Chocolate Zucchini Bread
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Rich, deeply chocolaty, and incredibly moist, this chocolate zucchini bread tastes more like chocolate cake than vegetable bread. It’s easy to make with simple pantry ingredients, freezes beautifully, and is the perfect way to use up summer zucchini.
Every summer, when zucchini starts taking over the garden, I make at least one loaf of this chocolate zucchini bread. It’s one of those recipes that surprises people because, despite containing two whole cups of shredded zucchini, it doesn’t taste even remotely like vegetables. The zucchini simply melts into the batter as it bakes, creating an incredibly moist, tender loaf with an intense chocolate flavor.
Enjoy it as an afternoon snack, dessert, or even breakfast with a cup of coffee. And if you’re looking for more sweet ways to use up zucchini, don’t miss my classic zucchini bread and chocolate chip zucchini muffins. If you love chocolate quick breads, my chocolate banana bread is another reader favorite.
“This was ridiculously delicious! Moist and deeply chocolatey, using dutch processed cocoa plus espresso powder made a huge difference.”
What you’ll need to make Chocolate zucchini Bread
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure while keeping the loaf tender.
- Dutch-process cocoa powder: Gives the bread a deep chocolate flavor and rich dark color. Natural cocoa powder works, too, if that’s what you have on hand.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness along with a subtle caramel flavor that pairs beautifully with the chocolate.
- Butter: Melted butter keeps the recipe simple while adding richness and flavor.
- Eggs: Add structure and moisture.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Working together, they help the loaf rise evenly.
- Espresso powder (optional): You won’t taste coffee—it simply deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Zucchini: You’ll need about two medium zucchini. There’s no need to peel them or squeeze out the moisture—the zucchini’s natural moisture is what keeps the bread so tender.
- Chocolate chips: Folded into the batter for pockets of melted chocolate in every slice.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Shred the zucchini. I use a food processor as it’s a bit quicker, but you can also do it by hand with a box grater.
Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients. Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl and mix in the brown sugar. Once combined, stir in the eggs and vanilla.
Pro tip: It’s important to stir the brown sugar into the melted butter before adding the eggs, as the hot butter alone could cook the eggs.
Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients. Next, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
Step 4: Mix the batter. Combine the egg mixture with the flour mixture and stir to combine—the mixture will be quite thick. Next, mix in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips.
Step 5: Bake and cool. Transfer the batter to a greased loaf pan, and spread the batter evenly with a spatula. Bake for about an hour, then let the loaf cool in the pan for about ten minutes, then turn the loaf out onto a rack to cool completely. It’s delicious right out of the oven but it’s best to wait at least an hour to slice it, otherwise it may crumble a little. Enjoy!
More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ⅓ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (ok to substitute natural cocoa powder)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee (optional)
- 2 cups shredded zucchini, gently packed (you'll need about 2 medium zucchini; do not wring out the liquid)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) degrees and grease an 8½ x 4½-in (22 x 11-cm) loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the butter in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl and microwave for one minute, or until just melted. Stir in the brown sugar until completely smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until incorporated. (Be sure to add the eggs after the brown sugar is mixed in, as the hot butter alone could cook the eggs.)
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and instant coffee (if using) in a medium bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir until well combined. It will be very thick.
- Stir in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips. (It will still be thick -- that's okay.)
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (save for perhaps a smear from the melted chocolate chips). Let the loaf cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Delicious!
I am not able to consume processed sugars of any kind so I’m always searching for recipes that I can effectively ‘modify’ using the sugars that work for me. I made your recipe as written to take to an event and received rave reviews! In order to enjoy it myself, I made the following modifications: I used half white, half whole wheat flour. Instead of brown sugar, I used coconut palm sugar the first time. It was good, but hard to smooth out. The next time, I used 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar and 1/4 cup of Truvia’s brown sugar blend (Stevia with brown sugar). Better mixing. I use KRISDA chocolate chips that are sweetened with Stevia. The modifications make it a much more expensive venture. But the results are so fantastic that I have no regrets! The zucchini was fresh from my garden 🙂 I have a vegan friend that I’d love to share this with so I’m planning to make it next time with a chia seed replacement for the eggs (I’ve had good luck with this for other recipes). Thank you so much for this great recipe that is awesome as is, but also easy to modify for dietary restrictions.
I do love all your recipes! Your site is always my first stop when I want to try something new. Today, I tried your chocolate zucchini bread. It looks almost as good the the picture you have on your site. The only thing I may do differently next time is use a bit less salt. Love your cookbook too! 🙂
Delicious and easy!
My “go to” recipe for chocolate zucchini bread. Have made this same recipe for years, always turns out great
This is the BEST chocolate zucchini recipe, and I’ve tried a few. thank you so much!
Haven’t made this yet. Can I double this recipe?
Sure — you’ll just need 2 loaf pans. 🙂 Enjoy!
First let me say I love all of your recipes. I have been cooking for years and can really count on trying a new recipe of yours.
I want to tell you about my experience with this Chocolate Zucchini Recipe!!
I grow my own zucchini, organic in my garden. I work 60 hrs a week so it’s not easy to fit it all in….however I discovered Scharffen Berger Chocolate cocoa powder and also semisweet baking chunks. I make this recipe now into muffins. I never use the coffee, don’t seem to have it, I have used almond extract when I run out of vanilla and tonight I added a pinch of nutmeg. It is a beautiful consistent perfectly wonderful recipe and the chocolate is a cut above the usual.
Everyone who knows me LOVES this recipe and I have made it twice a week since my zucchini has been harvested. My grandson who won’t eat anything begs for my muffins!!
My son-in-law who planted my garden loves the bread version only because he hasn’t had the muffins yet.
You do great work!! Keep it up!! Terri Davis
❤️
I made this recipe and really enjoyed it. I did not add the espresso or chocolate chips, but I did add roasted chopped pecans.
This is the first time I’ve made a bread with zucchini. This is AMAZING!!!! I LOVE this bread for breakfast … or for an afternoon snack!!!
I was dumbfounded initially that my husband wasn’t a fan of this bread. I was drooling over it straight out of the oven and when he tried a piece he was less than impressed! Anyway, one time sent it with him when it had been in the fridge and he said it was SO amazing! Him and his workers are always begging for this and they even know there is zuchinni but love it nonetheless (some people have stigmas to veggies you know….). Another guy tried it a different time and loved it so much even though he jokes he is allergic to veggies! To me it is way better than brownies any day! What is even more amazing is how it takes less added sugar than most banana breads which also have additional sugar from the banana (duh!)…. that, in my book, makes it totally justifiable!!