This healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread is so rich, moist, and delicious that no one will ever know there’s zucchini in it. You’ll love the crunchy walnuts in every bite!
Why My Family Loves This Decadent Take on Zucchini Bread
Madison loves this chocolate zucchini bread, it’s the perfect treat when you need a little something sweet. With its rich chocolate flavor and ultra moist texture, we forget that it’s even healthier! Here’s what makes it so good.
- Lower in fat. This recipe replaces most of the fat with applesauce, so it’s low in fat yet still very moist. It contains no butter and just ¼ cup of oil.
- A little extra nutrition. Zucchini adds moisture without extra fat or calories, plus it’s full of vitamins and minerals, like manganese, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K. It is a great way to add some nutrients to baked goods while keeping the calories in check.
- Tastes like a dessert. With a combination of cocoa powder and melted chocolate mixed into the batter, this chocolate zucchini bread packs in a lot of rich flavor.
Yield: 16 servings
Serving Size: 1 slice
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Preheat oven to 325°F.
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Spray two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
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Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
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Whisk eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil, vanilla and melted chocolate in another large bowl until blended.
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Add the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.
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Fold in zucchini and walnuts.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake the loaves 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Let cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto rack and cool completely.
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 190.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 28 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 8 g, Sodium: 147 mg, Fiber: 2.5 g, Sugar: 14.5 g
What You’ll Need
The full ingredient list for this chocolate zucchini bread is in the recipe card above, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Flour – I use a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour in this chocolate zucchini bread, which adds a little extra nutrition without weighing down the texture.
- Unsweetened cocoa – Preferably Dutch-process, which has a more intense chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda – For rise.
- Salt – This balances and enhances the flavor of the bread.
- Eggs – Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl, then add the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Sugar – The amount of sugar in this recipe is less than a traditional chocolate zucchini bread, but we still need some for flavor and texture.
- Unsweetened applesauce – For sweetness and moisture.
- Canola oil – Or your preferred oil for baking.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation, for the best flavor.
- Unsweetened chocolate – Melt this in a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler.
- Chopped walnuts – Pecans would be great too! Or if you’re not a nut fan, simply omit them.
- Grated zucchini – Wrap this in a dishcloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- Baking spray – Or an oil mister, to grease the pan.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Here’s how easy it is to make this healthy chocolate zucchini bread!
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 325°F and coat two loaf pans with cooking spray.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil, vanilla, and melted chocolate in a separate bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula.
- Finish the batter. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts.
- Bake. Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling before slicing and serving.
Tips and Variations
I’ve made this recipe for so many years now, I have a few additional pointers to share.
- Use yellow squash instead of zucchini. If you don’t have any zucchini, try yellow squash. The flavor is the same!
- Swap in chocolate chips. If you don’t like nuts or are allergic, use chocolate chips instead.
- Make them into muffins. Bake the batter in a muffin tin and make chocolate zucchini muffins instead of bread.
- Use your food processor. Save time by using a food processor instead of a box grater to grate the zucchini.
- Make sure the zucchini is as dry as possible. Squeeze out all the liquid from the zucchini before mixing it with the other ingredients. This keeps the texture of the chocolate zucchini bread light and fluffy.
How to Store
- Room temperature: Wrap the bread in plastic or transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep up to 4 days at room temperature.
- Freezer: This recipe makes two loaves, so it’s perfect for freezing if you’d like to save a loaf for later. You can freeze the loaf whole or in eight slices. If you slice it, put parchment paper in between each piece so they don’t freeze together.
- To reheat: Thaw a slice in the refrigerator and then microwave for 20-30 seconds. You can also just microwave the bread a little longer straight from the freezer.
