Rich, moist, and ultra fudgy, this homemade chocolate zucchini bread recipe is perfect for a healthy breakfast or delicious dessert!
Healthy chocolate zucchini loaf
This super easy chocolate zucchini bread packs in over a full cup of zucchini.
Sneaking the nutrition powerhouse zucchini into the recipe adds an incredible amount of softness and moisture, without all the extra fat and calories.
The chocolate loaf cake can be whole grain, vegan, gluten free, low fat, and egg free, with an out-of-this-world bold chocolate flavor!
Readers also love this Healthy Banana Bread
Above: Watch the video how to make chocolate zucchini bread
Add ins and topping ideas
Try stirring in a handful of crushed walnuts or almonds, toasted hazelnuts, roasted pecans, or shredded coconut with the dry ingredients.
Or add half a cup of finely chopped dates, pumpkin seeds, or chocolate chips.
After baking, spread slices with Homemade Nutella or almond butter, coconut butter, apple or pumpkin butter, cream cheese, or a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
The skinny chocolate zucchini bread is rich and sweet enough that you can easily serve it unfrosted if you prefer.
Death by chocolate zucchini cake
This is a really great way to use up extra zucchini.
The chocolate zucchini quick bread makes an amazing healthy dessert, perhaps with a side of Keto Ice Cream, or Coconut Ice Cream, or even Banana Ice Cream.
It’s also healthy enough for a filling breakfast packed with wholesome nutrition.
The absolute best part about this easy zucchini recipe is that it honestly tastes like actual chocolate cake!
The recipe was adapted from these Zucchini Brownies
How to make zucchini bread
Wash the zucchini, and cut off the edges. I find it easiest to grate zucchini by pulsing it in the food processor. You can shred it by hand with a box grater if you prefer.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan, then set it aside.
Stir all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl until evenly mixed. Add the wet ingredients, including the shredded zucchini, and stir to form a batter.
Smooth the chocolate batter into the prepared loaf pan, using a spoon or spatula. Press some extra chocolate chips into the top if you wish.
Bake the bread on the oven’s center rack for 55 minutes, then insert a toothpick into the center of the chocolate zucchini cake. If the toothpick comes out mostly clean, remove the baking pan from the oven.
Let cool completely. Then very loosely cover, allowing an opening for excess moisture to escape. If you can wait, I highly recommend letting the recipe sit a day before slicing, because the texture is better and the taste is so much richer!
After a day, store leftovers in the refrigerator for freshness. You can also slice and freeze leftover zucchini bread to have on hand for a quick breakfast in the future.
Chocolate zucchini bread ingredients
The recipe calls for flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, yogurt, eggs or flax eggs, oil, pure vanilla extract, and finely grated zucchini.
Use spelt, oat, or all purpose white flour for best results. I have not tried whole wheat flour here so cannot recommend it. Report back if you do experiment.
If you are looking for a paleo, grain free, flourless, or low carb bread recipe, you may like this Almond Flour Banana Bread or my Keto Pumpkin Bread.
For gluten free chocolate zucchini bread, use oat flour or certified gluten free oat flour. There’s also an oil free option for those who prefer a version without oil.
To achieve the richest flavor, I recommend a combination of regular unsweetened and Dutch cocoa powders. Dutch cocoa gives baked goods a deep brownie-like taste.
The sweetener can be regular white sugar, unrefined coconut sugar or date sugar, evaporated cane juice, or xylitol or granulated erythritol for a sugar free zucchini bread.
Leftover zucchini? Use it up in this Tofu Scramble
Substitutions for the yogurt or oil
No yogurt on hand? It works to substitute an equal amount of sour cream or coconut cream. If using coconut cream, feel free to replace the oil in the recipe with milk of choice or additional coconut cream.
Mashed banana is also a great substitute for the yogurt and turns the dessert into a wonderful chocolate banana zucchini bread.
For oil free chocolate zucchini bread, replace the oil with an equal amount of additional yogurt. I also once used softened almond butter instead of oil and loved the results.
Vegan chocolate zucchini bread
For a plant based version, I often use coconutmilk yogurt. Other nondairy yogurts, such as almond or soy yogurt, work as well.
The recipe already does not call for any butter. If adding chocolate chips, look for dairy free brands, which should be readily available at most grocery stores.
To make egg free zucchini bread, either use two flax eggs or replace the eggs with half a cup of additional nondairy yogurt. If using all yogurt instead of flax eggs, the loaf will not rise as much, but it’s still just as delicious!
