If you ask me, chocolate zucchini bread is one of those recipes that just makes sense.
This cozy quick bread combines garden-fresh zucchini with rich chocolate, while sour cream keeps everything wonderfully moist. The zucchini practically disappears into the batter, leaving behind little specks of green and all its natural goodness.
The chocolate chips scattered throughout create those perfect melty pockets, and the sour cream adds just the right amount of tang to balance out the sweetness. It’s the kind of baking magic that happens when you pair unexpected ingredients together.
It’s a family-friendly treat that works any time of day, perfect for using up those extra zucchini from the garden.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Sneaky vegetables – This bread is the perfect way to use up garden zucchini and get picky eaters to eat their vegetables – they won’t even know it’s in there!
- Extra moist texture – Thanks to the sour cream and zucchini, this bread stays incredibly moist for days – no dry chocolate bread here.
- Simple pantry ingredients – Most of these ingredients are probably already in your kitchen, and you can easily swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt if needed.
- Double chocolate goodness – With both cocoa powder and chocolate chips, this bread satisfies even the strongest chocolate cravings while still being healthier than regular chocolate cake.
What Kind of Zucchini Should I Use?
When it comes to making zucchini bread, medium-sized zucchini are your best bet since they’re usually less watery and have fewer seeds than the larger ones. Fresh, firm zucchini from your garden or grocery store will work great – just avoid the super large ones that can be bitter and seedy. You don’t need to peel your zucchini before grating it; the skin is tender and adds nice little green flecks to your bread. After grating, you can pat the zucchini with paper towels to remove excess moisture, but don’t squeeze it too hard – you want to keep some of that moisture to help make your bread nice and moist.
Options for Substitutions
This recipe is pretty forgiving and offers several swap options to work with what you have in your pantry:
- Plain flour: You can use whole wheat flour for a nuttier taste – just know your bread might be a bit denser. For gluten-free needs, try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Cocoa powder: This is a must-keep ingredient since it’s a chocolate bread. Dutch-process or natural cocoa both work well here.
- Sour cream: Greek yogurt works perfectly as a 1:1 swap. You could also use plain yogurt, just strain it first to remove extra liquid.
- Oils: Vegetable, canola, or melted coconut oil all work great. You can even try melted butter if you prefer – it’ll add a nice richness.
- Sugars: Feel free to use all white or all brown sugar if you only have one type. The texture might change slightly, but it’ll still taste good!
- Chocolate chips: Any chocolate chips work here – milk, dark, or even white chocolate. You can also chop up a chocolate bar instead, or use cacao nibs for less sweetness.
- Zucchini: While zucchini is key to this recipe’s moisture, you can use yellow summer squash as a direct substitute – just know it might change the color slightly.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking
The biggest mistake when making chocolate zucchini bread is not properly draining the grated zucchini – excess moisture can make your bread too wet and dense, so be sure to squeeze out the liquid using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels before adding it to your batter. Another common error is overmixing the batter once the flour is added, which can lead to a tough, chewy texture – instead, fold the ingredients just until they’re combined, and a few small streaks of flour are perfectly fine. To prevent your chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom, toss them in a tablespoon of the flour mixture before folding them into the batter, and remember to reserve some for sprinkling on top. For the best texture and flavor, let the bread cool completely (at least 1 hour) before slicing – cutting into it too soon can make it gummy and harder to get clean slices.
What to Serve With Chocolate Zucchini Bread?
This moist chocolate zucchini bread is perfect for breakfast, snack time, or dessert, and there are lots of tasty ways to serve it! For breakfast, try spreading a warm slice with cream cheese or butter, and pair it with a cup of coffee or cold milk. If you’re serving it as an afternoon treat, I love adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a slightly warmed slice – the ice cream gets a bit melty and creates an amazing sauce. For a simple dessert plate, serve a slice with fresh berries on the side and a dollop of whipped cream on top.
Storage Instructions
Keep Fresh: This chocolate zucchini bread stays moist and tasty when wrapped well in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. Keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days, or pop it in the fridge for up to a week. The zucchini keeps this bread super moist, so it actually gets better after a day!
Freeze: Want to save some for later? Cut the cooled bread into slices, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer bag. It’ll stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. This way, you can grab a slice whenever you’re craving something chocolatey!
Thaw & Enjoy: When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen slice, let it thaw overnight in the fridge or for about an hour at room temperature. If you like it warm, pop it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds – the chocolate chips get all melty and it tastes just like fresh-baked!
| Preparation Time | 15-20 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 55-65 minutes |
| Total Time | 70-85 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Medium |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 1800-2000
- Protein: 25-30 g
- Fat: 80-90 g
- Carbohydrates: 250-270 g
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (fine sea or table)
- 2 large room temperature eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or canola or melted coconut oil)
- 1/3 cup sour cream (or substitute with greek yogurt)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 1/2 cups tightly packed finely grated zucchini
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (split for use)
Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Loaf Pan
Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper to ensure easy removal after baking.
Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
This ensures that the leavening agent is evenly distributed throughout the dry mixture.
Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, sour cream, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
Use an electric mixer to mix until the mixture is smooth and well-blended.
This forms the base for your batter.
Step 4: Incorporate the Dry Ingredients and Add Fillings
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients gradually, taking care not to overmix, which can cause the bread to be tough.
Gently fold in the grated zucchini and 3/4 cup of chocolate chips until everything is just combined.
Step 5: Pour and Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it out evenly.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top for added texture and flavor.
Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven, and bake for 55 to 65 minutes.
Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out mostly clean apart from some melted chocolate chips.
The bread should be lightly browned—if it starts browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil.
Step 6: Cool and Serve
Once baked, remove the loaf from the oven and set it on a wire cooling rack.
Allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing the bread.
Let the bread cool on the wire rack until it is slightly warm.
Slice and serve to enjoy your delicious chocolate chip zucchini bread!
