Fudgy, moist, and irresistibly chocolatey, this chocolate zucchini bread is a total winner! Made with everyday pantry ingredients and a good dose of shredded zucchini (you won’t even taste it!), this easy loaf bakes up soft, rich, and full of cocoa goodness.
Zucchini is a great way to sneak veggies into bakes and treats. I love this hearty and wholesome carrot zucchini bread. And this chocolate zucchini cake is a dream for all chocolate lovers! Chocolate and zucchini bread brings the best of both worlds together.
The zucchini adds so much moisture to the bread (without changing the flavor) that it remains soft for days. The recipe couldn’t be simpler. Just mix, pour, and bake. No fancy equipment or steps needed. One whisk and a bowl. It’ll easily become your favorite chocolate bread recipe!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
✨ It’s a lovely, quick bread that feels indulgent but is surprisingly wholesome. Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack with coffee!
✨ It tastes like a fudgy brownie. 100% the chocolate treat you’ll want to make on repeat, wholesome and indulgent.
✨ The crumb is tender and super moist. You’d never guess there’s zucchini in it. But it gives the easy bread loaf that dreamy texture. Even picky eaters won’t notice it.
✨ It’s a super simple chocolate zucchini bread recipe. Quick and beginner-friendly. Simply mix all the ingredients, pour into a pan, and bake.
✨ The bread is very versatile: add in chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or a swirl of nut butter. Serve it warm with vegan coffee ice cream, or eat it just as is with coffee or tea.
✨ Chocolate zucchini bread with chocolate chips keeps well and freezes beautifully. Bake a double batch. You’ll be glad you did!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread Ingredients
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the best and most tender crumb. Use whole wheat flour for a heartier double chocolate zucchini bread, like I did with my banana walnut fig bread.
Zucchini is the star of the recipe. No need to peel. Use your box grater or food processor to shred. The water in it adds tons of moisture to the bread and keeps it soft without making it “vegetable-y.” And no, you don’t feel strands of zucchini in each bite because it melts into the batter as the bread bakes.
Chocolate chips: I love dark chocolate, so I used 55% chocolate for this easy chocolate zucchini bread. You can, of course, go darker or milder, as long as you use good-quality baking chocolate!
Cocoa powder adds that deep, rich chocolate flavor and dark color. Use unsweetened or Dutch process cocoa.
Sugar: I used regular granulated sugar to sweeten and brown the loaf. Brown sugar will work beautifully, giving the bread a caramel flavor.
Eggs act as binders, holding all the ingredients together. They also add moisture and richness. To make eggless zucchini chocolate bread, use flax eggs. Mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed powder with 3 tablespoons of water to make 1 flax egg.
Fat: Any neutral-tasting vegetable oil will work. So will coconut oil (like I did in my orange cranberry bread) or melted butter (I used it in my strawberry banana bread, and it worked great).
Flavoring: I just used homemade vanilla extract. Store-bought works too. It makes the chocolate taste more chocolatey. You can also add cinnamon powder, nutmeg, or instant coffee powder for a warmer flavor.
Please see the recipe below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Start with preheating the oven to 180 C/ 350 F and greasing a 9" by 5" loaf pan.
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: In another small bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients along with shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.
Step 4: Mix well until just combined.
Step 5: Transfer the chocolate zucchini bread batter into the prepared cake pan. Top with some chocolate chips.
Step 6: Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
Allow the chocolate bread to cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan before turning it out on a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing!
Top Tips
- For a soft and moist loaf, don't overmix the batter. Mix it just until all ingredients are well blended and there are no white flour streaks visible.
- Use room temperature ingredients. This will help in easier blending of the batter and will give you evenly textured chocolate zucchini bread.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing. This allows the crumb to set well to give a better texture and also helps with neater slicing. Also, I find that the flavor develops as the bread cools!
- There is no need to squeeze water out of the zucchini. It's the moisture from the vegetable that makes this bread so deliciously moist! If your zucchini seems too wet, just pat it with a paper towel.
- This zucchini bread batter is very thick. So, please avoid adding extra liquid. If the batter looks too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of warm milk.
- Please use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients. This ensures better and consistent results every time.
How To Serve
You can enjoy this moist, fudgy loaf any time of day: warm, cold, or at room temperature. For breakfast, drizzle peanut butter or chocolate sauce. Chocolate zucchini bread tastes delicious with a smear of apple butter, cream cheese, or vegan caramel sauce.
For the evening, pair it with a homemade masala chai or iced Vietnamese coffee. Or make the zucchini and chocolate bread really decadent with ganache on top, like I did with chocolate sheet cake.
For after-dinner dessert, serve it warm with vanilla or chocolate almond ice cream. Love warm chocolate desserts? Don't miss my chocolate lava cake!
How To Store
This chocolate zucchini bread keeps really well! On the countertop, it stays soft and moist for 2-3 days. You can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The bread even freezes beautifully. Wrap in cling film and foil, and then keep in a Ziplock bag for 1 to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1.5 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
- 1.5 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups Shredded zucchini
- 3/4 cup Chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F. Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan very well.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.1.5 cups All-purpose flour, 1/2 cup Cocoa powder, 3/4 cup Sugar, 1.5 tsp Baking powder, 1/2 tsp Baking soda, 1/4 tsp Salt
- In another small bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.2 Eggs, 1/2 cup Vegetable oil, 1.5 tsp Vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients along with shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.1.5 cups Shredded zucchini, 3/4 cup Chocolate chips
- Mix well until just combined. Please don't overmix!This is a thick batter.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with some chocolate chips.
- Bake at 180C / 350F for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool the bread in the pan for about 15 minutes before turning it out on a cooling rack.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
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Notes
- For a soft and moist loaf, don't overmix the batter. Mix it just until all ingredients are well blended and there are no white flour streaks visible.
- Use room temperature ingredients. This will help in easier blending of the batter and will give you evenly textured chocolate zucchini bread.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing. This allows the crumb to set well to give a better texture and also helps with neater slicing. Also, I find that the flavor develops as the bread cools!
- There is no need to squeeze water out of the zucchini. It's the moisture from the vegetable that makes this bread so deliciously moist! If your zucchini seems too wet, just pat it with a paper towel.
- This zucchini bread batter is very thick. So, please avoid adding extra liquid. If the batter looks too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of warm milk.
- Please use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients. This ensures better and consistent results every time.
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