Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
If you’re looking for an easy way to eat more vegetables, may I suggest covering them in chocolate?
A friend recently gave me a zucchini from her garden, and it felt only right to turn it into an incredibly moist loaf of double-chocolate zucchini bread. With cocoa powder and plenty of chocolate chips, it falls somewhere between a quick bread and chocolate cake — which is exactly where I want my vegetables to be.
Why Wring Out the Zucchini?
Zucchini is made up of about 90% water. Some zucchini bread recipes use all of that moisture, but it can make the finished loaf gummy, heavy, or prone to sinking in the middle.
I prefer to wring out the shredded zucchini and then add moisture back into the batter with Greek yogurt. The yogurt doesn’t just provide moisture; it also adds richness, flavor, and tenderness. It gives us more control over the final texture, especially because one zucchini may contain significantly more water than another. You don’t need to squeeze the zucchini until it’s completely dry. Wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and firmly wring it out until it is no longer dripping.
Butter and Oil: The Best of Both Worlds
This recipe uses both melted butter and neutral oil. The butter gives the bread a richer flavor, while the oil helps it stay soft and moist even after it has cooled.
Room-temperature eggs and Greek yogurt will also help the ingredients blend smoothly. Let the melted butter cool slightly before adding it so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
Measure the Chocolate Chips with Your Heart
The recipe calls for ¾ to 1 cup of chocolate chips, but consider that a starting point. Fold them into the batter, sprinkle a few more over the top, and stop when your heart tells you it’s enough. I prefer semisweet or dark chocolate chips because they balance the sweetness of the bread, but milk chocolate chips will also work.
My Favorite Crispy-Top Trick
Just before baking, sprinkle the top of the batter generously with coarse or granulated sugar. It creates a thin, crispy, sugary crust that contrasts perfectly with the soft chocolate bread underneath. It is such a simple addition, but it might be my favorite part of the entire loaf.
Double-Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Yield: One 9 × 5-inch loaf
Oven temperature: 350°F
Bake time: 50–60 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups finely shredded zucchini
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
¼ cup neutral oil
½ cup plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾–1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips, plus more for the top
1–2 tablespoons coarse or granulated sugar, for topping
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang to make the bread easier to remove.
Place the shredded zucchini in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Gather the towel around it and firmly wring out the excess water. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
Stir the wrung-out zucchini into the dry ingredients and be sure to break up any clumps.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the chocolate chips. Fold gently until only a few streaks of flour remain.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips over the top, followed by a generous layer of coarse or granulated sugar.
Bake for 50–60 minutes. The bread is finished when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without wet batter. Melted chocolate and a few moist crumbs are perfectly fine. If the top begins browning too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with foil.
Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift it from the pan, then transfer it to a cooling rack. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
A Few Helpful Tips
Measure the zucchini before wringing out its excess moisture.
Finely shredded zucchini blends most easily into the bread.
Bring the eggs and yogurt to room temperature so the melted butter stays evenly incorporated.
Once the flour is added, mix only until the batter comes together.
Allow the loaf to cool before slicing. Cutting it while very hot can make the center appear underbaked or gummy.
Store the cooled bread tightly covered at room temperature for up to three days.
