Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Calling this a “bread” feels kind of like lying. Sure, the base of this is a zucchini bread, and there is definitely a LOT of zucchini. Which makes you feel like it’s healthy. But then it’s moist, full of chocolate chips, and seems like a better pair for ice cream than coffee. Which makes you feel like it can’t possibly be healthy.
However, I’m not one to make such decisions for you, so if you want to call it a vegetable bread, and therefore basically a salad, I’m not going to stop you. If you want to call it more of a cake, and serve it for dessert, maybe just don’t tell people about the zucchini. But no matter what, this is a great way to use all the fresh produce at the supermarket right now.
I made a double recipe here, so this will make two loaves. You can freeze one, gift it, or just really commit to eating both in a week.
To start, melt the butter and set aside to cool.
Then, shred the zucchini. I just cut off the ends, cut the zucchini into long wedges, and fed them through the grater on my food processor, which saves SO much time and should be your next purchase. Grating vegetables by hand could be a worse chore than whipping egg whites by hand, which I also strongly dislike.
I used two large zucchini, which gave me a little more than 3 cups. 3 small would do the trick, too!
Next, combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl – that’s the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. After buying a new cocoa powder this morning, I found 3 half used cocoa powder containers in our pantry, which means I now can no longer ignore the need to clean up/reorganize that pantry.
In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, oil, eggs, light brown sugar and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Add the zucchini and stir to combine, and then stir in 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter between two 9×5 loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips over the top of each of the loaves.
Bake at 350°F for about an hour, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
And there you have it! Chocolate zucchini bread (cake?)!
Store wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature, or put in a bag and freeze.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 cups shredded zucchini (from 2 large or 3 small zucchini)
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips, divided
Directions:
- Melt the butter over low heat and set aside to cool slightly. Shred the zucchini in a food processor.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, eggs, vegetable oil, light brown sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Stir in the zucchini.
- Stir in 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between two loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out of the center mostly clean.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
