You'll love this chocolate zucchini bread recipe! Packed with shredded zucchini and gooey chocolate chips, it's amazingly moist and fudgy.
This double chocolate zucchini bread recipe is based on the chocolate zucchini muffins from our first cookbook. While I love that recipe, I wanted to make a version that would work well as a loaf for slicing and enjoying with a morning latte or afternoon coffee.
This super easy, delicious chocolate zucchini bread recipe came out better than I could have imagined. It has a perfect cakey crumb, delectable moist texture, and rich chocolate flavor. Like my traditional zucchini bread recipe, this one makes two loaves. We gobble them up pretty quickly at our house, but if you have extra, pop one loaf in the freezer for another day, or share it with a friend!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe Ingredients
My chocolate zucchini bread is rich, moist, and perfectly spiced…and (chocolate chips aside) it’s fairly healthy, too! Here’s what I use to make this delightful summer treat:
- Flour – A mix of white and whole wheat flour gives it a perfect moist texture and a little whole grain power.
- Baking powder, baking soda, and eggs – They help the bread puff up as it bakes.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg – They add a lovely spiced contrast to the chocolate.
- Sea salt – I add a dash to highlight the rich chocolate flavor.
- Maple syrup – I swap maple syrup for granulated or brown sugar, so this healthy chocolate zucchini bread is refined sugar-free!
- Almond milk – For moisture. If you don’t keep almond milk on hand, substitute whatever kind of milk you do. Oat milk, cow’s milk, and soy milk would all work well here.
- Coconut oil – I use just ¼ cup to make the bread rich, but not too decadent.
- Vanilla extract – It adds warm depth to the spiced chocolate flavor.
- Zucchini – I grate mine on the largest holes of a box grater to get the best moist, zucchini-flecked texture!
- Chocolate chips – I don’t recommend skimping on these guys! You’ll fold some into the batter to make the inside of the bread super fudgy and delicious. Then, you’ll sprinkle more on top!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This double chocolate zucchini bread recipe couldn’t be simpler to make! Here’s how it goes:
First, whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and gently stir to combine.
Fold in the chocolate chips. Look how chocolatey that batter is!!
Pour the batter into two pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean.
Place the pans on wire racks, and allow the loaves to cool in the pan before digging in. So easy!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe Tips
- Be careful not to overmix! As with all baking recipes that use wheat flour, overmixing the batter will make the bread dense. Stir until everything is just combined to get soft, moist, and puffy loaves.
- Use two packed cups of zucchini. The zucchini is essential for adding moisture, so pack your cups full! Skimping on it will yield a drier final loaf. No need to press or squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini. We want all of it to go into the bread!
- Bake once, eat twice. This recipe makes two loaves of quick bread. I like to enjoy one right away and slice and freeze the other for easy breakfasts or whenever I have a chocolate zucchini bread craving. To thaw a slice, let it sit out at room temperature for an hour or so, or pop it in the microwave for around 30 seconds.
- Try changing it up! Swap half the chocolate chips for chopped walnuts or dried tart cherries. Or, if you have it on hand, use yellow squash in place of the zucchini. Let me know what variations you try!
More Favorite Easy Baking Recipes
If you love this chocolate zucchini bread, try one of these yummy baking recipes next:
- Zucchini Chocolate Cake
- Easy Zucchini Muffins
- Best Carrot Cake or Vegan Carrot Cake
- Healthy Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Bread
- Apple Cake
- Homemade Brownies or Vegan Brownies
- Or any of these 25 Super Fun Baking Recipes!
And for more zucchini recipes, check out this post.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups almond milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray two 8x4” loaf pans with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in the zucchini. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle with more chocolate chips and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops spring back to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Delicious! I made this before a camping trip and it was a big hit. The batter made 6 cakelets (I have a fall themed cakelet pan) and 4 mini loaves. I brought two mini loaves to work and received approval and praise from my coworkers (I am a dietitian and work in an office with 9 other RDs). I substituted regular 1% milk and vegetable oil. I usually keep shredded zucchini in the freezer which work great to thaw and drain off excess moisture. I will definitely make again! 🙂
Hi Allison, I’m so so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the tip about the frozen zucchini (I have a bunch in my freezer too!)
