This double chocolate zucchini bread is full of rich chocolate flavor, and the zucchini keeps it extra moist! You’d never know that it’s made with whole wheat flour and less sugar and butter than most traditional recipes. This chocolate zucchini bread tastes decadent enough for dessert, but it’s also perfect for breakfast or snack!
Why I love this healthier double chocolate zucchini bread
- The flavor: This bread is made with two forms of chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate chips, so it has a super rich chocolate flavor. Vanilla extract, salt, and espresso powder all help to bring out even more of that decadent chocolate! I also love how this chocolate bread isn’t cloyingly sweet like many other chocolate desserts.
- The texture: This healthier double chocolate zucchini bread is super moist and tender thanks to grated zucchini and applesauce. The chocolate chips also give it an amazing fudgy texture.
- It’s easy to make: This zucchini bread is truly so easy to make! There’s no special tools required and it comes together in just two bowls. The hardest part is waiting for it to finish baking and cool down!
- It’s healthier: This recipe uses some healthier ingredients like whole wheat flour and applesauce to cut down on the sugar and butter. Although it’s not a salad, I love how this healthier double chocolate zucchini bread is filling and more nutritious than other desserts! It’s also light enough to serve as breakfast, especially with a spoonful of yogurt on top.
What is zucchini bread?
Zucchini bread might sound strange if you’ve never had it before. Really? Vegetables in a dessert bread? You might be surprised to hear that zucchini bread is actually a beloved summer treat when zucchini are ripe. Since zucchini is mostly water, you don’t taste it at all in the final bread. It simply keeps the bread super moist and tender! Zucchini bread is traditionally made with spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, similar to banana bread. However, I also love this version which incorporates decadent chocolate flavor which pairs perfectly with the moist, fudgy texture.
Key ingredients in healthier double chocolate zucchini bread
- All Purpose Flour: All purpose flour keeps this bread light and fluffy. You can experiment with using all whole wheat flour, but the loaf may come out denser than normal.
- Whole Wheat Flour: I love using some whole wheat flour for extra nutrition and flavor. If you don’t have whole wheat flour, feel free to substitute all purpose flour.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder gives this chocolate zucchini bread rich chocolate flavor. Make sure you are using pure unsweetened cocoa powder and not cocoa mix!
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Eggs: Eggs give this bread extra flavor and moisture. They also keep this bread fluffy! I strongly recommend using room temperature eggs to ensure the best rise in the oven.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gives this bread a more complex caramel flavor compared to granulated sugar. If you don’t have brown sugar, feel free to substitute granulated sugar.
- Neutral Oil
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce keeps this zucchini bread moist while cutting down on the amount of oil in the recipe. Feel free to substitute buttermilk, sour cream, plain yogurt, or even oil.
- Espresso Powder or Instant Coffee: This is my secret ingredient in any chocolate recipe! You won’t taste the coffee flavor, but it helps to really bring out the chocolate flavor.
- Zucchini: Grated zucchini is the star of this recipe! It brings so much moisture to the double chocolate zucchini bread and keeps it extra tender. This recipe calls for 2 cups of lightly packed grated zucchini, which is about the amount you get from two small or one large zucchini. For best results, use the large holes of a box grater to grate the zucchini. Using a food processor often over-processes the zucchini, which releases too much liquid.
- Chocolate Chips: I love the melted pockets of chocolate from the chocolate chips in this recipe. It gives this zucchini bread an almost fudgy texture! I recommend using semisweet chocolate, but any chocolate will do! You can also chop up a bar of chocolate instead of using chips.
- Walnuts: I love the extra flavor and crunch from walnuts, but they’re completely optional. You could also use other nuts like pecans or hazelnuts!
Tips and techniques to make this healthier double chocolate zucchini bread
- Make sure your leaveners aren’t expired: If you are struggling with a dense or flat loaf, double check the expiration date on your baking soda and baking powder! These leaveners often expire sooner than people expect, and they don’t offer as much rising power as they should.
- Use room temperature eggs: Using room temperature eggs will ensure the most successful rise in the oven.
- Grate the zucchini by hand: For best results, use the large holes of a box grater to grate the zucchini. Using a food processor often over-processes the zucchini, which releases too much liquid.
- Don’t over mix the batter: Over mixing the batter can develop too much gluten, leading to a tough and chewy loaf. To avoid this, simply fold the batter until there are no large pockets of flour remaining. It’s okay if there are some small lumps!
- How to tell when it’s done: It’s always hard to tell when chocolate zucchini bread is done because the melted chocolate can be confused with wet batter. Usually, the melted chocolate will be shiny and a darker color than the batter. I recommend removing the bread from the oven when there are just a few moist crumbs still attached to an inserted toothpick, as the bread will finish cooking with the residual heat as it cools.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing: It is super important to let this zucchini bread cool completely before slicing it open, even though it’s so hard to wait! Slicing the bread releases all the steam and heat trapped inside, which can lead to a dry or undercooked loaf. Allowing it to cool ensures that your loaf won’t fall apart and gets a chance to finish cooking!
- Serve warm: Although this bread is great at room temperature, I prefer to serve it warm! The chocolate chips get melted and gooey, and it makes the loaf even softer. I recommend slicing a piece and microwaving for 15-20 seconds!
How to store and serve this healthier double chocolate zucchini bread
This zucchini bread is great at room temperature, but I especially love it warmed up. Simply slice and microwave the bread for 15-25 seconds. For a more decadent dessert, top this bread with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream. To store leftovers, I recommend wrapping the bread tightly in plastic wrap. The bread will keep in the fridge for up to one week. Warm up before serving.
Ingredient substitutions and variations for healthier double chocolate zucchini bread
- Whole wheat flour: Instead of whole wheat flour, feel free to use all purpose flour or even almond flour.
- Brown sugar: Instead of brown sugar, feel free to use granulated sugar.
- Oil: Any oil will work. I recommend using a neutral oil like vegetable oil, but olive oil also works in a pinch.
- Unsweetened applesauce: Instead of unsweetened applesauce, you can substitute buttermilk, sour cream, or plain yogurt.
- Different chocolate: I recommend using semisweet chocolate, but any chocolate will do! You can also chop up a bar of chocolate instead of using chips.
- Walnuts: Feel free to leave out the nuts completely or substitute any other nut. I strongly recommend pecans or hazelnuts!
If you liked this healthier double chocolate zucchini bread, you might also like…
- Bakery style zucchini muffins
- Soft and chewy double chocolate cookies
- Healthier double chocolate muffins
- The ultimate fudgy brownies
- Healthy blueberry lemon loaf
Healthier Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This double chocolate zucchini bread is packed with rich chocolate flavor and lots of zucchini. It's so moist and fluffy! Best of all, this zucchini bread is made with whole wheat flour, less butter, and less sugar than traditional recipes.
Servings: 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or substitute all purpose flour
- 2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs preferably room temperature
- 2/3 cups brown sugar
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or substitute plain yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso or instant coffee optional
- 2 cups lightly packed grated zucchini from about 2 small or 1 large zucchini
- 2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 335ºF. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line with a strip of parchment paper, leaving extra overhang on the sides.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, and espresso powder until well combined. Stir in the grated zucchini. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together until just combined. Be careful not to over mix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Optionally sprinkle some extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 85 to 95 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs but no wet batter. Once done baking, allow the zucchini bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper overhang as a sling to remove the bread from the pan. Allow to cool on wire rack completely before slicing.
Notes
This zucchini bread can also be baked in a 9 inch round cake pan for 55-65 minutes.
