Soft Chocolate Swirl Zucchini Bread

Growing up, I never understood why anyone would put vegetables in perfectly good baked goods. The first time my mom made zucchini bread, I refused to even try it. What a mistake that was! Years later, I discovered that zucchini makes bread incredibly moist without adding any vegetable taste at all.

Now, this chocolate swirl version has become my go-to recipe when the garden gives us too many zucchinis. The best part? My kids have no idea they’re eating vegetables. They just see a chocolatey treat, and I get to feel good about sneaking in some extra nutrition. It’s a win-win that even the pickiest eaters can’t resist.

What Kind of Zucchini Should I Use?

Medium-sized zucchini are your best bet for this bread since they’re tender and have smaller seeds than their larger counterparts. If you’ve got giant zucchini from your garden, they’ll work too, but you’ll want to cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seedy center first. When grating your zucchini, there’s no need to peel it – the dark green skin adds nice flecks of color to your bread and contains extra nutrients. One tip that’ll make a big difference: after grating, give your zucchini a gentle squeeze to remove some excess moisture, but don’t go overboard – you want to keep some of that moisture to help make your bread nice and moist.

Options for Substitutions

This zucchini bread recipe is pretty adaptable – here are some swaps you can try:

• All-purpose flour: You can use whole wheat flour for up to half of the all-purpose flour to add more nutrition. For gluten-free needs, try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, but the texture might be slightly different.
• Zucchini: If you’re out of zucchini, yellow summer squash works just as well. Just make sure to squeeze out excess moisture before adding it to your batter.
• Dark chocolate: Feel free to use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of chopped dark chocolate. You’ll need about 2/3 cup of chips to equal 4 ounces.
• Butter: You can swap the melted butter with an equal amount of neutral oil (like canola or vegetable) or unsweetened applesauce for a lighter version. For the butter in the swirl, use coconut oil as a substitute.
• Eggs: For each egg, you can use 1/4 cup of mashed banana or 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce. Just note that these substitutions might make the bread more dense.
• Icing sugar: You can make your own by blending regular granulated sugar in a food processor until powdery, or skip it if you prefer less sweetness.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest challenge when making zucchini bread is dealing with excess moisture – make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from your grated zucchini using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, otherwise your bread might end up gummy in the middle.

Temperature control is crucial for the chocolate swirl – if your melted chocolate is too hot when you add it to the batter, it can start cooking the eggs and create an uneven texture, so let it cool for about 5 minutes after melting.

Don’t be tempted to overmix the batter once you’ve added the flour, as this can lead to a tough, dense bread – mix just until the ingredients are combined, and when creating the chocolate swirl, use gentle folding motions rather than aggressive stirring.

For the best texture, check your bread about 10 minutes before the recommended baking time since ovens vary, and remember that a few moist crumbs on your toothpick test are okay – the bread will continue cooking slightly as it cools.

What to Serve With Zucchini Bread?

This chocolate-swirled zucchini bread makes a fantastic breakfast or afternoon snack, 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 your morning coffee or tea. If you’re serving it as an afternoon treat, a cold glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes it feel extra special. You can also turn it into a lovely dessert by warming each slice slightly and adding a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of cream cheese glaze on top.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This chocolate swirl zucchini bread stays moist and tasty when wrapped well in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It’ll keep fresh for up to 4 days on your counter. If your kitchen runs warm, you can pop it in the fridge where it’ll stay good for up to a week.

Freeze: Good news – this bread freezes like a dream! Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or place it in a freezer bag. It’ll keep its flavor and texture for up to 3 months. You can even slice it before freezing for easy portion control!

Thaw & Serve: When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen zucchini bread, just move it to the fridge overnight to thaw. For a quick fix, pop a slice in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, or toast it lightly to bring back that fresh-baked warmth. A little butter on a warm slice makes it extra special!

Preparation Time	15-30 minutes
Cooking Time	60-75 minutes
Total Time	75-105 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3000-3200
• Protein: 30-40 g
• Fat: 150-160 g
• Carbohydrates: 400-420 g

Ingredients

• 3 cups plain all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 4 ounces dark chocolate for baking (roughly chopped, such as ghirardelli 60% cacao baking bar)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon spice
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 5 tablespoons cubed butter

Step 1: Prepare the Pans and Preheat the Oven

Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans to prevent sticking.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s ready for baking once the batter is prepared.

Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon until well combined.

Set this mixture aside, as it will be added to the wet ingredients later.

Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract.

Mix on medium speed until these ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Be careful not to overmix.

Next, fold in the grated zucchini until it’s evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Step 5: Prepare the Chocolate Mixture

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine baking chocolate, cocoa powder, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and butter pieces.

Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.

Mine took about 1 minute, but microwaves may vary.

Step 6: Layer the Batter and Chocolate Mixture

Start by spreading about 1/6 of the zucchini bread batter onto the bottom of one of the prepared loaf pans, smoothing it out gently with a spatula or spoon.

Repeat for the second loaf pan.

Next, layer about 1/4 of the chocolate mixture on top of each zucchini bread batter layer.

Spread the chocolate evenly using a spoon or spatula.

Step 7: Complete Layers and Bake

Continue layering so that you end up with each loaf containing 2 layers of chocolate and 3 layers of zucchini bread batter, finishing with a top layer of zucchini bread batter.

Bake the loaves in the preheated oven for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean of sticky batter (except for any melted chocolate).

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing and enjoying!