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.
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!
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.
- 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 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
- 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.
- Â 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.Â
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 | Rubber 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 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
Made the muffins, doubled the recipe and used sugar for the sweeter version. I didn’t use the coffee as I really don’t like the flavour and didn’t want to take the chance that I’d taste it. I used sour cream as I didn’t have Greek yogurt. Just tried one and it was very good. Will definitely. Make it again.
I nailed it & I love it!! Thanks Sally!
Can I use real freshly brewed espresso instead of the powder? If so, how much, and how would I compensate for the liquid added?
Hi Laurie! You can try, but I strongly recommend the powder. Switching out the oil or other wet ingredients for espresso wouldn’t be ideal for the texture.
I went ahead and made it without any coffee; it was fantastic! It tasted just like the chocolate chip yogurt muffins from a local store that I sometimes indulge in. Great recipe!
Love love love it! Made it last night with some fresh zucchini from my mom’s garden and it came out so moist and delicious! Was out of yogurt but had some overripe bananas and the substitution did the trick. Your website is my go to whenever I’m trying out new baking ideas. Thanks for paving the way for my sweet tooth satisfaction 🙂
This is the most delicious zucchini bread I have ever tasted!
FINALLY figured out why this recipe wasn’t working for me…I had made this bread last summer a million times and each time it was AMAZING. But for some reason, this summer it was coming out super dry and dense. I could not figure it out. I had used spelt and coconut oil the first time around, so I knew it wasn’t that. BUT after some research I finally got it – this time I had been subbing cacao powder for cocoa powder. Seriously, I did not realize such a slight difference could make or break a recipe. Apparently cacao powder (though more nutritious) absorbs more liquid – hence the dry and dense bread. So happy to conclude it is coming out amazing again since the switch back to cocoa powder!!!
This recipe is Excellent!! The sweet bread simply divine!! I am a terrible baker and Yet this recipe worked for me. 🙂 WooHOO! Thank you Sally for allowing bakers like me to have success. My family raved over the bread. I will save this one for multiple use.
Hi Sally! You have definitely changed my view of baking and I love it! This recipe is delicious and offers a deliciously-chocolatey twist to the Greek Yogurt Zucchini Bread you also posted. I was wondering if a hybrid of those would work: For how much agave syrup would you switch the sugar in this recipe? Also, have you tried substituting part of the flour with oatmeal, say 3 to 1 parts? Thank you!
Hi Amalia! Though I still haven’t tried it, I do think agave or a liquid sweetener would be fine here. Stick with 1/2 cup. Coconut sugar would be the best unrefined sugar choice for the refined sugar though.
I’ve made this bread again and again (and again this afternoon) and I just want to reiterate how perfect it is! Sometimes I cut in white chocolate chips, sometimes I use vanilla yogurt or sour cream… sometimes I do it just like the recipe. Great every time. It’s great to make with kids because it’s just complex enough that it feels like a real accomplishment for them, but it’s so forgiving that I’m confident every time it will be a win. Thanks, Sally!
Hi Sally! Thoughts on trying this as a bundt cake?? Any suggestions for me??
Thanks!!
Hi Amy! I haven’t tried it yet, so I don’t have the best advice for this particular recipe. The best option would be to use my chocolate zucchini cake batter for a Bundt cake.
I tried this a couple nights ago and didnt have any yogurt at all so I used apple sauce. It took an hour to cook but it was still fantastic! Thank you!
I’ve been using the same really good recipe for years, and thought I would give yours a try…I LOVE it. And so does my husband — he ate nearly a quarter of the loaf before bed. I used brown sugar instead of white; other than that, followed exactly. Yum!!
made this for the second time in three days everyone loved it definitely a new family recipe
thank you very very much Sally
I made this recipe this evening and it turned out wonderful!! 1/2 cup of sugar was plenty for us I didn’t drain the zucchini so added a extra 1/4 cup flour and came out beautifully!!! I also added a cup of chopped walnuts!! Will definitely make this again!!
What a great recipe I did not alter it at all I’ve made it three times so far I have been also selling some loaves it’s a huge hit to a kids and adults. I’ve added some walnuts & sprinkled some chocolate chips on top. Tonight I will be making a gluten free double chocolate zucchini bread. Thank you so much for the recipe.
I baked this delicious bread last night! I love everything about it, the only thing mine was a little bit on the dry side. I baked it for the 45 minutes and am afraid on the next go around to lessen the time for fear of not letting it bake all the way through. Has anyone every substituted applesauce for the sugar? I was thinking that this will add just a hint of healthy sugars (I make my own applesauce without added sugar) and add some moisture into it without compromising the cooking time. If anyone has tried this and has some input or suggestions that would be great. My husband and I both love it, as it is it goes great with morning coffee or a glass of milk 🙂
I would have preferred more sweetness, so I would definitely add the extra sugar next time. I was disappointed by the lack of sweetness, but I didn’t want to waste them, so I found a way to sweeten them after the fact. I carved out a pretty deep hole into each muffin, filled it with cherry pie filling, piped cream cheese frosting on top, and sprinkled a few chocolate chips on top. That added some sweetness and was delicious. I saved the middles in the freezer to make cake pops later. Anyway, it’s a good recipe, but if you want it to taste like dessert, use the extra sugar.
I made this bread today per the recipe and used dark choc chips, 2% greek yogurt, and Starbucks Via instant coffee powder instead of espresso powder. OMG, it is super delicious and moist. It is sweet enough for me with the 1/2 cup sugar – can’t imagine it needing more sugar. I can’t stop eating it!
I made this last night and just had a slice this morning and all I can say is WOW! This is delicious, so moist and chocolatey and you would never know there is zucchini in it. I used 3/4 cup sugar and sour cream instead of Greek yogurt. Followed everything else to a tee. Can’t wait to share it with my family. Going to make these into muffins next. Â Thanks so much for another great recipe Sally! Love your site!Â
Can you substitute yougurt for sour cream? If yes how much would you use?Â
Yep! Same amount.
I use half the chocolate chips inside the loaf, and sprinkle the other half on the top before baking. I also weigh the shredded zucchini after the water is drained/soaked up by the towels. Maybe this adds a little more than intended, but the more veg the better! My husband loves this bread, he was shocked when I said it had zucchini in it!