Converting the recipe to gram measurements
If you prefer to use grams instead of cups, here are the measurements to use:
280 grams shredded zucchini, 30 grams cocoa powder, 10 grams Dutch process cocoa, 180g flour, 120 grams yogurt, 140 grams sugar, 50 grams oil, and 15 grams pure vanilla extract. Also remember to add in the other ingredients not measured in cups.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup spelt, white, or oat flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp Dutch or additional regular cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt, just over level
- 2/3 cup sugar, unrefined or xylitol if desired
- 1 1/4 cup finely grated zucchini (gram measurements listed above)
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt, dairy free if desired
- 1/4 cup oil, or additional yogurt for oil free
- 2 eggs or flax eggs (substitutions are listed above)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini or regular chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan. Stir together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients, and stir to form a batter. Smooth into the loaf pan. Press some extra chocolate chips into the top if desired. Bake on the center rack 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Once cooled, I highly recommend loosely covering with a cloth and letting sit overnight, either on the counter or in the fridge, because the flavor and texture are even better the next day!View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
Tag @chocolatecoveredkatie on Instagram
More Easy Chocolate Desserts
Juliette | Namastay Traveling says
This looks so rich! I’m trying to incorporate more greens into my diet, this seems like the perfect way to do it for breakfast and dessert! Yum!
Kayla says
LOL! Veggietales, I grew up watching them! Such a cute and great show! 🙂 And, like all of your other recipes, this one looks oh so fabulous!
Amy says
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Happy Birthday Katie. Hope you have a wonderful year!
Dalya Rubin says
OMG! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try! I can’t get over how fudgy and moist this cake looks!
Emily says
I need this in my life ASAP! Mouthwatering 🙂
xo,
Em
Becky says
I made this last night. Delicious breakfast treat. Thanks for a wonderful recipe. Have a great day, Katie.
Sandra says
Da bunny, da bunny, how I love da bunny….
I love your zucchini brownie recipes and this will be awesome.
Victoria says
This looks like mouth-watering, moist, rich chocolatey goodness in a pan! I get a large chocolate zucchini walnut-topped muffin from my local co-op every other Sunday so this bread that I can make at home sounds like a great treat to me. Happy belated birthday from another September baby! Mine’s coming up on the 27th. Glad you got to celebrate your special day in chocolatey style. I think I shall have to follow suit! 🙂
Amanda says
Happy birthday! It’s always a good day when you can eat a giant chocolate bar, in my opinion. 🙂
Angie says
I made this and it was amazing! I added an extra tbs. of oil as the batter looked a Littleton dry. I added an extra 7 minutes to the cooking time. Happy birthday!
Maya says
It looks so good!!!
Can i use liquid sweetener for the sugar?
Alec says
Hi Katie,
My birthday is actually today!!!! And I’m celebrating it almost the same way you celebrated yours 😉 !!!!
But I doubt you had the bunny song STUCK in your head!!!!!! (neither did I till I read this post!!!! lol)
Amy says
Can anyone tell me approximately how many zucchini you need for 1 cup?
Michelle Yin says
An average zucchini weight is around 196g I found from my google search.
Amy says
Thank you very much!
Emily Kyte says
Just one medium size zucchini
Michelle Yin says
I have been waiting for this recipe!! I made zucchini bread before and it was amazing. Also, in love with Veggie Tales. This made me go down a Youtube wormhole into watching silly songs with larry and others…
Cassie Autumn Tran says
Happy belated Birthday, Katie! I think that this celebration of chocolate and baking chocolate zucchini bread is perfect! You look stunning in that photo, and the chocolate zucchini loaf looks to die for! Cheers!
Whitney says
I hereby rate this a 5.5 out of 5! Gooey, sweet, decadent, and healthy. Sheer deliciocity! I didn’t bake it the whole time, so it came out fudgier (I hate overbaking stuff), which in my book is excellent.
Kristi says
I’ve already left mine in an additional 12 minutes and it still isn’t done!!?
Charmain says
This is a fab recipie, so easy! And not too sweet, maybe as I used coconut sugar, but my kids are used to that and they loved it (my boys are 2 and 1 years old so quick and easy is good). I forgot about it in the oven when I’d turned it off so it was in there for waaaay over the 5 min but still came out moist and delicious. Thanks.
