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?
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More Easy Chocolate Desserts
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.