This bread was awesome! Very moist and tasty. I love that the zucchini just melts away into the loaf, disguising it from my child who will not eat veggies!
Can I use all purpose flour? I wasn’t sure how much white to wheat flour to use.
Is there any way we could remove the eggs to make this recipe vegan?
Hi Coco, I haven’t tested this recipe without eggs, but I have a vegan version of regular zucchini bread: https://www.loveandlemons.com/zucchini-bread/ and this vegan zucchini cake is similar: https://www.loveandlemons.com/chocolate-zucchini-cake/
Hope that helps!
Thank you!
I’ve had this saved in my to do list since you posted it on Instagram. Finally made it tonight and it’s delicious! This will definitely be made again!
Amazing and delicious and beautiful too! I added dry tart cherries and topped it with chopped pecans and shaved bits of dark chocolate!
Made this recipe today and turned out wonderfully! I’m planning on freezing the second loaf and would love your recommendation for thawing/preparing post freezing?
Hi Emily, I’m so glad you loved it! The slow way would be to freeze the whole loaf and thaw it in the fridge or at room temp until fully thawed. Personally, I like to slice the second loaf and freeze it in individual slices. When the craving hits, I thaw one in the microwave for 30 seconds or so. Hope that helps!
Is the amount of baking powder correct? I’ve checked a couple other recipes and none of them call for that much baking powder. Just want to double check!
Yep, it is – it helps it really rise well!
The found the recipe to be slightly tinny tasting! I might try less baking powder next time.
Hi Katie, try aluminum free baking powder – I never have that issue.
Ah ok – great tip! Thanks so much.
I want to make this today and have everything except the chocolate chips. I have lots of baking and eating chocolate bars – can I sub with some of those? Thx!
Hi Irene – yep, I would chop up one of those chocolate bars – a semi-sweet or dark chocolate one (not unsweetened chocolate or the bread will be too bitter).
My family scarfed it up. Loved it!
This was so delicious! I halved it and did one egg and half almond flour half wheat ratio! Turned out great with dark cocoa powder & dark Ghirardelli chocolate mini chips & used brown sugar & whole milk since I didn’t have other ingredients!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Can this be baked with gluten free flour options?
Hi Gaby, an all-purpose gluten free flour (I like Pamela’s), could work but I haven’t tested it this way.
I loved the topic you wrote on. It was an amazing ride of some great work.
I’m having trouble finding where to purchase 8”x4” loaf pans. Where did you get yours? Thanks for your help.
I have these: https://amzn.to/2Zp3DmM
and also the gold bakeware ones from Williams Sonoma. It’s a standard size so they should be available at most stores that sell bakeware. I hope that helps!
Thanks so much for your help! I made this and it is exceptional. Thanks!
Hi Susan, I’m so glad you loved it!
Just made this. Husband loves, said I had to leave a review.
ha ha, I’m so glad you both loved it! Thank you for leaving a review!!
In one place you mention using the largest holes in the grater; in another you suggest finely grated zukes. Which do you prefer?
Apologies, I meant to take out the word “finely”… I grate it with the large holes of a regular box cutter.
What a beautiful zucchini bread! Looks so delicious and perfect for weekend brunch!
Has anyone made this with vegan egg replacer instead of eggs?
I know, right? A vegan, gluten free version of this perfect loaf?! I’m gong to play with it, but cut the recipe in half first. Eating the mistakes isn’t always that fun 😜. Looks soooo amazing Jeanine, thank you!
I did! It turned out great. I also omitted the chocolate chips cause my son and I disagree on dark vs milk 🙂
Hi Jeanine! This looks amazing! Quick question– should you squeeze some of the moisture out of the zucchini first before adding it to the batter, or does it go straight in? Thanks!
Hi Arianna – nope, it goes straight in this time, no squeezing necessary!
Thank you! I just made the recipe but in muffin form. They are delicious and so quick and easy to put together! Thanks for a great recipe!
can I make this gluten free? maybe substitute Pamela’s gluten free flour? thanks
I was just wondering the same thing!
Nice sharing, thank you for the post
Hi Colleen, I haven’t tried it with this recipe, but I’ve always had good luck using Pamela’s flour. Can you let me know if you give it a go?