Like my chocolate zucchini cake, this moist and fudge-like double chocolate zucchini bread raises a huge question: How on earth is there a vegetable in THIS?! Readers have loved this recipe for years, and it’s on my menu all summer long when zucchini is plentiful.
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. I also made a few small changes to the recipe to yield a more moist, flavorful loaf.
One reader, Kristin, commented: “I never review recipes, but had to write one for this one. This bread, cake, dessert—whatever you want to call it—is fabulous! Just the right amount of sweet, chocolate, and is perfectly moist. I have made it for different people (just in the last two weeks because I can’t stop thinking about it) and everyone has loved it. I made no substitutions to anything and it was perfect… ★★★★★”
I firmly believe that the biggest baking mistake one could ever make is… not doubling today’s recipe. After 1 slice, you’ll instantly realize you need far more than 1 loaf of this chocolate bliss. With its moist and rich fudge-like crumb, deep chocolate flavor, and melty chocolate chips inside, it’s almost impossible to believe there’s zucchini in the batter.
One reader, Deb, commented: “Wow! I made this today and it is sooo good! Even my guys (who don’t want anything to do with zucchini) LOVED it! No one can believe there is shredded zucchini in it. One mistake I made—I only made one. ★★★★★“
Here’s What You’ll Love About This Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Batter comes together quickly and easily
- Sneaks in veggies (which, along with the Greek yogurt, make it one of my healthier dessert recipe ideas)
- Freezes well—make several loaves when zucchini is plentiful, and freeze for future chocolate cravings
- Use this recipe for muffins or cupcakes, too
- Super moist and deeply chocolatey—just read the reviews!
Why Bake With Zucchini?
If you’re new to combining zucchini + chocolate, welcome to the not-so-secret club!
Zucchini is one of my favorite baking ingredients and I have a lot of published recipes using this summer vegetable. My recipes for zucchini bread and zucchini muffins are both incredibly popular with readers, and you’ll find a whopping 3 cups of the nutrition-boosting green shreds in my chocolate zucchini cake, but only if you are looking for it—no one will know if you don’t tell them!
It sounds odd to bake with a green vegetable, but here’s why you should:
- There are only so many zucchini side dishes to make (looking at you, zucchini casserole). Zucchini is abundant in the summer months, so sneaking it into baked goods is a great way to use up a bounty of squash.
- Zucchini adds flavorless moisture. We’re talking pure moisture with zero savory vegetable flavor. You’ve had carrot cake, right? Well, zucchini adds even more moisture and hides even better!
Once you’re convinced, try this zucchini cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting next. For even more inspiration, see all my favorite zucchini recipes—both sweet and savory! You absolutely don’t want to miss these savory zucchini biscuits.
Success Tip: Shredding Zucchini
Today’s zucchini bread comes together in just minutes with simple kitchen tools including a couple bowls, a whisk, and a 9×5-inch loaf pan or an 8×4-inch loaf pan like this one or this one. You also need a grater to shred the zucchini. If you’re looking for recommendations, I own and love this box grater because it’s easy to use, grates quickly, and has held up well with regular use. It’s what I use when making zucchini fritters, too.
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
- Zucchini: Zucchini can vary in size, but 1 medium zucchini is plenty for this recipe. You need 1 and 1/2 cups shredded, which is about 180g, depending on how tightly you pack it.
- Flour: Doesn’t seem like a lot of flour, and it’s not. Keep in mind there’s also cocoa powder which is another dry ingredient. Most of the volume is the zucchini!
- Cocoa Powder: Make sure to use unsweetened natural cocoa powder, not Dutch-process, in this recipe. Read about the difference between Dutch-process vs natural cocoa powder.
- Instant Coffee/Espresso Powder: A little espresso powder gives this double chocolate zucchini bread the richest-tasting chocolate flavor; the bread doesn’t taste like coffee, rather, the espresso powder deepens the flavor of the cocoa. It’s a trick I use in chocolate chess pie and chocolate cake, too. You can find it in the coffee aisle at the grocery store or online.
- Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips provide some sweetness, while also creating melty pockets of chocolate throughout every slice.
