Double Chocolate Zucchini Loaf
Rich, moist and packed with chocolate, this easy zucchini loaf is a delicious way to use fresh garden zucchini. You won't taste the zucchini — it simply keeps every slice wonderfully soft and tender.
Prep time
15 min
Cook time
50–60 min
Serves
6–8 servings
Ingredients
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- 1½ cupsall-purpose flour
- ½ cupunsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tspbaking soda
- ½ tspbaking powder
- ½ tspsalt*
- ½ tspinstant espresso powder, optional
- 2 largeeggs, at room temperature
- ½ cupbutter, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ cupgranulated sugar
- ½ cuppacked brown sugar
- 2 tsppure vanilla extract
- 1½ cupsfinely grated zucchini, lightly packed
- ¾ cupsemi-sweet chocolate chips, plus additional for the top
Ingredients
- 1½ cupsall-purpose flour
- ½ cupunsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tspbaking soda
- ½ tspbaking powder
- ½ tspsalt*
- ½ tspinstant espresso powder, optional
- 2 largeeggs, at room temperature
- ½ cupbutter, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ cupgranulated sugar
- ½ cuppacked brown sugar
- 2 tsppure vanilla extract
- 1½ cupsfinely grated zucchini, lightly packed
- ¾ cupsemi-sweet chocolate chips, plus additional for the top
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly butter a 9-by-5-inch glass loaf dish, making sure to coat the bottom, sides and corners.
- 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and espresso powder, if using.
- 3
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- 4
Add the finely grated zucchini and stir until evenly incorporated.
- 5
Add the dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture. Gently fold everything together just until no dry streaks remain. Avoid overmixing.
- 6
Fold in ¾ cup of chocolate chips.
- 7
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf dish and smooth the top. Scatter a small handful of additional chocolate chips over the batter.
- 8
Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs. Melted chocolate from the chips is fine, but there shouldn't be any wet batter.
- 9
Allow the loaf to cool in the dish for approximately 20 minutes. Run a thin knife carefully around the edges, then turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Melissa's Notes
*If using salted butter, omit the additional salt from the recipe.
Cut the zucchini into small pieces and pulse it briefly in a mini food processor until it resembles finely grated zucchini. Don't process it into a purée.
Measure the zucchini after processing and don't squeeze out its natural moisture. If it seems exceptionally wet, blot it very lightly with paper towel.
Avoid overbaking. A few moist crumbs on the toothpick will give you a softer, more tender loaf.
Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for extra texture, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Per slice — based on 10 slices. Estimate only; varies by ingredients used.
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used.
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