Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe
This Chocolate Zucchini Bread is a moist, rich, and fudgy loaf that combines the subtle freshness of grated zucchini with deep chocolate flavors. Featuring dark chocolate chunks throughout, it’s perfect as a comforting dessert or snack, with a deliciously tender crumb enhanced by cocoa powder and melted butter. The recipe yields a dense yet soft bread with melty chocolate bits, ideal for serving warm or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 large loaf (about 12 slices) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 3 cups grated zucchini (from 2 large or 3 small zucchini)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (260g) all purpose/plain flour
- 1/3 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch processed
- 1.5 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup (275g) white sugar
- 100g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
Add-ins
- 300g (10 oz) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (reserve some larger chunks)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F), or 160°C (320°F) if using a fan-assisted oven, ensuring it’s hot enough to bake the bread evenly.
- Prepare the loaf pan: Grease and line a large loaf pan approximately 28 x 15 x 6.5 cm (11 x 6 x 2.5 inches) with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ease removal after baking.
- Drain zucchini: Grab handfuls of grated zucchini and firmly squeeze out excess moisture. Place the squeezed zucchini in a colander to drain further while you prepare the batter. This step avoids making the bread too wet or soggy.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until integrated. Then add melted butter and vanilla essence, continuing to whisk until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated.
- Integrate wet and dry: Pour the wet egg mixture into the dry ingredients bowl. Stir gently with a wooden spoon just until the flour is incorporated; the batter will be thick, so avoid overmixing to maintain bread tenderness.
- Add zucchini and chocolate: Fold the drained zucchini and coarsely chopped dark chocolate into the batter. Initially thick, the mixture will loosen into a thick but spreadable consistency.
- Bake the bread: Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes, then cover the top loosely with aluminum foil. Continue baking for an additional 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean except for melted chocolate streaks.
- Cool the bread: Let the bread stand in the loaf pan for 15 minutes to firm up, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve: This bread is especially delicious served warm, showcasing melty chocolate chunks and an extra fudgy texture in the middle.
Notes
- Grating and thoroughly squeezing the zucchini prevents excess moisture that could make the bread too dense or soggy.
- Using Dutch-processed cocoa powder ensures a richer chocolate flavor and smoother color in the bread.
- Reserve some larger chocolate chunks for added texture and gooey chocolate bites inside the bread.
- Covering the bread with foil partway through baking prevents the top from over-browning while ensuring the middle bakes thoroughly.
Keywords: chocolate zucchini bread, chocolate loaf, zucchini dessert bread, moist chocolate bread, fudgy zucchini bread
Find it online: https://dishedbydana.com/chocolate-zucchini-bread-recipe/