- Oil: I prefer to use oil in my quick breads, like in strawberry bread and peach quick bread, because of the unparalleled moisture it provides. Lately I’ve been making this chocolate zucchini bread with melted coconut oil.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt adds protein, while also adding tenderness. I always use nonfat here, but you can use low-fat or full-fat Greek yogurt, or regular yogurt, if you prefer.
You also need 2 eggs, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and sugar.
If you love this recipe, you’ll also love my double chocolate banana bread which uses many of the same ingredients. And if you like some peanut butter with your chocolate, my peanut butter chocolate chip zucchini bread is right up your alley!
If you don’t have or don’t want to use coconut oil, a neutral oil such as vegetable oil works instead. Expect a very, very thick batter:
The bread takes about 50 minutes to bake. Begin checking at 45 minutes, though, just in case your oven works extra hard!
While it’s incredibly tempting to slice right into this double chocolate zucchini bread while it’s warm, try to resist. I’ve found that with most baked goods starring zucchini, the flavor is noticeably better once it’s completely cooled. This goes for zucchini oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, too.
You can peel the zucchini if you’d like, but I never do. There’s no taste or texture difference. If you’re worried that picky eaters will be suspicious, peeling the zucchini will prevent any trace of green specks sharp eyes might detect.
Slice the bottom end off of the zucchini, hold onto the stem end, and scrape the squash against the shredder side of a box grater like this one until you get to the stem you’re holding. The shredder side is the one with the largest holes.
When I first published this recipe in 2015, I included a step for blotting some moisture out of the zucchini. I don’t find this necessary anymore. In fact, you WANT that extra moisture in every single slice. Just shred the zucchini and add right to the batter.
Fan-Favorite Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf; 10 slices
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This double chocolate zucchini bread is moist and fudge-like, and comes together quickly with a couple bowls and a whisk. Readers have loved this recipe for years, and it’s on my menu all summer long when zucchini is plentiful. See recipe Notes for freezing and doubling instructions.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process)*
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder*
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup (80g) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream*
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) shredded zucchini (no need to blot)*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or 8×4-inch loaf pan (for a taller loaf) with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, yogurt, granulated sugar, and vanilla together until combined. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Fold in the zucchini. The batter is very thick.
- Bake for 45–55 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from over-cooking. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. The 9×5-inch pan takes closer to 45 minutes, and the 8×4-inch pan takes closer to 55 minutes. All ovens vary, so begin checking around the 45-minute mark.
- Remove bread from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour. While it’s still warm, I gently press a few more chocolate chips into the top; this is optional and only for looks.
- Remove bread from the pan and place the loaf directly on the wire rack to cool completely.
- Cover and store bread at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked & cooled loaf, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If desired, bring to room temperature before serving. To learn more details about how to freeze quick breads, see my post called Make-Ahead Baking.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan or 8×4-inch Loaf Pan | Box Grater | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Double the Recipe: You can double the recipe by doubling all of the ingredients and dividing the batter between 2 loaf pans. If the batter seems much too thick, you can add a splash of milk.
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins: Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C) and spray a 12-count pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Prepare batter as directed above, fill each liner to the top with batter and bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C). Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue to bake for an additional 14–15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 10–12 muffins.
- Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 12-count pan with cupcake liners. Prepare batter as directed above, fill each liner 2/3 full with batter and bake for 19–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, then frost with chocolate buttercream. Makes 12 cupcakes.
- Cocoa Powder: Use natural cocoa powder, not Dutch-process. See Dutch-process vs natural cocoa powder for more information.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder deepens the chocolate flavor. You can find espresso powder in the coffee aisle at the grocery store or online. You can skip it or use 1 teaspoon of instant coffee powder instead.
- Chocolate Chips: Don’t leave these out! They sweeten the bread and give the bread more chocolate flavor. The bread is a little bland without them.
- Yogurt: I usually use nonfat plain Greek yogurt. You can use full-fat, low-fat, or even vanilla Greek yogurt instead. Or use regular plain yogurt, or sour cream. Prior to 2023, this recipe called for 1/4 cup (60g) yogurt, but I now use 1/3 cup (80g) as listed above. Extra moisture!
- Sugar: For a sweeter bread, use 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar.
