This Chocolate Zucchini Bread is soft, fudgy, and packed with rich cocoa flavor. An easy recipe that always comes out delicious.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread is rich, moist, and packed with deep chocolate flavor, making it one of the best ways to use up fresh zucchini. This Quick Bread Recipe bakes up soft, fudgy, and perfectly sweet. The shredded zucchini adds incredible moisture without changing the taste.
Whether you enjoy it for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a simple dessert, this chocolatey loaf is always a crowd-pleaser. If you have extra zucchini, also try Zucchini Cake and Zucchini Bread with Pineapple for more of our favorite zucchini recipes.
Table of contents
Why We Love This
- Moist and Tender: The shredded zucchini keeps the bread soft and perfectly moist for our favorite way to enjoy this summer vegetable.
- Rich Chocolate Flavor: Loaded with cocoa or chocolate chips for a fudgy, chocolatey treat.
- Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make it beginner friendly.
- Versatile: Perfect for breakfast, snack time, or dessert.
- Healthy Twist: Sneaks in vegetables without compromising flavor. Kids won’t even notice!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure and body to the bread.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Adds rich chocolate flavor throughout the loaf.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Help the bread rise and stay light and tender.
- Salt: Enhances the chocolate flavor and balances sweetness.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Add pockets of melty chocolate for extra indulgence.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add moisture.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the bread moist and tender.
- Sour cream: Adds richness and a soft, fudgy texture.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the bread and enhances chocolate flavor.
- Pure vanilla extract: Boosts flavor and adds depth to the chocolate.
- Finely shredded zucchini: Adds moisture and keeps the bread soft and tender without altering the chocolate taste; lightly press to remove excess water but retain some for fudginess.
Variations
- Chocolate Chip Swirl: Add extra chocolate chips or swirl Nutella into the batter before baking for a rich, gooey twist.
- Nutty Delight: Fold in chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts for added crunch and flavor.
- Mocha Zucchini Bread: Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the batter to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Spiced Chocolate Zucchini Bread: Mix in cinnamon, nutmeg, or a pinch of cayenne for a warm, festive flavor.
- Gluten-Free: Substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking blend for a tasty, allergy-friendly loaf.
- Mini Loaves or Muffins: Bake in muffin tins or mini loaf pans for individual servings or easy gifting. Just adjust the baking time.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1. Start by preheating the oven to 350°. Next, grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
Step 2. Get out a large mixing bowl and combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Step 3. Stir in the chocolate chips and set aside.
Step 4. Get out a medium bowl. Whisk together the eggs, oil, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
Step 5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined.
Step 6. Carefully fold in the shredded zucchini until mixed together. The batter will be thick but this is normal.
Step 7. Spread the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Allow the bread to bake for 45–55 minutes. Make sure to loosely cover the top with foil halfway through to prevent over browning.
Step 8. Finally, remove the bread from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 1 hour. While still warm, you can sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips into the top for decoration if desired. Then transfer to the wire rack to cool completely.
Storage
At Room Temperature: Store the bread in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
In the Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week. This helps maintain moisture, especially in warm or humid climates.
Freezing: Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil, or place slices in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Pro Tips
- Shred zucchini finely: Small pieces blend well and keep the bread moist without affecting the texture.
- Don’t squeeze out all moisture: A little zucchini juice keeps the bread soft and fudgy.
- Room temperature ingredients: Eggs, sour cream, and oil mix more evenly when not cold.
- Mix gently: Overmixing the batter can make the bread tough. Fold ingredients just until combined.
- Check for doneness: Insert a toothpick in the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
- Add mix-ins: Chocolate chips, nuts, or a swirl of Nutella can make the bread even more decadent.
- Cool completely: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to prevent sogginess.
More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
Try this moist double Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe today and enjoy a delicious treat that’s perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert! Don’t forget to leave a comment below and let us know how your loaf turned out.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup Sour Cream
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini lightly pressed with a paper towel to remove excess moisture but do not squeeze it completely dry. A little moisture helps keep the texture soft and fudgy.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined.
- Fold in the shredded zucchini until evenly distributed. The batter will be thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 45–55 minutes, loosely covering the top with foil halfway through to prevent over browning until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 1 hour. While still warm, you can press a few extra chocolate chips into the top for decoration if desired.
- Transfer the loaf to the wire rack to cool completely.
- Then the bread is ready to slice, serve and enjoy!
