This double dark chocolate chip zucchini bread is bursting with chocolate flavor! While this recipe may be my favorite savory zucchini recipe I’ve tried this summer, this bread is hands-down my favorite sweet zucchini recipe. You would never guess this bread is actually healthy for you: no butter or oil, no refined sugars, and no flour?! In other words, paleo, gluten, and grain-free too. Oh, and on top of that, it contains 2 PACKED cups of shredded zucchini, which of course you can’t see or taste in the final product AT ALL. So why include it? For moisture and to provide the most amazing texture! No thank you to dry, bland, boring baked goods.

This recipe was born after coming back home to this excessively large, out-of-control situation.

This is what happens when you leave your husband in charge of the garden while you’re traveling in Europe for 3 weeks. 🙄 I couldn’t bring myself to throw away or waste any produce, so much of the zucchini was shared with my coworkers (having Registered Dietitians as coworkers is the best when it comes to willing volunteers to take fresh vegetables from your garden, as well as taste test recipes!). Anyways, I couldn’t stop thinking about how long (like a couple years?!) it’s been since I’ve baked a chocolate zucchini bread, and was so excited to roll up my sleeves and spend some time in my kitchen recipe testing after being away so long!

Unsurprisingly with gluten/grain-free baking, this recipe took several attempts to get the texture of this bread just right. Thankfully, so far with recipe testing, all of the test batches of recipes for the blog have been quite edible and tasty. I’m sure there will be the day I will have to completely throw something away, but that day hasn’t come yet!

Flour Options

I really wanted the challenge of creating a naturally gluten-free and grain-free bread for those who need/want that. However, I also knew that many reading would prefer more common/staple baking ingredients. I’m happy to say this recipe can be made 2 different ways! Almond flour and tapioca flour for the gluten and grain-free version, and regular all-purpose (or white-whole wheat which is what I typically use/recommend) if you don’t have the almond and tapioca flours on hand!

Nut Butter

Along with multiple options for flour, I also tested this recipe with melted butter or coconut oil in place of the nut butter…and it works great! I haven’t tried using a liquid oil (such as canola, vegetable, olive, etc.). The nut butters/butter/coconut oil are all more solid fats at room temperature, and such the zucchini provides so much moisture I have found that to work best in the batches I tested.

Serving Suggestions

This bread is delicious SO many ways! I love it warm (you can always reheat leftovers in the microwave!) topped with peanut butter and sliced bananas for breakfast. I can also vouch it’s TO DIE FOR warm with vanilla ice cream for dessert. It’s also fantastic simply served plain by itself. Breakfast, snack, lunch, dessert… SO MANY options. 😊

5.0 from 1 reviews

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

This double dark chocolate chip zucchini bread is bursting with chocolate flavor! I love this warm (can always reheat in microwave) topped with peanut butter and sliced banana for breakfast, or topped with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Delicious!

Author: Audra's Appetite

Recipe type: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Serves: 8-12 slices

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded zucchini, drained and water squeezed out*
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup cashew or almond butter**
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond flour***
• ¼ cup tapioca flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder****
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon instant expresso powder*****
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix together zucchini, egg, nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in small bowl. In separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Fold wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45-50 minutes or until set and toothpick comes out mostly clean.
4. This also bakes well as muffins! 350 degrees for about 20 minutes; makes 12 muffins.

Notes

*about 11 ounces or 320 grams
**or melted butter or oil (I've tried coconut and avocado)
***1 cup all-purpose, white whole wheat, or all-purpose gluten-free baking blend can be substituted for the almond and tapioca flours
****I used ¼ cup Hershey’s Dark cocoa and ¼ cup regular cocoa
*****optional; to enhance chocolate flavor. You won’t taste the slightest coffee flavor.

3.5.3251