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Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Photo by Viana Boenzli)
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5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

You've absolutely got to try my Chocolate Zucchini Bread. There is no flavor of zucchini...zip, zilch, nada. All you'll taste is fluffy chocolatey goodness.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate zucchini bread
Servings: 8
Calories: 369kcal
Author: Viana Boenzli

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup salted butter, melted (but not hot)
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • 1-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups zucchini, peeled and finely shredded (2 cups packed)
  • 1 cup chocolate chips, divided
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Vegetable shortening (for greasing pan)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Using a KitchenAid stand mixer with a flat beater attachment, mix together egg, butter, applesauce, vanilla extract, and both sugars.
  • In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • With the mixer turning, add dry ingredients to wet.
  • Once batter is mixed, add zucchini and mix again.
  • Finally, fold in ½ cup chocolate chips.
  • Grease a loaf pan with vegetable shortening and pour batter into pan. 
  • Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let cool on the counter for 10 minutes. Once slightly cooled, release from the pan and top with chocolate chips while still hot. They’ll melt just a little bit this way.
  • Finally, when the zucchini bread is completely cooled, sprinkle with flaky sea salt. 
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Shredding the zucchini: I've found that by using a very fine shredding grater and using short strokes, the strands of zucchini stay fine and short. You don't want long strands of zucchini in your cake (which would be a dead giveaway that there's healthy ingredients in here, and we definitely don't want that!).
 
  • Greasing the loaf pan: Grease a loaf pan with vegetable shortening and pour batter into pan. Trust me on this step. I tried greasing the pan with butter then dusting with cocoa...disaster. The cake wouldn't release from the pan, wound up breaking apart in several pieces, and I had to start from scratch. On the second attempt, I used vegetable shortening to grease the pan...and I didn't even have to cut around the edges...it slipped right out, easy peasy.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 41mg