Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Perfectly chocolaty and rich.
Texture: The best part! This loaf is fudgy and beautifully moist.
Ease: Super quick and easy – you don’t even need to break out your mixer!
Pros: Quick and easy treat.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Yes! It’s one of my go-to zucchini recipes.
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Summer just got a whole lot more fun with this Chocolate Zucchini Bread!
I’m not a big gardener, but I’m lucky enough to have friends and family members who are, so I’m often gifted delicious, homegrown zucchini – and there’s only so much sauteed zucchini Joe and I can eat!
My go-to use for gifted zucchini has always been my Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake, but sometimes you crave a certain texture that only a quickbread can provide.
The original version of this recipe was published way back in 2012. I wanted to update the recipe with a fudgier texture and more chocolate-forward flavor.
This revamped version of my Chocolate Zucchini Bread checks all the boxes I wanted: it’s rich and chocolaty without being overpowering, and it’s perfectly moist and fudgy.
Check out all my tips below for preparing your zucchini (regardless of whether it’s homegrown, gifted, or store-bought) and tips for making this the best quickbread you’ve ever made!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Tips
I recommend shredding by hand using the large holes on a box grater for best results. You can also use the shredding attachment on a food processor if preferred. This recipe was formulated to incorporate all the zucchini’s natural moisture, so there’s no need to worry about draining the excess moisture or squeezing it with cheesecloth. Just grate it, and you’re ready to go!
The Cocoa Powder
You can use either natural/unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa powder for this Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe. Natural will offer a lighter color and offers a more acidic chocolate flavor. While Dutch-process offers a darker color, a smoother chocolate flavor, and typically more cocoa fat and therefor more moisture. If using Dutch-process cocoa powder, do not substitute the sour cream or yogurt, as that acidity is what will activate the baking soda. Learn more about the differences between Natural & Dutch-processed cocoa powder here.
How to Bake a Moist & Fudgy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Weigh your cocoa powder and flour to prevent over-measuring and avoid a dry loaf. If you don’t have a digital kitchen scale, use the spoon-and-level method – learn more about that here.
- The brown sugar, full-fat sour cream, eggs, and oil all add richness and moisture to this loaf.
- Once you add the zucchini to the batter, stir gently until JUST combined. Over-mixing can cause a tough or gummy texture.
What Type of Chocolate Chips Should I Use?
I used semisweet chocolate chips, but feel free to use the same amount of milk, dark, or even white chocolate chips if you prefer – just note that this will change the overall sweetness of the loaf. Mini chocolate chips and chopped chocolate bars are also fine substitutes. Learn more about Chocolate in Baking here.
The Best Baking Pan For Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- I recommend using a metal 8 ½ by 4 ½-inch loaf pan for best results.
- You can alternatively use a 9 by 5-inch metal loaf pan, but you’ll need to bake your loaf for less time, about 60-65 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 200°F with a digital instant-read thermometer. Note that your loaf will come out much flatter.
- I don’t recommend using a glass or ceramic loaf pan, but if that’s all you have, drop the temperature to 300°F and increase the baking time by about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the loaf registers 200°F internal temperature. Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Pans here.
How to Store Zucchini Bread
Store Chocolate Zucchini Bread well-wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you prefer, microwave slices before serving to soften.
Can You Freeze Chocolate Zucchini Bread?
Yes! To freeze, tightly wrap the completely cooled full loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then place in a ziptop bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for a few hours at room temperature before serving.
More Summer Recipes You’ll Love:
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Classic Banana Bread
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (127 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (43 grams) natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder*
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (114 grams) full-fat sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (110 grams) neutral oil, such as vegetable or avocado
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) grated zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini), no need to squeeze out excess moisture
- 3/4 cup (128 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a light-colored metal 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan** with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving an overhang, then spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir the wet ingredients in with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips, reserving some to sprinkle on top. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with reserved chocolate chips.
- Bake for about 70 minutes or until a digital thermometer registers at least 200°F. Alternatively, check that a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached. Make sure melted chocolate chips aren’t mistaken for uncooked batter. Let the loaf cool in baking pan on wire rack for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Loaf can be stored well-wrapped at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
The recipe looked & sounded great but mine sank in the middle after baking in a 325F oven for 70 mins, tester came out clean. Would it turn out better in a 350F oven as that’s the common temperature for most loaf recipes What did I do wrong?
Hello, is there any way we could reduce the quantity of oil in this recipe ? Thank you !
Reducing the oil will change the texture and moisture of the bread, since the oil plays a big role in keeping it soft and tender. I’d recommend trying the recipe as written first so you have a baseline, then experimenting from there if you’d like 🙂
hello Tessa,
I just tried your recipe and OMG… it turned out so flavorful.
I adjusted a few ingredients with what we have in France (we don’t have the exact equivalent of brown sugar, so I used cane sugar, and since we don’t have sour cream, I replaced it with plain yogurt — sorry in advance for the modifications!).
The texture came out chewy, fudgy, and intensely chocolatey. I absolutely loved it.
The hardest part was trying not to finish the whole cake! 🍫😂
The one that I was looking for☹️😡😠
Made this today with with new crop of summer zucchini. It was excellent. Honestly , one of the best quick bread recipes I have ever done. Real chocolate flavor. Moist but not too much so. Superb, thanks Tessa for this fabulous recipe.
I have a loaf in the oven and have prepped another batch for muffins to share with the grandkids and my niece who is diabetic. I just switched out the brown sugar for sugar free maple syrup for her batch. Instead of the sour cream I also substitued with 18 % greek yogurt in one batch as I am trying to up my protien. I will do a taste test and let you all know how it is. Some don’t like veggies, so I pureed the zucchini and no one will be wiser haha Recipe is going to be on repeat.
I accidentally used 3 eggs instead of two. I wonder what will happen.
Adding an extra egg to quick breads will impact the final texture and taste. How did yours turn out? I’ve got my fingers crossed still delicious!