Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Why This Recipe Works

Chocolate – Have I mentioned chocolate yet? I mean, if you’re a chocoholic like me, then this chocolate zucchini bread is sure to satisfy. There’s not one, not two, but THREE hearty doses of chocolate packed into this zucchini bread recipe. First, you’ve got chocolate cocoa powder in the batter. Then we stir in a truckload of chocolate chips. Lastly, drizzle or spread a whole bunch of chocolatey goodness right on top of the bread to finish it off. You asked for it, you got it.

Greek yogurt – In addition to adding some extra protein and moisture, Greek yogurt is a great substitute for more fattening ingredients like butter or sour cream. Think of it as another healthy ingredient to go alongside the zucchini!

Zucchini – I mean, this bread wouldn’t be zucchini bread without zucchini, right? Of course not. So, it kinda goes without saying that this recipe wouldn’t work without the zucchini. But the zucchini (in addition to being tasty) also gives this bread such a great texture and moistness that I haven’t been able to replicate with other ingredients. The trick is to keep all that moisture from shredding it and not squeezing it out!

Easy – This zucchini bread only takes 90 minutes, and 60 of that is total hands-off time, where you can sit back and relax and read a book while the bread bakes.

Ingredients

• Shredded Zucchini — Use regular grocery-store (or farmers market) zucchini. There are a lot of varieties but the one you have in mind is the one you should use. You only need 1 medium to large zucchini. Keep that excess moisture to add to the bread. No need to squeeze it out. 
• Plain Greek Yogurt — I used fat free plain Greek yogurt but you can use whatever yogurt you prefer. You can also substitute dairy-free if you like. 
• Brown Sugar — A little brown sugar goes a long way to add a hint of molasses flavor and a deeper sweetness.
• Sugar — Also add regular, refined white sugar to this chocolate zucchini bread. 
• Eggs — Eggs act as a binder to keep all the ingredients together. Any eggs are fine. 
• Vanilla — I prefer to use real vanilla flavoring vs artificial. I think it has the best flavor. 
• Flour — Any all-purpose white flour is good in this bread. 
• Cocoa Powder — Here’s how we add the first layer of chocolate, with cocoa powder. For a deeper flavor, you can use dark chocolate cocoa powder. 
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder — Both of these are needed to add a rise to the bread and a nice texture as well. 
• Salt — A little bit of salt helps all the flavors come together. 
• Chocolate Chips — I like to use milk or semi-sweet chips, but you can also add dark chips or chunks for that matter. Just follow your heart.

Ideas for Customizing this Recipe

• No Greek yogurt? No problem. Some of my readers have substituted sour cream with great results! You could also use regular, plain yogurt but the consistency will be softer and moister than maybe you’re expecting.
• For fun topping ideas, consider adding sprinkles (rainbow or chocolate) over the top of the melted chocolate topping. Chopped peanuts, pistachios, or almonds will also go great in the batter or sprinkled on top.
• If you want to make some giant muffins, you can use the “Texas-size” muffin tins, which will make 6 large muffins perfect for sharing (or not). But, cut baking time in half, then watch for doneness from there.
• This batter will also fill up to 12 regular-size muffins. Again, start checking for doneness around the 20-minute mark.
• Swap cocoa powder and chocolate chips for dark chocolate varieties. Or do some of each kind of chocolate to mix up the chocolate flavors. One I’ve enjoyed is to use cocoa powder and then dark chocolate chips in the batter, then melt semi-sweet (or even white) chocolate for drizzling on top.

Expert Tips

• If you want to store the bread to serve later, I recommend letting the drizzled chocolate cool completely (10-20 mins) before transferring to an airtight container.
• To freeze the bread, leave the last bit of chocolate off the top. Freeze wrapped tightly in aluminum foil then put inside a Ziplock bag for added freshness. Thaw then add melted chocolate to the top before serving.
• I used a box grater to shred my zucchini, but you can also use a shredding/grating attachment on a food processor if you have one.
• Remember to not squeeze the zucchini even though it may seem too moist. You want all that moisture and flavor in this chocolate zucchini bread, trust me!