Lieke says
I wasn’t blown away by this zucchini bread. Don’t get me wrong, it was nice but just not the best imo. The texture was a bit gummy and the taste a little bit bland. Also, my cake collapsed when I took it out of the oven (and yes I let it sit for 5 minutes in the oven after it was done baking). I used oat flour, coconut oil and Sucanat.
Sue Medeiros says
Did you over mix?…sometimes that happens with gf.
Anna says
Very strange but mine did not come out baked AT ALL. It was in the oven for 45 min and came out all gooey. Trying to figure out where I went wrong. I followed the recipe exactly.
Jason Sanford says
Maybe your zucchini was extra watery? I didn’t have that trouble, so I’m wondering if it’s either a climate thing or maybe an oven calibration thing? Is your oven calibrated? It’s really surprising how many aren’t!
Tanveer says
The article is very nicely written and the content is very good keep on sharing the articles like this
Jennifer says
2 beginner cooking questions:
do I need to drain the liquid from the zucchini?
I used agave nectar (liquid). What other unrefined sugar should I try? Or is agave ok?
The flavor was good, but it was squishy.
Jason Sanford says
Unrefined sugar would mean a granulated one like in the video. You can use regular sugar, or coconut sugar or evaporated cane juice for unrefined. But a liquid sweeetener such as agave would definitely change the texture.
Chococraft says
What a fantastic post! The information is very useful. Thank you for sharing this here.
Sarah says
This zucchini bread is amazing. It tastes just like chocolate cake. I’ve made it twice and I’m about to make it again because my friends inhaled the last one I made. Definitely recommend this recipe!
Linn says
Can I use honey instead of sugar?
Jason Sanford says
Might have to change something else because honey is a liquid and sugar is not. But be sure to report back if you experiment!
Kelli says
I am going to make this ASAP!! Also, I LOVED that veggie tales episode… I was singing the theme song outloud that you typed out!! LOL
Ada says
I have made this bread 2 times now and it is delish. First one we ate right away but 2nd one I made in the morning and we ate it in the evening and it was sooooo fudgy. I used whole wheat flour. Thank you for a great healthy recipe.
Susan says
This bread was delicious
olivia says
Could i substitute the yogurt with something else?
Brittaney says
I made this a couple months ago & now I’m back because I need to make it again. It was absolutely delicious and an excellent brownie alternative.
Sara says
Is this bread okay to leave at room temp? Id like to take it with me on a trip.
Sonal says
Hi i had one doubt, i want to make this into a cake, what size cake tin should I use, and what will be the bakig temperature and baking time?
Jason Sanford says
You will have to experiment! Maybe 8×8? be sure to report back if you do try!
Liz says
has anyone tried subbing maple syrup for the sugar?
Jason Sanford says
Might not work because you’re subbing a solid for adding extra liquid, but you never know unless you try. Be sure to report back if you do!
Shilps says
I used spelt flour and my loaf turned out very very dry and dense! I would not recommend using spelt flour.
Jason Sanford says
Hmm, what oil and sugar did you use? I’ve made it numerous times with spelt flour and never had a problem! Might have been unusually dry zucchini?
Annemarie says
Hi! Think I can replace the zucchini with bananas? I don’t have zucchini and I want to make chocolate banana bread to hide the bananas from my husband and kids?
Jason Sanford says
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2017/12/23/blackout-banana-bread/ This one is my favorite 🙂
S C says
I wanted to ask if this was supposed to be 1 tablespoon of vanilla or 1 teaspoon. 1 tablespoon seemed like a lot from other recipes, but I don’t know.
Kasia says
Hi Katie ! Was just wondering if I could use almond flower instead ?
Jason Sanford says
You never know unless you experiment! Be sure to report back if you do!
Aubrey says
I used almond flour, at the 35 minute mark it was still batter…so I did an hour and it really didn’t turn out for me.
Alyssa says
Is there any possible substitutions for the yogurt?
Sharmila Sutaria says
Hey
Can I substitute applesauce for the yoghurt?
Thanks
Jason Sanford says
I’m sure you could, but you never know until you try. Be sure to report back if you do!
Jess says
Hello!!
I am wanting to try this yummy chocolate zucchini bread, but I would like to know what type of flour you used in the picture that is posted? It looks rich and moist, so I want to replicate that or course! Lol
I would love to know exaclty what you used and name brands, if you would be willing to share;)))
Jason Sanford says
Hi Jess, Katie used spelt flour (Bob’s Red Mill) in the photographed recipe. Hope that helps!
Jason (media relations)
MELINDA J LAWRYK says
Can you substitute apple sauce for the yogurt?
