Chocolate Zucchini Bread

The first time I made chocolate zucchini bread, Alex ate two slices before he thought to ask what was in it. When I told him, he went quiet, shrugged, and cut a third slice.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Like This Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• What You Need for Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread Step by Step
• Storing and Reheating Your Loaf
• Simple Ways to Change Up This Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Common Questions About Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Recipes You May Like
• A Final Word Before You Bake

That pretty much sums up this loaf. It tastes like a rich chocolate cake, but there is a whole cup of grated zucchini hiding inside it.

I started making this in August, back when my mom would hand me a bag of squash from her neighbor's garden and tell me to figure something out. I was fifteen and not thrilled about it. Now I make chocolate zucchini bread on purpose, usually on a Sunday afternoon, and Sarah always asks if she can grate the zucchini.

Here is what you get: a soft, dark, moist loaf with melty chocolate chunks and crunchy walnuts in every bite. The zucchini keeps it tender for days. You cannot see it and you cannot taste it, which is the whole point.

It comes together in one bowl with a whisk. No mixer, no creaming butter, no fuss.

If you like this kind of easy chocolate baking, you will probably also like my double chocolate spoon cake, which I make on nights when I want something warm and chocolatey in under half an hour.

Why You Will Like This Chocolate Zucchini Bread

• One bowl and a whisk. No mixer to drag out, no bowls stacked in the sink afterward.
• Twenty minutes of hands on work. The oven does the rest while you clean up.
• Deep chocolate taste. Cocoa powder plus real chocolate chunks makes it taste like brownies in loaf form.
• Soft and moist for days. The grated zucchini holds moisture, so slice four is as good as slice one.
• Kids never notice the vegetable. Alex still calls it chocolate bread and I let him.
• Uses up that giant squash. One medium zucchini gives you exactly what you need.

What You Need for Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Nothing fancy here. Most of it is probably already in your kitchen.

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• ⅔ cup buttermilk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed dry, then measured
• 1 ½ cups sifted all purpose flour
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chunks
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

A few notes from my kitchen. No buttermilk? Stir 2 teaspoons of lemon juice into ⅔ cup of regular milk and let it sit for five minutes.

Also, chocolate chunks melt into bigger pockets than chips do. Chips still work, so use what you have.

The nuts are the one part you can skip completely. Donald likes the crunch, Sarah picks them out, so I make it both ways depending on my mood.

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How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread Step by Step

The whole thing takes about 20 minutes of real work. Read through once before you start so nothing surprises you.

Prep the Pan and the Zucchini

Heat your oven to 350F. Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan really well, including the corners.

Grate your zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Do not peel it, because the skin softens completely and adds a little color.

Now squeeze it. Wrap the shreds in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the water over the sink. Then measure your 1 cup. This order matters more than you think.

Whisk the Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, buttermilk, and sugar until the sugar starts to dissolve. It takes about a minute.

Add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk again until the mixture looks smooth and glossy.

Then add your squeezed zucchini and whisk it right in. The batter will look thin and speckled at this stage, which is correct.

Add the Dry Ingredients

Add the sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt all at once.

Whisk gently until you no longer see dry flour. Stop there. Overmixing gives you a tough, rubbery loaf, and I learned that the hard way one summer when I got distracted talking on the phone.

A few small lumps are fine. Really.

Fold In the Chocolate and Nuts

Stir in the chocolate chunks and chopped nuts with a spatula, using maybe five or six strokes.

Pour the batter into your greased pan and smooth the top. I like to press a handful of extra chunks onto the surface so the loaf looks pretty when it comes out.

Bake and Cool

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Start checking at 45 with a toothpick in the center. It should come out clean or with a few damp crumbs, though a melted chocolate smear does not count.

Let the loaf sit in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool all the way.

Honestly? Waiting is the hardest part. Warm slices fall apart, so give it that hour.

Storing and Reheating Your Loaf

Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic or keep it in an airtight container. It stays soft on the counter for three days.

In the fridge it lasts about a week, though I bring slices back to room temperature before serving. Cold chocolate loses some of its taste.

For the freezer, slice it first, then wrap each piece in plastic and pile them in a freezer bag. They keep for three months and thaw on the counter in about 30 minutes.

To reheat, give a slice 10 seconds in the microwave. The chocolate chunks go soft again and it tastes freshly baked.

One thing I noticed after making this loaf probably fifteen times: day two tastes better than day one. The cocoa settles in and gets deeper overnight.

Simple Ways to Change Up This Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Want to make it yours? Here is what has worked in my kitchen.

• Swap the walnuts for pecans or leave the nuts out entirely for school safe snacks.
• Use half white chocolate chunks and half semisweet for a sweeter loaf.
• Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon or a shot of espresso powder to the dry ingredients. The coffee makes the chocolate taste stronger without tasting like coffee.
• Bake the batter in a muffin tin instead, about 20 to 22 minutes, for lunchbox portions.
• Serve thick slices with a spoonful of homemade blackberry compote for dessert.

Two mistakes to skip. First, do not leave the zucchini wet, because the center will sink. Second, do not pack the flour into your measuring cup, since too much flour makes the loaf dry and crumbly.

Common Questions About Chocolate Zucchini Bread

How do you keep chocolate zucchini bread moist?

The oil and buttermilk do most of the work, and the zucchini holds moisture inside the crumb. Pull the loaf out as soon as a toothpick comes out with damp crumbs, then wrap it once it is fully cool. Wrapping a warm loaf makes the top sticky.

Should you peel zucchini before making chocolate zucchini bread?

No, and I never do. The skin is thin, it softens completely while baking, and nobody at my table has ever spotted a green fleck in a dark chocolate loaf. Just wash the zucchini and trim off both ends.

Do you need to squeeze the water out of zucchini for bread?

Yes, this step matters. Zucchini is mostly water, and skipping the squeeze leaves you with a gummy middle that never finishes baking. Wring the shreds in a towel first, then measure your cup.

Can chocolate zucchini bread be frozen?

It freezes beautifully. Cool it fully, slice it, wrap each slice, and store them in a freezer bag for up to three months. I keep a stash for mornings when Alex remembers at 7:40 that he needs something to bring for snack.

Recipes You May Like

• Moist Cottage Cheese Banana Bread is another sneaky loaf that stays tender for days and works for breakfast.
• Fudgy Buckeye Brownies with Creamy Peanut Butter Filling are for when you want chocolate and peanut butter in the same bite.
• Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies That Melt in Your Mouth come together fast when you need a treat the same afternoon.

A Final Word Before You Bake

So here is the short version. Squeeze your zucchini, whisk everything in one bowl, fold in the chocolate and nuts, and bake for about 45 minutes.

I love this loaf because it feels like a treat and still gets a vegetable into my kids without a single conversation about it. That is a small win, and I take those where I can find them.

Give this chocolate zucchini bread a try this week and tell me how it turned out in the comments. Save the recipe to Pinterest so you can find it again when your neighbor hands you a giant squash in August.