Looks Delic
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Zucchini season is here and we have been eating it almost every day. We eat it raw with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, in soups like Corn and Squash Chowder – A Perfect Summer Soup, as a side dish of crispy Zucchini Tots and stuffing them with sausage for Stuffed Zucchini Boats – A Healthy Summer Dinner.
Today I went a whole new direction and tried the zucchini with something sweet instead of savory. Chocolate Zucchini Bread just might be my new favorite zucchini recipe.
Incredibly moist, sweet but not sugary and so delicious – that’s how I describe this Chocolate Zucchini Bread. And unlike some baking recipes this one is simple. The most difficult part will be waiting for it to bake while making the house smell heavenly.
About the Ingredients for Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Zucchini – one very large zucchini or 2 smaller is plenty for this recipe. Keep it simple and leave the skin on and grate them. I like to use a vegetable grater but you could also use a box grater or a food processor with the grater attachment.
Butter – melted completely into liquid.
Sugar – light brown sugar.
Eggs – 2 large.
Vanilla extract – this can sometimes be expensive but it lasts forever in your pantry and is worth the investment when baking. Don’t cheap out and get the imitation stuff either. You want something that says PURE vanilla extract. It’s also very simple to make your own vanilla extract. If you do a lot of baking, I highly recommend it.
Flour – all-purpose flour, measured exactly.
Cocoa powder – I use Ghirardelli 100% cocoa.
Salt, Baking powder AND baking soda
Instant coffee – instant coffee or instant espresso are interchangeable here. The idea is that you just want something that releases the flavor and the grounds melt into the batter. Regular coffee would leave those grainy coffee grounds in your bread.
Chocolate chips – because more chocolate is always better. Use semi-sweet chips.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Combine the Wet Ingredients with Sugar
Begin by placing the butter in a medium size mixing bowl and melting in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Now add the sugar and whisk into a grainy paste. By adding the sugar first, we give the butter time to cool down so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
Now add in the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
Grate the Zucchini
Now it’s time to prep the zucchini. Cut off the stems and then grate the zucchini. To do this I like to use a vegetable grater but you could also use a box grater or a food processor with the grater attachment.
You can grate the zucchini directly into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. Unlike most recipes we don’t want to squeeze the water out of the zucchini so straight into the bowl works well. We want that retained water to keep your bread moist.
Add the Dry Ingredients
Add the dry ingredients to the batter, except for the chocolate chips. Stir to combine being sure to get the sides and bottom of the bowl. Don’t over mix; just stir enough to even throughout.
Fold in the Chocolate Chips and Bake
Fold in the chocolate chips and then pour your finished batter into a greased loaf pan. (This loaf pan is AMAZING because it has an insert to lift the bread right out once it’s done baking. AND the insert is vented so the bread can cool right on it. Leave it to Rachael Ray to come up with something genius like this, right?!)
Bake the Chocolate Zucchini Bread in a 350°F oven for 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean (aside from melted chocolate from a chip perhaps!)
Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then turn it out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely – or eat it slightly warm like I did because it’s just too good to wait.
How to Freeze Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Once your loaf is completely cool, you can freeze the loaf whole or freeze individual slices. To freeze a whole loaf, wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze it for up to 3 months.
To freeze individual slices, wrap each slice in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag. The smaller slices are more prone to freezer burn so they are best before 2 months.
To defrost the zucchini bread simply place the frozen bread at room temperature until defrosted (about 30-60 minutes for a slice or overnight for loaf.)
FAQ’s and Recipe Tips
Yes, leave the skin on. The skin on zucchini is nice and thin so by the time it bakes it will be completely soft and undetectable texture-wise. The skin will add a nice pop of color to the bread though so best to keep it on.
Not for this recipe. This recipe needs the extra moisture from the zucchini because it doesn’t call for a lot of other liquid. Be sure to check the specific recipe you’re using because it could vary.
Insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean (aside from melted chocolate from a chip perhaps!) then the bread is done. If there is uncooked batter on the tester, it needs to bake longer.
The Recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Bread
The recipe is attached below for easy downloading and printing. If you test it out be sure to leave a note in the comments below. I’d love to hear what you thought. Serve your Chocolate Zucchini Bread any time of day – it makes a great match for coffee, afternoon snack or even dessert. Enjoy!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- 1 Vegetable grater
- 1 Loaf pan about 8½" x 4½"
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 small zucchini or 1 large; do not squeeze out the liquid
- 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp instant coffee
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a loaf pan by lightly spraying it with cooking spray and set it aside.
- Melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium sized mixing bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds on high or until the butter is liquid.
- Whisk in 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar to create a grainy paste and cool down the butter.
- Add 2 large eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the butter and sugar and whisk to combine.
- Remove the stems of 2 small zucchini and using a vegetable grater, grate the zucchini directly into the batter.
- Add the dry ingredients (1 2/3 cups all purpose flour, 2/3 cup cocoa powder, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp instant coffee) to the batter and stir to combine well.
- Fold in 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 65 minutes or until a toothpick entered in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn it out onto a cooling rack and continue to cool completely.
Notes
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