C Webb says
What would be a good sub for the yogurt? We have multiple food allergies and we can’t find a yogurt that works for our family. Thanks
Jason Sanford says
Applesauce works here, I know from experience 🙂
Betsy Cody says
I always substitute either mashed bananas or applesauce when I make this for my lactose intolerant family members. Also I substitute one of the tablespoons of cocoa and use instant espresso granules. SO good!!
Christina says
This. Was fabulous. All 4 kids agreed. Thank you!
Emma says
I made this and it was a hit, especially with my 6 year old, she said it was the best chocolate cake ever. (Have not told her it had courgettes in!!) I made mini loaves and cupcakes and it was lovely. However I was wondering if this recipe is also suited for a normal cake size tin rather than a loaf as my fiancé wants this for his birthday. A loaf doesn’t quite say “birthday” to me.
Thanks in advance.
Emma
Jason Sanford says
I don’t see why it wouldn’t, just change the baking time maybe. If you try it, be sure to report back!
Jason
Kylie says
Hi Katie,
I have been wanting to make your chocolate zucchini bread recipe for a very long time, so today, I finally had all the ingredients required and gave it a go. I wanted to say though, my batter was nothing like yours. Super dry and thick not moist at all. I added all the ingredients exactly as per your recipe, except i omitted the extra 2 tbsp sugar and the only yoghurt I had on hand was plain greek. After mixing it all together, it was soooo dry that I had to add 2 tbsp of maple syrup and another giant dollop of yoghurt. Still it was much drier than your photo example…what did i doing wrong?? PS: It’s in the oven right now, so I have no idea if it will turn out, cross fingers. Looking forward to your reply, Kylie.
Helen says
Hello Katie
Can I make oat flour by grinding up rolled oats , or will that not be fine enough?
Love Helen
Jason Sanford says
You can! Just grind them until you get a fine flour consistency 🙂
Helen says
Thank you very much. Helen
Amal BIGGERS says
I used coconut sugar.I did not have yogurt so I used almond milk (1/2 cup only). I doubled the recipe and used 2 pans. Absolutely delicious. You rock, my dear!
misapb says
I made this yesterday – one with oat flour and the other with white wheat flour. The flavor was delicious but, like previous posters, the texture was gummy as if it hadn’t cooked all the way through. I followed the recipe exactly, used coconut oil and squeezed water out of the zucchini.. After 40 min in the oven it was uncooked and so I left it in for another 15 minutes. I have a thermometer in my oven so I know the temperature was correct. I’ve had this happen to another eggless coconut cake I made (also with coconut out). What did I do wrong?
Jason Sanford says
Possibly just have to still cook it even longer! Are you using a gas or electric oven? And are you in a humid climate? How fat were the zucchini? (Fatter zucchini are much more watery than thin ones.) All of those things can have an effect!
Emily Maynard says
I used applesauce instead of coconut oil and Greek yogurt instead of coconut yogurt. I used brown sugar (only solid sugar I happened to have in my pantry) and then used part vanilla & part maple syrup since I ran out of vanilla. So delicious!! Thanks for the base recipe!
Emily Maynard says
I also used a white and whole wheat flour blend.
Paige Cassandra Flamm says
This looks so good! Totally making it today with the kids!
Paige
Jonathon Winters says
This is a unique twist on a traditional recipe. I love it.
Jennifer says
I printed this in the morning and forgot it required Zucchini when I started making this after work. I winged an oil free zucchini free version and it turned out great! Here’s what I did if anyone is interested…. Thanks for the base recipe! I love your site and that you give lots of alternatives for different diets!!!
1-1/4 C Oat Flour
1/4 C + 2 TBS Cocoa Powder
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2/3 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C Cinnamon Apple Sauce
1/4 C Canned Pumpkin
Bake in 8 x 8 pan @ 350 for 20 mins
Jason Sanford says
Ha wow that sounds amazing!
Danielle Stein says
My son licked the bowl clean! I told him there were zucchinis in it and he didn’t believe me. He got mad at me for lying to him!
From single female says
This is really delicious. I used white flour and olive oil ail. I used monk fruit instead of sugar. In one world delicious!!! Doesn’t taste “healthy “. I used an 8×8 pan am the same baking time listed. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to try a piece so I had one when it cooled off. Waiting for tomorrow to see how it is refrigerated all night. Thanks for the recipe!
Debbie says
I made this bread last night, and it is delicious! I used oat flour and coconut sugar. It is so moist and chocolaty.
