Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Summer is the season of zucchini.  They're blooming in our gardens and half-price at the farmer's market. Take advantage of this vegetable's high water content and let it make your chocolate cakes moist and luscious while at the same time delivering a delicious punch of minerals and vitamins.

Love pairing chocolate with vegetables? Whip up Venchi's pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for a nourishing dessert that's simple to make.

Ready to smash your daily vegetable intake? Try Venchi's salad with chocolate recipe, a healthy lunch idea bursting with intriguing flavors.

 

How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Creating a wholesome sweet treat doesn't have to be complicated. Our Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe is simple and completely doable for all levels of cooking ability.

How to make Chocolate Zucchini Bread? All you need is to combine the wet ingredients (melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and brown sugar) with the dry (flour, cocoa powder, chocolate, salt, and baking soda).

For the recipe, you'll need to grate two cups of zucchini, which roughly equates to two whole zucchini. You can also use a food processor if you'd prefer a smoother texture.

Just a pro tip, don't squeeze out any water from the zucchini, and there's no need to peel their skin. It will guarantee your chocolate zucchini bread will be fluffy and wonderfully juicy once it's baked. For a gourmet dessert, serve yours with whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose white flour

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• 2 cups grated zucchini

• 2 x 3.52 oz Venchi dark chocolate bar

 

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8½ x 4½-inch baking pan.  

• Melt the unsalted butter and put it into a bowl.  

• Add the brown sugar and stir until it's smooth.  

• Next, whisk the eggs and vanilla. Make sure all ingredients are well combined.  

• In another bowl, use a sieve and add the flour. Next, mix in the cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.   

• Pour the flour mixture into the butter bowl. Stir until all ingredients are well combined.  

• Grate the zucchini. Roughly chop the dark chocolate bar into pieces.  

• Mix the grated zucchini and dark chocolate into the bread batter.  

• Pour the batter into the greased baking pan. Smooth the surface.  

• Bake in the oven for about 50-60 minutes. Test that it's ready with a wooden toothpick. It should come out clean when inserted into the cake.  

• Let it cool for 10 minutes, then place it onto a wire cooling rack. Enjoy!  

 

Nutrition Facts

• Serving size: 1 slice 

• Calories: 231 

• Fat: 10g 

• Saturated fat: 6g 

• Carbohydrates: 33g 

• Sugar: 21g 

• Fiber: 1g 

• Protein: 3g 

• Sodium: 184mg 

• Cholesterol: 41mg 

 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Variations

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

You can easily adjust our Venchi recipe to make chocolate chip zucchini bread.

Before putting your chocolate zucchini bread into the oven, simply sprinkle a small handful of chocolate chips on top. You'll be left with a crunchy chocolate chip topping perfect for those looking for an extra chocolate fix.

 

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread is also a possibility. For those with celiac disease or severe intolerances to gluten, it's best to swap out the white all-purpose flour with an organic, certified gluten-free flour.

If you're sensitive to gluten, then you can choose from oat, almond, or coconut flour for this recipe. Each flour will give an added nuttiness and unique flavor to the bread. On the plus side, oat flour is very simple to make at home and won't alter the taste much from the original. All you need are rolled oats and a food processor.

 

Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread

To achieve Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread, there are a few adjustments that need to be made.

While it may not be as light and effervescent as the original bread, it is a healthier alternative, and with experimentation, you're sure to find ingredients that work. First, make sure the dark chocolate you use is vegan-friendly. Venchi's chocolate is both gluten-free and vegan. Next, you'll have to switch out the butter.

We recommend going with a plant-based yogurt such as coconut to give the bread plenty of richness and healthy fats. Finally, you'll have to substitute the eggs in the recipe for a vegan option.

Try flax "eggs" that combine well with oat, gluten-free and white flours: by combining ground flaxseed and water, and letting it rest for 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll be able to create a mixture that will perfectly make up for your eggs and assure your vegan chocolate zucchini bread will come out just as tasty as our original recipe.