Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe

Okay, real talk. I started making this Chocolate Zucchini Bread because I had approximately seventeen zucchinis taking over my kitchen counter and I was desperate. Like, seriously desperate. My neighbor was avoiding me because I kept showing up at her door with bags of zucchini like some kind of vegetable pusher.

But here’s the plot twist – this bread is so ridiculously good that now I actually BUY zucchini just to make it. I know, I know. I’ve become that person who gets excited about zucchini at the grocery store. My husband thinks I’ve lost it.

The first time I made this, I was skeptical. I mean, vegetables in chocolate bread? Seems wrong, right? But then I took a bite and literally said “holy crap” out loud in my kitchen. My 6-year-old heard me and now he calls it “mom’s holy crap bread.” Thanks, kid.

Why This Chocolate Zucchini Bread Actually Works :

Here’s the thing about zucchini in chocolate bread – it doesn’t taste like vegetables at all. The zucchini just makes everything incredibly moist and fudgy without adding any weird flavors. It’s like a magic trick, but with vegetables.

And when I say double chocolate, I mean DOUBLE chocolate. There’s cocoa powder in the bread itself, plus chocolate chips scattered throughout. It’s basically like eating a chocolate zucchini brownie in bread form, which sounds like something I would have made up in my dreams.

My kids have no idea there’s zucchini in here. I’ve watched them demolish entire slices while complaining about having to eat salad at dinner. The irony is not lost on me.

The Zucchini Situation :

You’ll need: About 2 cups of shredded zucchini (roughly 2 medium zucchinis)

First things first – don’t peel your zucchini. I tried this once because I thought it would look prettier, and it was just a waste of time. The peel adds tiny green flecks that actually look kind of cool, and nobody can taste them anyway.

Shred it on the large holes of a box grater. I used the food processor once and it turned the zucchini into mush, which made the bread weird and dense. We want shreds, not puree.

Now here’s where people mess up – you don’t need to squeeze out all the moisture like some recipes tell you to. I tried that exactly once and the bread was dry as cardboard. The moisture from the zucchini is what makes this bread so amazingly fudgy. Just give it a gentle pat with paper towels to get rid of any excess water sitting on top.

The Double Chocolate Part :

For the chocolate elements:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (don’t use the sweetened kind – learned that mistake the hard way)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for topping
• Optional but recommended: 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips for extra chocolate distribution

I’m very particular about my cocoa powder. I use the regular unsweetened stuff, not Dutch-processed, because I tried both and regular gives you better rise. Also, it’s what I usually have in my pantry, and I’m all about using what you’ve got.

For the chocolate chips, I like a mix of regular and mini. The regular ones give you those satisfying chocolate chunks, and the minis distribute more evenly throughout the batter. But honestly, use whatever you have. I’ve made this with chopped up chocolate bars when I was out of chips, and it was just as good.

The Actual Recipe :

Dry ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (trust me on this – it makes the chocolate deeper)

Wet ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil if you’re feeling fancy)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (or regular milk in a pinch)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 cup chocolate chips

The cinnamon might seem weird in chocolate bread, but it adds this warm, deep note that makes the chocolate taste more chocolatey. I discovered this by accident when I grabbed the wrong spice jar, and now I can’t make it without it.

How to Actually Make This Thing :

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. I use butter and then dust it with cocoa powder instead of flour because we’re making chocolate bread and I’m extra like that.

Step 2: In a big bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients. Make sure you break up any lumps in the cocoa powder – nobody wants cocoa powder bombs in their bread.

Step 3: In another bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.

Step 4: Add the shredded zucchini to the wet ingredients. It’ll look weird and chunky. That’s normal.

Step 5: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix! I cannot stress this enough. Mix until you can’t see dry flour, then stop. Overmixed quick bread is tough quick bread.

Step 6: Fold in the chocolate chips. Save a handful to sprinkle on top because why not make it look even more delicious?

Step 7: Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle those reserved chocolate chips on top.

Step 8: Bake for 55-65 minutes. Start checking at 55 minutes with a toothpick. It should come out with just a few moist crumbs. If it’s still wet, give it another 5-10 minutes.

Step 9: This is the hardest part – let it cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before turning it out. I know it smells amazing and you want to eat it immediately, but trust me. Hot chocolate bread falls apart.

Things I Learned by Screwing Up :

First attempt: Used too much zucchini because more vegetables = healthier, right? Wrong. It was basically chocolate zucchini pudding bread. Still edible, but definitely not what I was going for.

Second attempt: Thought I could substitute applesauce for the oil to make it “healthier.” The bread was dense and sad, and my family looked at me like I had betrayed them.

Third attempt: Used milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet. Way too sweet. Like, hurt-your-teeth sweet.

Fourth attempt: Forgot to flour the pan (or in this case, cocoa powder the pan) and spent twenty minutes trying to dig chocolate bread out of the loaf pan. It looked like a disaster zone.

But attempt number five was perfect. Sometimes you just have to fail a few times to figure out what works.

Pro Tips From My Kitchen Adventures :

If your cocoa powder is lumpy, sift it. I know it’s an extra step, but lumpy cocoa powder makes lumpy bread, and that’s just sad.

Room temperature eggs mix better than cold eggs. If you forget to take them out ahead of time (like I always do), just put them in a bowl of warm water for five minutes.

This bread actually gets better overnight. Something about the flavors melding or whatever. Science is weird, but it works.

Want to make it even more decadent? Brush the top with melted butter while it’s still warm and sprinkle with a little coarse sugar. You’re welcome.

The Real Talk About “Healthy” :

Let’s be honest here – this is chocolate bread with chocolate chips. It’s not health food just because there’s zucchini in it. But you know what? Sometimes you need chocolate bread in your life, and if it happens to have vegetables in it, that’s just a bonus.

My kids think they’re getting away with something when they eat this for breakfast, and I let them believe it because pick your battles, right? There are worse things they could be eating for breakfast. Like those sugary cereals that turn their milk weird colors.

Storage :

Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and it’ll stay moist for about a week on the counter. You can also freeze it for up to three months. I slice it before freezing so I can just grab a piece whenever I want it.

Pro tip: Toasted slices with a little butter are basically like chocolate cake for breakfast. Not that I would know anything about that.

Variations :

Sometimes I add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter. My kids hate this, but my husband and I love the crunch.

I’ve also made it with pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon when I was feeling fall-ish. Different, but really good.

Once I added espresso powder to make it more intense, and it was amazing but maybe too much caffeine for the kids’ afternoon snack. Live and learn.

Final Thoughts :

This bread has become my go-to recipe for using up zucchini, impressing neighbors, and satisfying chocolate cravings all at once. It’s foolproof once you know the tricks, and it makes your house smell like a chocolate wonderland while it’s baking.

The best part? People always ask for the recipe, and when you tell them there’s zucchini in it, they get this shocked look like you’ve just performed magic. Which, honestly, maybe I have.

Give it a try and let me know what you think! I’m always curious to hear how other people’s versions turn out. And if you come up with any genius variations, definitely let me know because I’m always looking for new ways to use up my zucchini invasion.

Happy baking! (And may your vegetables be magically delicious) 🍫🥒✨