Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread- Loaded with chocolate chips and sprinkled with sugar, this is one of the most decadent zucchini bread recipes you’ll ever taste!

If you have excess zucchini on hand, and you happen to love chocolate, this is the perfect recipe for you. And of course you will also love my zucchini brownies and chocolate coconut zucchini cake. 

This Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread proves that chocolate can even make vegetables taste better- which sounds really strange when you say it doesn’t it? But it is so totally true. Even vegetable haters will love this chocolate bread! With both cocoa powder and chocolate chips, it is loaded with chocolate flavor.

It is so decadent that it could almost be classified as a chocolate cake. But since it doesn’t have frosting, it’s a bread. And because it’s loaded with vegetables, you can totally eat it for breakfast!

It also makes a great afternoon snack. Or mid morning snack. Or late night snack. You get the idea. It is moist and delicious any time of day!

(To skip my tips and tricks and just get to the recipe card, scroll to the bottom of the post.)

HOW TO MAKE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

Ingredients needed:

• oil (I use canola or vegetable)
• sugar
• brown sugar
• eggs
• shredded zucchini (I leave the skin on.)
• buttermilk
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour
• baking soda
• salt
• ground cinnamon
• cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s)
• mini chocolate chips (regular sized chips tend to sink to the bottom of the loaves)

It is so easy to make this zucchini bread, it is a great recipe even for beginners!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate the zucchini and set it aside.

Whisk together the oil and sugars, then whisk in the eggs, zucchini, buttermilk, and vanilla. Gently stir in the dry ingredients.

After you pour the batter into your pans that have been well greased, you sprinkle the tops of the bread with a cinnamon sugar mixture. Then bake at 350° till a toothpick comes out clean.

You can make either two large loaves, or six mini loaves.

Sometimes I like to make it into muffins. Not only is it easier for kids to eat it in a tiny handheld size, muffins also bake faster. I’ve included the baking instructions and bake time for muffins below in case you’d prefer that option. You’re welcome.

HOW TO STORE ZUCCHINI BREAD

-Loaves will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap. The crunchy topping will soften, but the bread is still delicious!

-If you want to store your loaves for an extended period of time, you can freeze them. After they cool completely, wrap them in double layers of plastic wrap. They will keep for 3-4 months in the freezer. When you are ready to serve them, let them thaw at room temperature.

Does zucchini need to be peeled for bread?

No, you do not need to peel zucchini for zucchini bread or muffins. The skin contains nutrients, so it is healthier to leave it on. With the dark color of this bread, the green flecks are barely noticeable.

For other zucchini bread recipes that are lighter in color, you can peel the zucchini if you are concerned that your kids won’t eat it if they see the green skin.

How do you shred zucchini for zucchini bread?

Wash the zucchini well, then cut off both ends. You can either use a coarse hand grater (my preference), a box grater, or a food processor with a shredding blade.

Can you freeze shredded zucchini?

Yes, you can freeze shredded zucchini. I do it all the time. Chill the zucchini, then shred it like you normally would. Place it in ziplock bags and freeze. I like to measure out one cup of shredded zucchini and place it in a sandwich sized bag. Then I toss all of the bags into a heavy duty freezer bag.

When you are ready to use your shredded zucchini, let it thaw at room temperature. Some people like to drain off the excess water, but I have found that my baked goods end up dry without it, so I use it.

Do you have to take the seeds out of zucchini?

If you are using small zucchini, you can leave the seeds in because they are barely noticeable. However, if you are using a large zucchini with big seeds, it is best to remove them. They can have a bitter taste, and they have usually turned hard enough that they will leave crunchy bits in the bread. Definitely not what you want!

I like to scoop them out with a spoon as I am grating the zucchini. You can also just cut them out, or cut the zucchini flesh off and discard the center part that has the seeds.

Zucchini Bread Makes Great Gifts!

I love sharing baked goods with my neighbors, and this moist chocolate bread is a favorite. I like to buy the disposable mini loaf pans and bake six loaves at a time. When they’re cool, I just wrap the pans with plastic wrap, and head out to make people smile.

My daughter loves helping me bake and take treats to her friends and teachers. She even loves delivering loaves of bread to our neighbors. It’s nice having a built in delivery service! 🙂

EXTRA ZUCCHINI? TRY THESE RECIPES:

• Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Muffins
• Carrots and Zucchini
• Bacon Potato Zucchini Skillet
• Whole Wheat Zucchini Pancakes
• Zucchini Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

MORE UNBEATABLE QUICK BREADS:

• Double Chocolate Banana Bread
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
• Pina Colada Zucchini Bread
• Poppy Seed Bread

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites.