Rich, moist, and ultra fudgy, this homemade chocolate zucchini bread recipe is perfect for a healthy breakfast or delicious dessert!
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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
Video
Notes
More Easy Chocolate Desserts
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
Applesauce works here, I know from experience 🙂
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!!
This. Was fabulous. All 4 kids agreed. Thank you!
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
I don’t see why it wouldn’t, just change the baking time maybe. If you try it, be sure to report back!
Jason
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.
Hello Katie
Can I make oat flour by grinding up rolled oats , or will that not be fine enough?
Love Helen
You can! Just grind them until you get a fine flour consistency 🙂
Thank you very much. Helen
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!
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?
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!
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!
I also used a white and whole wheat flour blend.
This looks so good! Totally making it today with the kids!
Paige
This is a unique twist on a traditional recipe. I love it.