Jenn says
So I’m notorious for changing recipes as I follow them, but this one I followed very closely. I was disappointed that the cake sank so much in the middle! But, I left it in the fridge for the next day before I served it to friends. Despite the sinking, IT WAS DELICIOUS! I will totally make it again! I’m just not sure if the sinking is an issue with my oven cooking too cool, or if it’s because there’s no egg?
Jason Sanford says
Hmm, I’ve never had mine sink before so it’s definitely not the egg. What flour and other ingredients did you use? Definitely could have been an oven or even a climate issue! Glad it turned out well in any case 🙂
Jason
Sal says
I’ve cooked this dozens of times and every time it sinks!
The only time it didn’t was when I subbed spelt for gluten free self raising.
I’ve tried everything – leaving it in the oven overnight after cooking, more baking powder, NOT opening the oven (at all – turning it off at 60 mins and just leaving it).
I have no idea why…
CCK Media Team says
Hi Sal! Are you in a humid climate? And is your oven calibrated? Baking loaves at too low a temperature can cause them to not rise enough in the beginning. You can also try using thinner zucchini (less moisture) and a little more flour. How does the loaf taste?
Michele Pagliaroli says
Thank You for this delicious recipe. I wanted to tell you I used shredded carrots, beets and apple left over Friday m my juicer after making juice I. Place of the zucchini. I added one ripe banana and reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup. Might try reducing the sugar further next time but it was delicious! I am always looking for ways to use my veggies leftover from my juicer! Thank You
Jason Sanford says
That sounds so amazing!
Kris says
I took the no oil version to a vegan pot-luck and it was a BIG hit!! I have since made 4 more loaves for some non-vegan friends. Everyone raves about it.
Kelly says
Made this recipe with the oil and actually used plain Greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt. It turned out good and my daughter really liked it. I tried a piece both the night I made it and then I put in fridge and covered with saran wrap and ate another piece the next day – SO MUCH BETTER AND RICHER AND FLAVORFUL and all the good words. Not that it wasn’t good the first night, but as you said, stick in the fridge and wait – AND I DID, AND IT WAS EVEN MORE GREAT!
Sara A says
Can I put the batter in muffin cups instead of a loaf pan?
Jason Sanford says
You could, just baking time would probably be less!
Jason
Kirsten Coble says
Did you try this and how many minutes did it take?
Molly says
I tried this. I baked for 18 minutes at the 350° And then let rest die the 5 minutes with oven off.
Alexis says
OMG OMG OMG I made this tonight and it’s rich, super moist and soooooooo good!!
I had to use light sour cream because I didn’t have any yogurt and left it in 5 minutes longer…PERFECTION. I cooled in fridge for 40 minutes before serving and it was slightly warm with melty chocolate chips. Everyone LOVED and I had 3 pieces.
THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE
Kris says
I have made this (oil-free version) for a vegan pot luck and it’s been request ever since!! It’s so moist & chocolatey!! Love it!
johnsonsophia016 says
wow,very yummy post.thanks.
Marie says
Hi! Should i drain the zucchini before adding this To the recipe? If so, should I weight it before or after it is drained?
Thanks!
Shirley says
Oh my god! I am on diet and I am a super Chocolate lover! I followed the recipe and cooked my Chocolate Zucchini Bread once a week to make my Chocolate Dream came true!! LOL
Beth says
I made this recipe yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! I used a combo of coconut and almond milk yogurts because it is what I had. Perfectly moist, rich, and not cloyingly sweet which I prefer. I love the intense but smooth chocolate flavor. It does taste like chocolate cake! I would like to substitute the sugar for dates or applesauce or something. I don’t want to use bananas or a nut or other butter. Any suggestions? Thanks so much for this recipe!
Bonnie says
The first time I made this the bread was gooey in the middle. I followed the recipe exactly except I used 2 cups of frozen zucchini that I thawed. This time I thawed then drained and squeezed the zucchini (2 cups) and used 1 medium and 1 small loaf pan instead of 1 big one and baked for 30 minutes. I used the toothpick method to make sure they were done. Perfect! We are in the middle of cronavirus time and I couldn’t buy eggs so I was looking for a recipe that was eggless. Yum
Rachel says
YUM!! So moist, fudgy, and delicious! I didn’t have yogurt so I substituted canned pumpkin, which turned out amazing! It made it slightly sweeter, without adding any pumpkin taste, and added extra nutrition. Would recommend! I might try without chocolate chips next time, since the bread itself is sweet enough for my taste on its own, and nice and fudgy on its own. A friend tried it and loved it, even though they were skeptical!
