This chocolate zucchini bread tastes like a delicious slice of chocolate cake, not a quick bread packed with vegetables. It’s incredibly moist and fudgy, with the most deliciously rich, irresistible chocolate flavor. Even though we add a bunch of zucchini to the batter, you really don’t taste it. Instead, the zucchini helps to keep the bread super moist and tender. For more zucchini bread recipes, see my classic zucchini bread.
Key Ingredients
Zucchini: One medium zucchini does the trick for this recipe. It adds moisture to the chocolate zucchini bread, similar to how carrots keep our carrot cake moist. But unlike carrots, zucchini melts into the batter, almost disappearing. Flour: I use all-purpose flour for this recipe, but you can swap some or all for whole wheat flour. Cocoa Powder: I use unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process). It reacts with the baking soda in the batter to create a tender, moist bread. Baking Soda and Baking Powder: The main leavener for this recipe is baking soda, which reacts with the cocoa powder. I also add a little bit of baking powder for extra lift. Oil: I love using oil in this quick bread recipe because it keeps the middle moist and tender, just like my blueberry muffins and apple bread. Sugar: I use a combination of granulated and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds a bit more moisture. Eggs: These add structure and flavor to the bread. If you don’t eat eggs, use two flax eggs. Vanilla and Salt: These make the bread even more delicious! Espresso Powder: Totally optional, but coffee does an amazing job of bringing out the richness of chocolate. You won’t taste coffee in the bread, it simply makes the bread taste more like chocolate. I also use it in my easy chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate Chips: I often stir a handful of chocolate chips into the batter, but you can leave them out if you prefer.
1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 cup (118ml) vegetable oil 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder 3/4 cup (135g) chocolate chips, optional 2Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 3In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla until blended. 4Toss the shredded zucchini with the dry ingredients. 5Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring between each addition. Stir in chocolate chips. 6Spoon the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top. 7Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out with only a few small, moist crumbs, 45 to 65 minutes. Ovens vary, so check the bread at 45 minutes and go from there. 8Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then, remove the bread from the pan and place it on the wire rack to cool completely.
