This chocolate zucchini bread is deeply chocolatey, tender, and packed with dark chocolate chips, with grated zucchini keeping every slice incredibly moist. It is an easy, no-mixer bake that works for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Why You’ll Love It
- Deep chocolate flavor — cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips make every slice rich and chocolatey.
- Incredibly moist — finely grated zucchini keeps the loaf soft without making it taste vegetal.
- No mixer required — simple mixing and minimal fuss make this an easy baking project.
- Stays tender for days — unlike some quick breads, this one keeps its moisture well after cooling.
- Uses plenty of zucchini — a great way to use up extra zucchini without making another tray of roasted vegetables.
Ingredient Notes
Use a firm, fresh zucchini. Nothing squishy or overgrown with a tough, seedy middle if you can help it. The smaller holes on a box grater are what you want here, because finely grated zucchini disappears into the batter much better. And no, you do not need to drain it. I know that goes against every instinct some of us have after years of squeezing water out of vegetables, but that moisture is part of what makes the bread so good. Try our Oven-Baked 4-Ingredient Beef Stuffed Zucchini next.
If your zucchini is exceptionally wet—like it has been sitting in the crisper drawer for too long and you are afraid to ask questions—you can give it the gentlest squeeze in a clean kitchen towel. Not a full wringing-out situation. Don’t get carried away.
For cocoa powder, I use plain unsweetened cocoa powder, whatever good regular brand is on sale. I’m not snobby about it. For the chocolate chips, dark chocolate gives the loaf a richer flavor, but semi-sweet will work if that is what you have. Milk chocolate works too, though it makes the whole thing sweeter. If you like this, you’ll love our Zucchini Tomato Pie.
Sour cream makes the crumb lovely and soft. Plain Greek yogurt can stand in for it if needed. I have done that when I was sure there was sour cream in the refrigerator—because there is always sour cream in the refrigerator, except when you need it.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated zucchini, using the small side of a box grater
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, divided: 3/4 cup for the batter and 1/4 cup for the top
- 2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature, though I’ve forgotten and lived to tell it
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, then line it with parchment paper so you can lift the finished loaf out without performing a small baking tragedy later. Leave a little parchment hanging over the long sides if you can. Future you will appreciate it.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add 3/4 cup of the dark chocolate chips and toss them around in the dry ingredients until they are coated. This keeps them from all settling in one molten chocolate layer at the bottom. Not that a molten chocolate layer is a terrible thing, but it does make slicing a little wild.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. I usually use a whisk for this. You can use a hand mixer if that is sitting out already, but I would not dirty one just for this. I’m not lazy exactly—I just have seen the inside of a dishwasher enough times in my life.
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Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring only until it comes together. This batter is thick, and you may briefly wonder if you forgot something. You didn’t. Probably. Just keep stirring gently until you no longer see dry streaks of flour.
Fold in the finely grated zucchini. Don’t beat it aggressively; this is where overmixing can make quick bread dense or cause it to puff up and then sink in the center. Multitasking is largely a scam, I have decided. For another easy option, see our Baked Zucchini Spears.
Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top as best you can. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the surface. Some will stay nicely on top, some will wander down into the batter. Let them live their lives.