- Zucchini: I do not peel the zucchini before shredding, but you certainly can if you’d like. I like to use a box grater for shredding zucchini. Zucchini can vary in size, but 1 medium zucchini is plenty for this recipe. If using frozen zucchini, thaw first and lightly blot before using.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 246
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 76.4 mg
- Fat: 11.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.2 g
- Protein: 5.4 g
- Cholesterol: 37.6 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this and it’s amazing my family ate the whole loaf in less than a week! I was wondering how many servings are supposed to be in one loaf?
Hi River! We can usually get around 10-12 slices from this bread, but servings will vary by how you slice it!
Can this recipe be made into Cookies?
Hi Valerie, this batter will not hold up as cookies. You might enjoy these zucchini oatmeal chocolate chip cookies instead!
Yum! I made this because I had a zucchini in my fridge that was on its way out, and I had everything else. Whipped it up and, man, is it good — rich, moist and so chocolaty! I love that it’s healthy-ish and can be breakfast or dessert. My husband loves it, too! Score! Thank you, Sally!
I make this for my grandkids for their road trips. It stays fresh in a Xmas tin for days. My 8 year old grandson says it’s the best ever.
Wow! I just made this – followed the instructions directly, it was perfect. I sifted the dry ingredients first, and it resulted in a super light, moist, decadent cake. Will make all summer, maybe try adding orange zest next time 🙂
One whole banana is a great egg substitute! I also replaced 1/4 of the flour with whey protein powder and substituted half the sugar for honey and it worked really well! If you bake with protein powder, always bake 20-25 degrees celsius lower than the original recipe. The cake was very flavourful, dense (in the best brownie type of way) and soft. Only comment I have is that it’s pretty sweet! I’ll look to decrease the sugar next time :). I’m also going to try ground up flax seeds as my egg substitute next.
Thanks Sally! Everyone has been asking me to make this over and over again.
I love this recipe. I make it omitting the sour creme/ yogurt., as I am allergic to it. But it turns out fantastic. I can’t it. The recipe makes 8 wide mouth pint jars. When friends find out I made it, they want some. In turn I have to make another 2 batches to make sure I have enough to go around. Lol, sometimes I don’t get any of it. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s definitely a in deeper.
Looks like a great recipe. Can’t wait to try it. All your recipes are fabulous! You’re a great baker and teacher. One question: Can I add walnuts to this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Eileen, yes, you could add up to 1 cup of walnuts.
Have you ever made this with gluten free flour?
Hi Donna, We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flours, but some readers have reported success using 1:1 flour substitutes (like Cup4Cup). If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Great recipe! My college-age daughters request care packages of the mini-muffin version regularly. FYI, for vegans, it works great to use “flax eggs” (2 eggs = 2 T flaxseed meal + 5-6 T water)–which also means that it’s easy to use liquid espresso instead of powdered; nondairy yogurt also works well.
sally slayed again. so rich and moist and delicious!!
This is a fabulous recipe for chocolate zucchini bread!! I did not have great options for the cocoa… my cocoa canister had a mix of natural and dutch processed mixed together in it so I nearly went with another source for this recipe. However, SBA has been one of my most trusted sources for close to 10 years. So, I refreshed myself on Sally’s teachings re: cocoa powders as well as baking soda vs. baking powder. With all that in mind, I went ahead with this recipe but changed the leaveners to 1 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. baking soda. The muffins domed beautifully (following the directions to bake muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes and 350°F for about 15 minutes) and they are the perfect texture!! So, so chocolatey, moist, sweet, and delicious!! I did go with the recommendation in the recipe notes for a sweeter version, using a total of 3/4 cups sugar, but went with 1/2 cup granulated and 1/4 cup brown sugar. I used to make chocolate zucchini bread fairly regularly, more than 10 years ago, but forgot my source. I’m so glad that with the knowledge and recipes provided on this site, I was able to go ahead even with my mixed up cocoa.
“I love the chocolate bread. The green stuff disappeared!” – my kindergartener who helps with baking projects and was so upset when it was time to fold in the zucchini. This is a wonderful recipe and exactly what I needed to use up a leftover zucchini. I forgot to cover with foil during the baking process and the bread is still wonderfully moist.
