Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread with simple wholesome ingredients in one bowl. Easy, moist and double chocolate quick bread with sneaky veggies.
It is basically the perfect combination of my healthy zucchini bread and healthy chocolate bread. Now you will know what to do with zucchini. Have fun!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This healthy chocolate zucchini bread is for anyone like me who ends up with a fridge full of zucchini end of summer.
I seem to receive squash as a gift. Must be the food blogger profession. This list of 45 healthy zucchini recipes really comes in handy!
But then it comes time for dessert and there’s still no holding up on the zucchini; healthy lemon zucchini bread, healthy zucchini brownies, and healthy zucchini muffins are just a small collection of the zucchini recipes I’ve shared!
But only after I whip up a few batches of this wonderful chocolate zucchini bread! OMG, it is so moist, fluffy, perfectly sweet and chocolate-y. Double chocolate.
So easy too! One bowl and 10 minutes prep. I double the recipe and make one for the freezer, I do the same for healthy blueberry bread!
Ingredients You Will Need
- Zucchini: Grate it, no need to peel or squeeze.
- Flour: This chocolate zucchini bread has been tested with whole wheat flour and spelt flour. Basically, a flour with gluten. I have not tried bread with white flour.
- Sweetener: You have to use a liquid sweetener like maple syrup, honey, agave, brown rice syrup etc. Not dry sweetener like sugar.
- Cocoa or cacao powder: Difference between cacao and cocoa powder is only in nutrition values. Cacao powder is raw and not heated like cocoa powder. Cacao retains its antioxidants and nutrients.
- Egg and applesauce: Instant Pot applesauce is used instead of oil to make bread moist. I have not tested with learning how to make a flax egg or chia egg, but you can try.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Grate zucchini – I like to grate zucchini on fine/medium side of the grater. This way it “disappears”.
- Pack it – As you fill up the cup with handfuls gently press on zucchini before adding more. Don’t go crazy but just pat it inside.
- Mix in one bowl – Whisk the egg, then all liquids and add in dry ingredients. Then zucchini and chocolate chips last.
- Bake – Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 mins or until toothpick inserted is clean. Let cool off to warm before slicing.
Tips for Best Zucchini Bread
- Frozen zucchini – I have heard from a few readers they freeze grated zucchini and then use in baking. I have not tried. But if you are wondering, I would thaw frozen grated zucchini for a bit so it’s not one blob and try. Please let me know if you do.:)
- Squash – Squash and zucchini are the same thing. You can use yellow or pale green squash. Or even round patty pan squash.
- Follow the recipe – Baking is a science.
- Gluten free flour – Almond flour, coconut flour or any gluten free flour will not work. If you want a gluten free zucchini bread, try my healthy lemon zucchini bread. So good! My favorite recipe I ever created!
How to Store and Freeze Bread
Store: If the weather is hot, keep bread in a container loosely covered with linen towel for 1-2 days on a counter. You don’t want to seal it tightly so moisture accumulates and bacteria breeds on hot days.
After 2 days I would transfer leftovers in a container with a lid to the fridge.
Freeze: Any bread with zucchini freezes beautifully. Place it in a resealable bag, let out air, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter in 4 hours or in the fridge overnight. It will taste like fresh.
More Healthy Zucchini and Chocolate Recipes
- Almond flour zucchini bread
- Healthy zucchini banana bread
- Healthy chocolate cake
- Almond flour chocolate cake
- Healthy chocolate muffins
You can always check out my full collection of healthy quick bread and muffin recipes too!
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely grated zucchini packed and not squeezed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4 cup maple syrup honey or agave
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder aluminum free
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup cacao powder
- 2 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
- Cooking spray I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line 9 x 5 loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add egg, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk well until combined.
- Add cacao powder and whisk until well combined.
- Add grated zucchini and stir.
- Add flour and mix gently with a spatula just enough to combine. Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips and gently give just a few stirs.
- Pour batter into previously prepared loaf pan and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off for 10 minutes. Holding onto the flaps of parchment paper remove healthy zucchini bread from a loaf pan and let it cool off more before slicing with sharp serrated knife.
Notes
- Store: Store covered in a cool dry place for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months.
I followed the recipe completely except putting apple purée instead of apple sauce and replaced wheat flour with 1 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup wheat flour.
It’s not baked properly even after baking for more than 60 min. When I cut it it was kind of looked uncooked but from outside it looks completely baked
Hi, as noted in the recipe post you can’t substitute the flour in this bread, it can only be made with 100% wheat flour or spelt flour. Not almond flour, not oat flour. Hope you get to try it again with the correct flour!
I just made this bread and it is just delicious! I used to make everything with sugar and oil…since doing this I never will again! I love the lighter fluffier texture of this bread as opposed to the brown sugar drenched zucchini and other breads I used to make. Thank you! This is my new GO TO!
Yeah! So glad you enjoyed it and found a new way to love baking!
Made this today just as recipe said, so yummy, so chocolate, thanks
So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Olena,
I love this recipe! I have some fresh pitted sweet cherries I would like to add, if possible. What amount of cherries could I use and would this ingredient change the amount of any other ingredient?
Thank you!
Yum cherries and chocolate! I would half the cherries and you could use 1/2- 1 cup, no other changes needed.
I love this recipe but am out of applesauce.
I was thinking of trying with rhubarb sauce (I make it with 4 cups rhubarb to 1/2 cup sugar but could make a batch with no sugar if that would be better) or maybe coconut oil.
What would you recommend?
Coconut oil or a neutral oil would probably work…if you try the rhubarb sauce, the sugar would be up to how sweet you want the bread, rhubarb is tart so that may change the taste of the bread. Of course these have not been tested so not sure overall how it will turn out. Let us know how it works.
Forgot to get back to you. I just made my 3rd one with rhubarb sauce … delicious 🙂
So glad it worked out so well!
I used oar flour (gluten free oats finely ground in food processor) and it turned out delicious for those who want to be gluten free. Very moist. I also subbed 1/2 mashed ripe banana for the egg. Thanks for the recipe… will definitely make again!
Glad it all worked out and you loved it!
This recipe, like all your others I’ve tried to date, is amazing!!! My husband has been asking me to make zucchini bread and as he loves chocolate, I thought we’d try it. It is so delicious, I’m glad I doubled the recipe so I can freeze one to enjoy another time. Truly so good I can’t believe it’s healthy.
So glad you and your husband are enjoying it Angela!
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe Olena. I made this chocolate zucchini bread and loved it! I only have about 1/4 of maple syrup so I topped up another 1/4 cup of honey. So basically that makes 1/2 cup of liquid sweetener altogether. Then, I used 1/2 cup of Varlhona cocoa powder. For baking soda, I only used 1/2 teaspoon because I don’t like the taste of it. Baked in 9×9 inch square pan. Turned out absolutely marvellous! This is my first time baking zucchini cake/ bread and surprised that I can’t taste any zucchini at all. Thank you so much for the recipe <3
Than you for this recipe, I made it with organic maple syrup, I like it but it is a bit dense, I wonder if I did something wrong because the other comments said it was not dense?
I am going to try it with honey next time
Remember to stir gently, over stirring is often the cause of bread being dense. Let us know how it turns out next time!