Lea says
Hi Katie,
Thank you so much for the recipe, it’s currently cooling down in my kitchen. Do you think you could add the units for measurements as well (grams, ml, etc)? It would be super useful!
Emily says
I made this today and didn’t have yoghurt. I had one banana which I mashed and then topped up to the required volume with almond milk – it worked amazingly. A great moist vegan cake! I’ve tried other chocolate courgette cake recipes, but this is far, far better.
Lexie says
WOW! This recipe is delicious! Super moist and chocolaty. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to squeeze some of the water out of the zucchini or not, so I just did it lightly. I couldn’t wait until the next day to try it, but I did manage to let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Brooke Wilson says
Turned out delish! However my cooking time was almost double.. it needed an hour in there for some reason. Thanks for the recipe!
Mari says
OK, so I tried this before reading any of the comments, and I think I committed three sins: my zucchini was watery, I used GF flour – not a no-no in its own right – but then I over stirred the batter. The loaf took longer to bake, and then it collapsed and the center is a little gummy. But, guess what? Still really delicious! I’ve decided it’s a “chocolate zucchini pudding bread!”
Patricia says
Hi! I love this bread. Mine was pretty flat so wondering if that’s normal or am I doing something wrong?
CCK Media Team says
Hi! What specific ingredients did you use? And what pan size?
Pam says
Made it and loved it! It was a hit with my family and a vegetarian family I made a loaf for. Thanks!!
Kathy says
No eggs??
CCK Media Team says
No eggs 🙂
Claire says
I enjoyed this recipe! I ended up blending all of the ingredients after mixing because the batter was too shaggy for my taste, and it worked out well!
Donna says
Success! I used all yogurt- no oil at all and (homemade yogurt that I make from soy milk in my instant pot) I ground oats and used those as the flour. I used dark chocolate chips . It’s fabulous!!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making it!
Nithya says
Have made this atleast 5 to 6 times now. My kids and my husband love this a lot. This is so decadent. Thank you Katie for a wonderful and healthy recipe
Carrie Marshall says
I’ve made this bread twice. Once using oat flour, once using King Arthur white flour. My yogurt is plain Greek Fage. My bread is good, but very heavy and dense. Is it the yogurt? Should I not use the Greek variety?
CCK Media Team says
Hmm, you can definitely try it with a different yogurt that has less density (i.e. not greek). It’s supposed to be fudgy and cake-like though, so might be that you’re making it correctly! Are you doing the oil-free version or the regular version?
Samantha says
An absolutely gorgeous recipe!
I didn’t have any yoghurt when I made it so I used coconut cream instead and left it in the oven a bit longer and it still turned out absolutely amazing! I chucked some of the leftover in the freezer and was so pleasantly surprised when it defrosted perfectly not losing any of its fabulous taste or consistency. A real delight!
Ellen says
Delicious recipe! I substituted sour cream for the yogurt. Very good moist chocolate consistency. I’ve made it twice with good results both times.
Cassie Hawk says
My new favorite dessert go to recipe! This bread is better than any brownie or cake!! I used the coconut yogurt suggestion and it came out fantastic! I used a hand grater for the zucchini, and it was perfect. Super easy and delicious!! You have to try this recipe!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making it!
Gabby M says
This is amazing!
I did not stick to the recipe 100%, so don’t know if it would have turned out even better if I did, but here are the changes I made, and it turned out delicious and tasting just like chocolate cake.
1/3 cup sugar instead of 2/3 cup
1/6 cup of chocolate chips instead of 1/3 cup
Used Greek yogurt instead of regular
Added 1/6 cup chia seeds
Added 1 mashed banana
Added 1/2 cup chopped raw pecans
Added about 1/4 cup of regular milk at the end, because batter was too dry
Gabby M says
Forgot to add, like other comments, 35 minutes in the oven was not to close to sufficient, it took about 55 minutes for me.
Jennifer says
Yum! I’m a super fan of things that taste great but aren’t jam packed with sugar. My kids loved it too! It was my first time baking with zucchini and it worked out wonderfully; I blended it. I used half whole wheat flour and half white flour; wasn’t sure if all whole wheat would be too dry. This wasn’t dry at all; so moist! Will be using this recipe again for sure.
