have on hand when you grow zucchinis in your garden! It’s super simple, freezes well, and makes great leftovers.
Do you see those dreamy pockets of melted chocolate? So good! No one would think this chocolatey bread has healthy vegetables in it. You really don’t taste the zucchini, it just gives the bread a moist texture. This is the way I love to eat my vegetables!
Making this bread couldn’t be easier! About 10 minutes of prep and you have a great treat. This easy zucchini bread not only is a perfect addition to breakfast or brunch but also a tasty afternoon or late-night snack. Eating your vegetables has never been more delicious!
How to make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
To make this Zucchini Bread Recipe you need to grate the Zucchini. It should be thickly grated with the skin on. Don’t peel it, it’s not necessary because the zucchini will melt into the bread and the skin adds vitamins and minerals. Grating the zucchini instead of cutting it into small pieces is a great way to hide the zucchini from picky eaters. The grated zucchini will melt into the bread and give it a moist texture.
Use a box grater to grate the zucchini, it’s best to do this by hand. We only need one small to medium-sized zucchini. If your zucchini is extra wet use kitchen paper and give it a few blots before adding it to the batter. For this chocolate zucchini bread, you need unsweetened cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate. Chop the chocolate into small chunks and add these to the batter. You can also use chocolate chips.
The ingredients are all mixed by hand, no need to use your stand mixer. This not only gives you a little arm workout but also prevents overmixing the batter. Overmixing results in a tough, dense zucchini bread, not exactly what we want to achieve.
More Quick Bread and Muffin Recipes
- Double Chocolate Chip Bread (aka skinny chocolate chip bread!)
- Banana Nut Bread (the topping is so delicious!)
- Double Chocolate Banana Muffins Recipe (these are healthier than regular bakery-style muffins!)
- Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel (everyone loves these fluffy banana muffins!)
- Raspberry Muffins with Streusel Topping (buttery muffins bursting with raspberries!)
Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, (120ml)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, (120ml)
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, (150g)
- 1 cup zucchini grated, (1 medium zucchini)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (195g)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (30g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate, (60g)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, (60g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9×5-inch (or 8×4-inch) loaf pan and dust with flour. Tap out any excess.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, and granulated sugar. Add the zucchini and whisk until combined.
- In a medium bowl, toss the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Add the chopped chocolate and the chopped walnuts and mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until combined, but avoid overmixing.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for about 50 minutes. Baking times can vary, so keep an eye on your bread. The bread is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the bread is browning too quickly, loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil.
- Allow zucchini bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and let it cool completely. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Love the cinnamon in this
Made this bread several times, it’s delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
This sounds like the frozen Pepperidge Farms chocolate bread from the early 80’s. So happy to have come across this recipe.
Delicious, but be certain to test if done. I made this twice and both times it wasn’t completely cooked completely. This recipe is delicious.
Do you have recipe for a chocolate walnut zucchini muffin? and when I say chocolate …I don’t mean with chocolate chips…I had a chocolate walnut zucchini muffin also had raisins …from a Garden Center/Farm stand and they were awesome…so I am looking to make same thing…thank you so very much
I would like to try the recipe but I don’t have vegetable oil. Can I use coconut oil? Do I use the same?
I haven’t tried this recipe with coconut oil but I think it would work!
Excellent recipe! Delicious!
I prefer to eat my veggies hidden in chocolate deliciousness, so this sounds amazing!