Chocolate zucchini bread is soft, moist, and full of chocolate flavor. It’s made with simple ingredients and you can mix it by hand. A great way to use up extra zucchini and and perfect for a snack or dessert!
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If zucchini bread is new to you, you’re in for a treat. Shredded zucchini keeps this chocolate chip zucchini bread soft and moist. Cocoa, chocolate chips, and a hint of cinnamon make it extra rich and delicious!
This chocolate zucchini loaf also sneaks in a little nutrition—just like my Chocolate Avocado Muffins, Chocolate Pear Cake and Chocolate Persimmon Cake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Mix up this zucchini chocolate bread in just minutes. You don’t need a mixer to make it.
- This is a double chocolate zucchini bread since it’s filled with both cocoa and chocolate chips! It’s extra chocolatey like my biscoff chocolate cake!
- You’ll love that this loaf sneaks in a veggie, too! For another better-for-you chocolate treat, try my chocolate brownies with avocado.
- Zucchini makes this bread extra moist like my chocolate carrot cake! Cooking oil also adds moisture.
Ingredients
Below are useful notes about some of the ingredients for this recipe for chocolate chip zucchini bread.
- Cocoa- Use unsweetened or Dutch process cocoa.
- Butter and vegetable oil– The combination of butter and oil make this bread extra delicious. Butter gives it flavor. Oil keeps it soft and moist. Use melted, slightly cooled butter—salted or unsalted works fine. I like using vegetable oil for this recipe.
- Sugars: I like mixing granulated and brown sugar for the best flavor and texture, but you can use all of either if you like. Use ¾ to 1 cup total, depending on how sweet you want it.
- 2 eggs- Use 2 large, room temperature eggs.
- 1-2 zucchini: You’ll need 1–2 medium zucchinis (about 180 g / 1½ cups shredded). Since zucchini sizes can vary a lot, measure by cups or grams for accuracy. No need to peel or squeeze out the moisture—just grate with a box grater. Zucchini adds nutrition and makes the cake moist and tender. If you have extra zucchini, you’ll love this lemon courgette cake. This sweet potato chocolate cake is another healthier chocolate cake made with a vegetable!
- Chocolate chips- You can use semisweet or dark chocolate chips. Use regular sized or mini chocolate chips.
Please see the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap in canola oil, avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil in place of vegetable oil.
- You can use more oil in place of the butter. Or use all butter if you like—both ways work!
- Add some chopped nuts.
- Enjoy a slice warm with a scoop of ice cream!
- Add a half a teaspoon of espresso powder. It will bring out the chocolate flavor!
How to Make Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Quick Video Recap
Instructions
Here is how to make and bake this double chocolate zucchini bread.
Step 1: (See photo 1 above). Grate the zucchini using the medium or large holes on a box cutter.
Step 2: (See photo 2 above). In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: (See photo 3 above). In a large bowl, whisk to combine the melted butter, oil and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla extract.
Step 4: (See photo 4 above). Stir in the dry ingredients with a spatula til just combined. Stir in the zucchini followed by 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips.
Step 5: (See photo 5 above). Spread the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350 F for 45-55 minutes. The bread’s finished baking when a toothpick comes out mostly clean when inserted in the middle.
Step 6: (See photo 6 above). Set pan on a wire rack. Allow bread to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Remove from pan and place bread on wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe FAQs
Use small to medium zucchini. They’re more flavorful and have less seeds than big ones. Also, use room temperature ingredients and avoid overmixing.
Use the medium or large holes of a box grater to shred zucchini. You can also use a hand grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding disk. I prefer a simple box grater since it’s easier to wash than a food processor. If you’re shredding more than 2 zucchini at a time, I recommend using a food processor.
Yes! They will bake much faster than bread. Check for doneness at about 20 minutes.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To freeze, cool completely, wrap slices or the whole loaf tightly, and place in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Expert Tips
- I use small to medium zucchini. They’re more flavorful than big ones. They also have less seeds and give you more peel. More peel means you’ll end up with more of those pretty little flecks of green in your cake!
- Use the large holes of a box grater to shred the zucchini. You can also use a hand grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding disk. I use my box grater since it’s easier to wash than a food processor.
- Measure or weigh the shredded zucchini. I typically use one and a half medium zucchini, but the size of zucchini can really vary. For best results, measure out 1 and 1/2 cups or 180 grams.
- No need to peel your zucchini. Just wash then dry it then shred it.
- There’s no need to blot or squeeze moisture out of the zucchini. We want to add the grated zucchini as is. It is what makes the bread extra moist!
- Use an 8×4 inch loaf pan or a 9×5 inch loaf pan. I prefer an 8×4 inch loaf pan since it bakes up into a taller loaf.
- Be sure not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can make the cake tough.
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Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- 1 lb loaf pan or use a 1.25 lb loaf pan see recipe notes below
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (1.5 g) cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder use Dutch process or unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (73.33 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter melted, slightly cooled
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) vegetable oil or olive oil
- 2 (100 g) large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (186 g) grated zucchini 1 to 1½ medium zucchinis, not peeled, no need to blot it or drain moisture from it
- ¾ cup (135 g) chocolate chips semi-sweet or dark, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Butter (or spray with baking spray) the bottom and sides of an 8 by 4 inch loaf pan or 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. Line pan with a strip parchment paper. Parchment paper should be long enough to cover the bottom and long sides of the pan with 2-3 inches of overhang to make it easy to remove bread from pan.
- Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Measure out 1½ cups (180 grams). Set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the melted butter, oil and sugars. Add the eggs followed by the vanilla extract.
- Use a spatula to stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in the zucchini til just combined then stir in ½ cup of the chocolate chips. Avoid overmixing.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula or an offset spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips evenly overtop.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bread.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Frodobakings
So good! I tried this will all olive oil and flake salt on top. Delicious. Not too sweet. Great texture with the chocolate chips. Perfect way to hide zucchini when your kids are afraid of green bits.
Natalie
Thank you so much for making this chocolate zucchini bread! You described it perfectly and I’m so happy you enjoyed it 🙂 xo Natalie
Christine
There’s so much zucchini in this recipe but even the pickiest eater couldn’t tell, that’s how yummy these are! Loved this loaf, it was a huge hit at my family BBQ! Highly recommend baking this especially if you’re trying to get an extra serving of veggies into your life.
Natalie
Thanks so much for making this chocolate zucchini bread, Christine. So glad it was a big hit and you are right, with all the chocolate, you would never know there’s zucchini in it!! 🙂
Sam
I remember baking this the first lockdown we had with my oldest son. He couldn’t believe his eyes that it is made with zucchini! It is so moist and chocolatey you can’t even tell it’s made with a vegetable!
Natalie
Love hearing this! Thank you so much for making this zucchini bread, Sam!