Ellen says
Totally yummy! I used sour cream instead of yogurt — moist & great chocolate flavor — what a marvelous way to get your veggies — lol–
Claire says
I love all your recipes and this zucchini bread is amazing! However, I recently started counting macros and I’m finding when I put in your recipes to my app that your nutrition facts a very different from mine… usually way underestimating calories. Why would that be? For example, my fitness pal has a ninth of this bread at 253 calories a serving… not 169 like you say. I don’t get it.
CCK Media Team says
Hi Claire! I think it’s probably just a question of specific ingredient differences (for example, if your app uses skim milk – with 80 calories/cup – as opposed to cashewmilk – with only 25) and making sure to not include optional ingredients 🙂
Yvonne says
This is a REALLY good recipe. I’ve already made it twice. The next time I’m gonna use some peanut butter chips instead of chocolate just to switch it up.
Kat says
I just made this with gluten free flour and it has fallen in the middle (after I took it out of the oven). It tastes great, but I wondered….Any tips to keep it from falling?
Monica Riefkohl Bledsoe says
The first time I discovered this recipe, I made it 4 times in one week to tweak it to perfection.
I make this EVERY single time I get zucchini now. It’s my absolute favorite recipe of all time and the few swaps that I do make it 100% vegan for everyone in my life to enjoy! It’s bookmarked in my laptop now because I refer to it so often.
I use 1/2 cup of sugar to reduce the sweetness and replace the oil and yogurt with 2 mashed bananas. It takes my oven about 45 minutes to cook the loaves completely but it’s totally worth it for a chocolate banana zucchini bread that is to die for! My picky parents and vegan brother both agree it’s their favorite breakfast/dessert loaf of all time now.
CCK Media Team says
Your version sounds fantastic!
Christy says
Thanks three years later! I am going to try this using your modifications!
Taylor Siddoway says
I noticed there is no egg in this recipe. Does it still bake up fine without an egg?
CCK Media Team says
No egg needed 🙂
Suzanne says
I have made this several times and really love it. I wanted to make some today, but have no zucchini. Do you think I could use summer squash in place of the zucchini?
CCK Media Team says
Definitely!
Trish says
This bread is heaven. I can’t get enough. When my friends try it they all ask if I’ll make it for them.
CCK Media Team says
This was such a sweet comment. Thank you for trying it!
Deanna says
I made this recipe and baked it for 35 minutes like it said and it was not done. I baked six loaves and every single one of them was a flop. I am so sad.
D says
Lovely recipe! We had it as a dessert. I had some courgettes and natural yogurt in the fridge needing to be used up so gave this a try. Was very hesitant about how it may taste with no egg and some not so average ingredients!! But its gorgeous, fudgy and v more-ish!! Will definitely make again! Just don’t try it as individual muffins as it gets totally stuck to the paper cases!!!! 😅
Guess an oil spray may work. Will try thar next time perhaps!
Jami says
Best chocolate ,zucchini bread ever!!! I left out oil and added extra vanilla yogurt and half a bag of milk chocolate chips. Served it cold. So moist and yummy. Not real sweet…just how I like I!!! Thanks
Leane says
Excellent but had to increase cook time so it wouldn’t fall in the middle. Took an hour of cooking time in stoneware loaf pan. I make this every year multiple times! A gooder!
Linda says
Made this today and used cherry yogurt (a full cup), watkins cherry extract instead of the vanilla, oat flour and stevia sweetened chocolate chips. I also added some frozen dark cherries; it was amazing! Will definitely be making it again! So, so good! Might try it with a healthy almond icing next time, for something extra special, but honestly really doesn’t need anything else! I’m thinking raspberry yogurt and extra would also be amazing! Oh, and used a monksfruit blend instead of the sugar!
Mary Beth Myers says
Am I mid-remembering or did it used to be leave it in turned off oven for 20 minutes?
Janell says
I just made this it was a huge hit with the kids!
I did substitute honey for the sugar, I used coconut cream and I substituted a mashed banana for the oil.
Definitely a recipe I will be making again!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making it! 🙂
Carol says
Family favourite!! This may be the 5th time I have made it in the last few months.
Laurel says
If I wanted to use less sugar, besides omitting the chocolate chips, how much less sugar usage can I get away with? Think a 1/4 cup would be okay?
