Description
This moist and fudgy Chocolate Zucchini Bread perfectly balances the subtle sweetness of zucchini with rich dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Made with simple pantry ingredients and a few fresh zucchinis, it’s an easy-to-make loaf that bakes to tender perfection with melty chocolate chunks in every bite. Ideal as a comforting dessert or snack, this bread is especially delicious served warm to enjoy the gooey chocolate centers.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (260g) plain/all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably dutch processed
- 1.5 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3 cups grated zucchini (2 large or 3 small), lightly packed
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 1/4 cup (275g) white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 7 tbsp (100g) unsalted butter, melted
Additional
- 300g (10 oz) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (semi-sweetened)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C fan. Grease and line a large loaf pan approximately 28 x 15 x 6.5 cm (11 x 6 x 2.5 inches) with parchment paper.
- Drain Zucchini: Grate zucchini to measure 3 cups lightly packed. Squeeze out excess liquid from handfuls of the grated zucchini and place it in a colander to drain while preparing the batter. This ensures the bread stays moist but not too wet.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together. Add melted butter and vanilla essence, then whisk until fully incorporated.
- Make Batter: Pour the wet egg mixture into the dry ingredients bowl. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until just combined—expect a thick batter. Then fold in the grated zucchini and chopped dark chocolate, mixing until evenly distributed. The batter will initially be very thick but will become slightly looser and spreadable.
- Fill Pan and Bake: Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C (350°F). Then cover the pan loosely with foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean aside from some melted chocolate streaks.
- Cool and Serve: Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool for another 10 minutes before slicing. For best enjoyment, serve warm to experience melty chocolate bits and extra fudginess.
Notes
- Zucchini: Grate the zucchini and measure 3 cups lightly packed without pressing down tightly.
- Cocoa Powder: Dutch processed cocoa provides stronger chocolate flavor but regular cocoa powder works fine too.
- Baking Soda: Also known as bicarbonate soda; you can substitute with 4.5 tsp baking powder.
- Chocolate: Use semi-sweet or sweet dark chocolate for best results; avoid unsweetened chocolate. Larger chocolate chunks create lovely pockets of melted chocolate.
- Squeezing Zucchini: Don’t over squeeze; some moisture remains to keep the bread moist.
- Source: Adapted from Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe by Simply Recipes.
- Nutrition estimates are for generous slices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/10 loaf)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
