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Chocolate Zucchini Bread is an easy quick bread recipe that’s moist, soft, and super chocolatey. It’s also freezer-friendly – and the perfect breakfast or snack or dessert. It’s a simple one-bowl recipe that requires no fancy equipment and zero effort spent wringing out the zucchini. I made my famous zucchini bread and turned it chocolate – you’ll love it!
Recipe Summary
To make moist chocolate zucchini bread, whisk together vegetable oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla, then stir in cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt . Fold in all-purpose flour, 1.5 cups of shredded zucchini (no wringing required!), and chocolate chips. Pour into an 8×4-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Have you ever thought to turn zucchini bread chocolate? This is a seriously easy chocolate bread that is the best way to use up zucchini before it goes bad. The shredded zucchini keeps the bread moist, while the cocoa powder and chocolate chips make it super chocolatey! It’s a quick bread recipe – a one bowl zucchini bread with double the chocolate.
What sets this recipe apart is the double dose of chocolate from unsweetened cocoa powder and plenty of chocolate chips. The shredded zucchini provides incredible moisture without adding any vegetable flavor, so even the kids love it. I’ve tested this bread in multiple pan sizes and found that an 8×4-inch loaf pan yields the perfect, high-domed top we all crave.
Ingredients in Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Vegetable oil: You can also use canola oil or melted coconut oil.
- Sugars: I like to use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar to keep the bread moist.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Regular is best, not dutch processed cocoa.
- All-purpose flour: Be sure to measure flour correctly.
- Shredded zucchini: Shred it yourself for best results. Unlike many zucchini recipes, you do not need to wring out or squeeze the shredded zucchini for this bread. The natural moisture in the vegetable is essential for the soft, fudgy texture of the loaf.
- Chocolate chips: Use regular or mini chips! Or trade out the chips for chopped nuts, or use half and half.
- You can make it gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread. Use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour!
Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.
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Dorothy’s Expert Bread Tips
- You don’t want your zucchini to be too wet or it will cause too much moisture in your bread. Normally freshly grated zucchini is just fine, but if you’re using thawed frozen zucchini or your freshly grated seems extra wet, just pat it dry with paper towels.
- You can also use a 9×5-inch loaf pan, but the bread will have a flatter top.
- The best cocoa for this recipe is unsweetened cocoa powder. Because of the baking soda used for leavening, Dutch process cocoa should not be used.
- You know the zucchini bread is done once you insert a toothpick in the center of the bread and it comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup (124g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (152g) shredded zucchini
- 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips (plus more for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla to a large bowl. Stir to mix.
- Add cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Stir in flour, then fold in zucchini. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with additional chocolate chips. Bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs from the center of the bread, about 45-55 minutes.
- Cool at least 10 minutes before slicing. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- This recipe hasn’t been tested with dutch process cooca, so use regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Swap chocolate chips with chopped nuts, or add ½ cup chopped nuts in addition to the chocolate chips in the bread.
- If you use a 9×5-inch loaf pan the bread will be flatter and not as domed, but it works just fine.
- Freezing instructions: Wrap tightly in plastic and freeze for up to 3 months, or freeze slices in sandwich bags for grab and go.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Variations on Zucchini Bread
- Add some strawberries or raspberries to make a chocolate version of my blueberry zucchini bread.
- You can easily turn this into 12 zucchini muffins by lining muffin pans with liners.
- Still have some zucchini left over? Make zucchini brownies!
How to make Zucchini Bread
- Combine the oil, both sugars, egg, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder and mix to combine. You can also whisk the dry ingredients separately.
- Stir the flour into the wet ingredients.
- Then fold in the zucchini and the chocolate chips and mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Bake the bread for 45 to 55 minutes.
- Cool the chocolate zucchini bread for at least ten minutes before slicing it.
We also love homemade monkey bread!
FAQs
No, there is no need to peel it; the skin is thin and softens completely during baking.
Yes, you can use freshly grated or thawed frozen zucchini. If using thawed zucchini that seems extra wet, pat it dry with a paper towel before adding to the batter.
Yes, you can substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour.
Oh I loved the Harry Potter books (and movies). So so good!! I’m not sci fi either…although since Twilight i find myself loving vampires…and zombies 🙂
Zombies are next on my list, lol. But do they sparkle? 😉
I love zucchini bread! Add chocolate to it and it is a match made in heaven! This bread looks wonderful!
Thanks Nancy!
That is so me with some series! I don’t want to finish because then its done and then there is nothing else! Its depressing. Which I why I don’t read/watch that series very often:) I totally agree with Averie, you are the queen of breads! Zucchini is one of the best sweet bread ingredients and since there is no oil or butter, definitely qualifies as post workout food. Yes, I do it, too! 🙂
Ha, thanks Mary Frances!
Haha – I’m TOTALLY one of those people! I loved the Twilight series (though, I think the movies can be a little silly) and really, I love lots of young adults books. I just finished Pivot Point, which was good, but nothing to write home about. If you haven’t yet, DON’T read Hush, Hush – it was plugged as another supernatural love story and OMG, it was so awful. Not even awful in a redeeming way. Just awful 😉
This bread looks amazing!!
I’ll steer clear! And the movies are totally silly. But they still make my heart race. I’m a sucker!
You have pumpkin bread, zuke, avocado, banana, and let’s see what other breads can you do..squash? I dunno, you are the bread queen! Ok so me too. I love putting zuke in bread, actually. Makes it so moist and wonderful. I actually have a zuke cake/bars on my site and get complaints on the recipe…that it’s…too moist and soft 🙂 NEVER! Your bread looks the same. Pinned.
I’m kind of addicted to breads. I still need to post the original banana bread, the one that all these others are based on. Kinda funny I’ve never re-done that one!
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