Nancy says
This is an awesome chocolate cake. The zucchini makes it moist and healthier than most recipes. My 11-year-old boy adores this cake and does not suspect there is any zucchini in it.Thanks for the great recipe!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for trying it 🙂
Nicole says
WOW. I don’t usually leave reviews but this cake is just too good not to! Really rich, fudgy, and decadent even though I made the NO OIL version (just added extra 1/4 cup yogurt)!! I was concerned after reading all of the comments about being undercooked or mushy—as I live in a moist/tropical climate—so I added an extra 1/4 cup flour. I used a mixture of AP flour and coconut flour. Added a scoop of chocolate protein powder as well. Also, I did not squeeze/drain my zucchini. Came out perfect! Was hard not to dig in right away but definitely worth the wait overnight in the fridge. Will make this again and again! Thank you!
CCK Media Team says
This makes us so happy, thank you!
Gretchen says
Katie, this recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of vanilla. Is that correct, it just seems like a lot. Thanks
Marnella Stout says
Delish! I used one banana instead of the yogurt and baked it an extra 15 minutes, until it wasn’t jiggly. I topped the bread with coconut flakes and pecans. Definitely could pass for a cake. Moist, rich and not too sweet.
CCK Media Team says
Your version sounds wonderful!
Marji Bitterman says
This “bread” is dense and fudgy and quite delicious. I substituted monk fruit/erythritol for white sugar and used only dutch cocoa. I squeezed all the excess moisture from the grated zucchini as recommended by many other similar zucchini muffin recipes.
Since I am always looking for small portions, I cut the loaf in half down the middle the long way and then divided it into small, bite-size pieces to be stored in the freezer.
Xavi says
Hi, is there any way to replace the sugar with maple syrup? That is what I use when I make banana bread and I was wondering if it can be used here. Thank you for your help!
CCK Media Team says
Hmm sorry we have never tried it!
Abby Lane says
Made this exactly as written using 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks from Aldi.
Amazing. My garden zucchini will be used again in the near future for this
recipe.
Thanks CHOCOLATE COVERED KATIE for another “find”…..
maura says
does the zuccini have to be squeezed dry
CCK Media Team says
We just buy thin zucchini instead of super fat ones and never squeeze it dry 🙂
Gretchen Cagno says
I have made the original Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe many times before with much success. This looks very similar but I notice there are eggs in this one and more zucchini and sugar. Does it come out about the same? Also the baking time went from 35 minutes to 55 minutes. Are all these correct?
CCK Media Team says
Good question! We listened to a lot of reader comments over the years on social media who were disappointed that the older version didn’t rise much, so we modified it to rise more. It still has the option (under the “Vegan chocolate zucchini bread” heading above the recipe box) to omit the eggs and increase the yogurt, which essentially makes it the same as the older version. (The zucchini used to say packed 1 cup and now says 1 1/4 cups. The sugar amount is the same as the old version.)
If you didn’t mind that the older version didn’t rise as much, it can still be found here so you can make that version instead 🙂
https://web.archive.org/web/20210916152627/https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/chocolate-zucchini-bread-recipe/
Christina says
I made the original version of this recipe last week and the updated version this week. Honestly, I prefer the original version! It didn’t bother me that it didn’t rise as much — it was moist, rich, and fudgy. The updated version seemed drier, and more like a healthy breakfast rather than a decadent dessert.
felicia handali says
Hi Katie,
How much additional yogurt should I add if i do not want to use oil? thank you. This recipe works for all purpose flour too, right?
CCK Media Team says
Hi! It’s an equal sub, so 1/4 cup 🙂 And yes all purpose flour works!
Jay says
WOW, this really does taste like cake! and I didn’t even use the full amount of sugar! I made this vegan and gluten free with a GF flour blend, flax eggs and cashew yogurt. It’s amazing and so simple. Incredible recipe.
ERIN N says
Okay this is delicious!! I love the vanilla extract as it gives a hint of vanilla that makes the chocolate pop. Idk how to explain it but it’s so good!! I also used vanilla yogurt because the store did not have any plain.
Eva says
Could I use apple sauce as a substitute to yogurt? Would 1:1 likely work as a replacement? Tyia!
Hjaney says
Fantastic recipe. I have made this several times now. A great way to use of zucchini’s! It is so tasty and moist.
The recipe as is, hits it out of the park! But once when I made it my vegan yogurt has gone off so I subbed it 1:1 for canned coconut cream (not canned coconut milk) and it worked great.
Another time I want to make muffins, and followed the same recipe but baked at 400 for 20 minutes AFTER letting the batter sit for 30 minutes. Perfect.
This recipe is a staple for me.
Christy says
Could I use applesauce or a banana for the yogurt? I don’t have dairy free yogurt in town.