The BEST Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Readers rave about this chocolate zucchini bread

➡ I can’t remember the last time I’ve tasted anything this delicious. If anyone is on the fence about making this, do it! One of the best things I’ve ever had.

➡ This is absolutely the best chocolate “cake” ever!!

➡ We were all fighting over the one piece that was left! It was sooooo good! 

What does zucchini do in chocolate bread?

Zucchini adds moisture and gives the bread a soft, tender texture without making it taste like vegetables. Once it’s shredded and baked into the chocolate batter, it practically disappears.

Do you peel zucchini for zucchini bread?

Heck no! The peel adds color and fiber, and it softens completely as the bread bakes. Leave it on. Choose small firm zucchini for the best baking results.

What’s the best way to grate zucchini for baking?

I prefer the shredding disk in my food processor. The large holes of a box grater work too, but the processor makes slightly coarser, drier shreds that bake up beautifully.

What kind of chocolate do you use for chocolate zucchini bread?

I’m glad you asked because I have strong opinions on this subject!

• I use dark chocolate in all three places: the cocoa powder, the chocolate chips, and the ganache.

• For the cocoa, I like Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. It’s Dutch-processed and gives baked goods an especially deep, dark color. Sometimes I use half Special Dark and half regular cocoa powder when I don’t want the chocolate quite so intense.

• For the chips, I use either Nestlé Toll House Dark Chocolate Morsels or Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips. I use them in both the batter and the ganache because I think their flavor is superior.

What does ganache add to chocolate zucchini bread?

The thick chocolate ganache turns this from a simple loaf into a much more decadent dessert. It adds an extra layer of deep chocolate flavor and a rich, fudge-like texture that contrasts with the soft, moist bread.

Chocolate ganache is a mixture of heavy cream and chocolate. For this zucchini bread, I use ½ cup cream and 2 cups chocolate chips, which makes it thick enough to spread without dripping. As it cools ~ or if you refrigerate the bread ~ it becomes even firmer and fudgier.

How do you store chocolate zucchini bread?

Store the bread loosely covered at cool room temperature for up to 2 days. If your kitchen is warm, or you want to keep it longer, refrigerate it for up to 5 days.

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Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3.98 from 143 votes

My chocolate zucchini bread takes classic zucchini bread into dessert territory with cocoa, bittersweet chocolate chips, and a thick layer of ganache. It’s a decadent little chocolate break in the middle of zucchini season.

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Prep Time:15 minutes minutes

Cook Time:50 minutes minutes

Total Time:1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Video

Equipment

• standard 9×5 loaf pan
• parchment paper

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

dry ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, I used Hershey’s Special Dark
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

wet ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini, buy two medium
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips, I used bittersweet

ganache

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Set oven to 350F
• Lightly spray and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment, leaving the ends long so you can lift the cake out for slicing after it has baked.
• Whisk the dry ingredients together. I like to sift the cocoa powder to get rid of any lumps. Set aside.
• Whisk the sugar and eggs together until pale and smooth. Beat in the butter and vanilla, then fold in the zucchini.
• Blend the dry ingredients into the wet, in three stages, blending just until incorporated after each addition, and don’t over-beat!
• Fold in the chocolate chips and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center doesn’t come out with wet batter clinging to it. Melted chocolate is ok!
• Cool completely on a rack before frosting.
• To make the ganache, heat the cream to a simmer, then pour over the chocolate chips. Let sit for 3-5 minutes, then stir until glossy and smooth. If you still see bits of chocolate, microwave it for 15 seconds and stir again. Then spread a thick layer over your zucchini bread. If your ganache seems too runny, let it sit or refrigerate for a bit to set it up.

Notes

I made this with bittersweet chocolate and extra dark cocoa powder, and so it has a bittersweet flavor. You can use semi-sweet chocolate and regular cocoa powder if you prefer.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: chocolate chip, dessert, ganache, quick bread, zucchini

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice · Calories: 444 kcal · Carbohydrates: 53 g · Protein: 6 g · Fat: 24 g · Saturated Fat: 18 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g · Trans Fat: 0.3 g · Cholesterol: 47 mg · Sodium: 250 mg · Potassium: 331 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 34 g · Vitamin A: 469 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 125 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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