My husband is diabetic and lactose intolerant, so I bake a every week for him.
He is absolutely over the moon for this one! He doesn’t each chocolate often – but loves it – due to the milk and sugar content, so this recipe was perfect! I did omit the chocolate chips and added walnuts instead. I bake with Truvia Cane Sugar Blend to reduce the sugar content. It has some sugar + Stevia and pretty much bakes the same as sugar. This recipe was great because the sugar content was already low.
I’m pretty sure that when I get up in the morning, half of this loaf will be gone!
How long for jumbo muffins? Thanks!l
Hi Lorie, For 5-6 jumbo muffins, you can follow the baking time and instructions from this recipe. Enjoy!
Delicious. Quick and easy to make. Great way to use up surplus zucchini (we more commonly refer to them as courgettes ), and you can’t even taste them! Will make again for sure
So excited to try this! I adhere to a dairy-free diet. Could I sub any plant-based plain yogurt for the Greek yogurt? Thanks!
Hi Kate, a non-dairy yogurt (vanilla would be fine) would work great here. Otherwise, you could try replacing it with mashed banana or even pureed pumpkin, but we haven’t tested those swaps. Let us know what you try!
Hi. Should zucchini be drained?
Hi Samar, if using fresh zucchini, there is no need to blot for this recipe. See recipe Notes for more details if using frozen zucchini.
I love this bread so much – if I want to make it into muffins, do I need to adjust the bake time/temp at all? I was thinking of doing 5 minutes on 415, then 20-ish minutes on 350.
Hi Audrey! See recipe Notes for muffin instructions. Happy baking!
Is there a way to make mini loafs with this recipe?
Hi DBA, absolutely. Same temperature, but bake time will depend on the exact size of your mini loaf pans. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Thank you for this recipe. It was a lot of fun to make. And it tastes great.
I enjoy how you convey baking. I had a great time making cookies for Christmas. Thanks.
Very moist and so chocolatey! I call it the “How-to-get-my-hubby-to-eat-zucchini” Bread! 😉 Love it! Thanks Sally! Happy New Year!
Hi Sally and Team: Has anyone added Peanut Butter to this? Wondered your thoughts…
Also, would have to use carob powder instead of Cocoa Powder, and Carob chips instead of chocolate chips (can’t have Chocolate or Coffee/Expresso). Would this be OK?
Hi Jenn, we haven’t tried these substitutes, but let us know how it turns out if you do!
This is a favourite at my workplace – and has become a favourite at home too!
I just finished making the chocolate zucchini bread. It is very tasty! I think I would add just a touch more sugar next time,or maybe use vanilla Greek yogurt instead of plain.Will surely make again! Thanks for the recipe.
Whenever I need a recipe that I don’t already have, I go to your website and you have never let me down yet! I needed a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread and, voila, there you were with the best most delicious chocolate zucchini bread EVER!! We all enjoyed it very much and it disappeared quickly. Will be making more this weekend? Thank you!!
We’re so glad it was a hit, Palette!
Back for another loaf! This comes together so quickly (when you remember to thaw the zucchini) and every one loves it!
My family including my younger grandkids absolutely love this recipe. I make it into the chocolate zucchini cupcakes like directed and it’s great that the grandkids are eating vegetables and don’t realize it. These also freeze well .
Oh my gosh! Made this today and it is so completely delicious! Definitely should have made two loaves. It disappeared. I used the melted coconut oil, one large zucchini and the sour cream because that’s what I had on hand. Super moist. So yummy!
I made this as muffins and they turned out perfectly! I was a little worried when the batter smelled just a little too coconutty from the coconut oil, but the muffins baked up beautifully and the coconut oil scent became much more subtle and the muffins are still rich and glossy 3 days later (though sadly they’re almost gone). My 10-year-old son LOVES them and was fascinated when I showed him the pictures of the “secret (green) ingredient”! Truly my only mistake was not doubling the recipe. Thank you for another winner!
Bread was great ! , thank you! Even though my boys are married in their 30’s with their own families I still sometimes make things for them . My one son calls it “crack bread “, he also loves it .