This easy One Bowl Chocolate Zucchini Bread yields two moist, chocolatey loaves that are absolutely delicious! Keep one for yourself and give the other one to a friend, coworker, or neighbor!
Why you’ll love this recipe
This moist, one-bowl chocolate zucchini quick bread recipe is a favorite of mine!
It comes together easily in a single large mixing bowl and bakes for 50 minutes to 1 hour, yielding two super-moist, chocolatey loaves of bread packed with freshly shredded zucchini, cinnamon, nutmeg, and semi-sweet chocolate chips! You can also bake them as mini loaves, which make perfect gifts for friends and neighbors!
If you love this easy, one-bowl dessert recipe, then definitely check out my Salted Caramel Banana Nut Bread and my Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread recipes!
Enjoy!
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed
The following ingredients are needed to make this homemade chocolate zucchini bread recipe. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit more explanation.
- All-Purpose Flour. My brand preference is King Arthur All Purpose Flour, but use what you have on hand!
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Semi-sweet chocolate chips are preferred, but you can also use milk chocolate. My go-to brand is usually Ghirardelli.
- Shredded Zucchini. You can leave the peel on or off (if it has a wax coating, remove it). And make sure to leave the excess liquid in to give your chocolate zucchini bread that super moist texture!
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. You can also try this with Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
For quantities and instructions, please see the recipe card below.
How to Freeze Grated Zucchini Without Blanching
The following instructions are only for freezing shredded or grated zucchini intended for baking recipes.
- Rinse the zucchini with water, then dry it and cut off the ends.
- Using a medium grater or a food processor, grate the zucchini into a bowl.
- Fill each quart-size freezer bag with 2 cups of the grated zucchini (including the liquid)— the typical amount for zucchini bread, cakes, and muffin recipes.
- Then label, date, and freeze flat in the freezer for up to 1 year.
- When you’re ready to use it for baking, defrost the bag, then add it to the recipe!
Mini Chocolate Zucchini Loaves
- This chocolate zucchini bread recipe can also be made into eight mini loaves! Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350ºF. I recommend placing all the mini loaf tins on one large baking sheet. It makes it much easier to move them in and out of the oven!
- Mini loaves can be left out at room temperature for 2-3 hours, covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- To freeze them, double-wrap the mini loaves of chocolate zucchini bread in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and place them in the freezer. Mini loaves will be good in the freezer for up to a month. Place in the refrigerator the day before to bring to room temperature and, if desired, heat for 15-30 seconds in the microwave, then enjoy!
- To get eight mini loaves, I used aluminum foil bread pans (found at most grocery stores) that are approximately 6 inches by 3 3/4 inches at the top, with it tapering to a bottom length of about 3 3/16 inches by 2 1/2 inches. The pans have a depth of 2 inches.
Recipe FAQs
To help make your chocolate zucchini bread-making experience go smoothly, I’ve included some suggested tips and recommended baking tools below!
For this zucchini bread recipe, I used my two Jamie Oliver non-stick loaf tins. Besides the pretty light blue color, they’re well-made and wash well after baking!
You can choose to spray your loaf tins with a flour-based baking spray (like Baker’s Joy) or grease them with shortening or butter, then sprinkle a little flour.
With grating the zucchini, you can choose to leave the peel on or off. Some people leave it on, while others remove it. Personally, I removed it for this recipe. If your zucchini has a wax coating, I recommend peeling it off.
No! Leave it in—it will give your chocolate zucchini bread that super moist texture.
50-60 minutes at 350ºF. I initially checked my loaves at the 55-minute mark and ended up leaving them in for the remaining 5 minutes.
Yes! Zucchini can be difficult to find when it’s out of season, so freezing any extra you have now is a great idea!
If you tried this Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know what you thought in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 3 large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 2 cups Grated Zucchini (do not drain excess liquid), approximately 3 medium zucchinis
- 12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, divided (8 oz or 227 grams for the bread mixture, remaining 4 oz or 113 grams for topping)
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle rack (or the one just above it) and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Generously spray 2 bread loaf tins with a flour-based baking spray or grease with vegetable shortening and lightly flour. Set aside. Optionally, add a parchment paper sling to each tin, then lightly spray again with baking spray.
- In a large-size bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.2 cups Granulated Sugar, 3 large Eggs, 1 cup Vegetable Oil, 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- Add in the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg, and mix until combined.3 cups All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- With a spoon, stir in the grated zucchini and 8 ounces of chocolate chips.2 cups Grated Zucchini (do not drain excess liquid), 12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Evenly divide the batter into the two prepared loaf tins, top with remaining 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, and bake for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the chocolate zucchini bread loaves in the pans for approximately 5-10 minutes before removing them from the tins, and transferring them to the cooling racks to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
It is absolutely delicious. I made 19 of them for freezer and giving away.
Thank you, Wendy!
Can I use the smaller muffins tins, like bite size?
I’ve only made them in regular size loaf pans and the mini ones, but I don’t see why you couldn’t! If you try it, I would just reduce the bake times to around 15-18 minutes, keep the temp the same. If you make them like this let me know how they turn out!
I do this all the time! I’ll double the recipe and make loaves, muffins, mini muffins and doughnuts! I just adjusted the timing to how much batter.
doughnuts 12-14 min
mini muffins 15-18min
regular muffins 24-27 min
This is such a great recipe I use it all the time💕!!!!
Thank you so much, Kim! I appreciate the love you have for making this recipe and for taking a moment to leave your review and notes!
Wow! By far the best zucchini bread ever. I followed the recipe exactly and it was a good thing that it made two loafs. My family and friends couldn’t get enough. Thanks for making me so popular as the best baker of zucchini bread in my circle. I tell them I just followed your recipe on Pinterest but the rave reviews towards “my zucchini bread” keep pouring in so I had to give credit where credit is due and leave you a review. ☺️
Hi, Donna! I’m so glad you found me over on Pinterest! Thank you for making the recipe, for the rave reviews from your family and friends, and for taking the time to leave this wonderful review and star rating!❤️
Thank you for such as easy recipe. It was so moist and delicious! A CHCOLATE LOVERS DREAM!
I can cook for an army, but I can’t bake to save my life. I made these and they were extraordinary! I will never bake anything without adding zucchini to keep it moist.
This is the exact recipe that I have used for decades for my “regular” zucchini bread (cocoa and chocolate chips omitted). Now I just made the note to add 1/2 c. cocoa and chocolate chips on my recipe card. Thanks so much! Delicious!
You’re welcome, Gretchen! I’m so glad you love it!
This is a keeper!! I just may need to make a few adjustments, my loaf pan was slightly different in size so I will bake again for on 30min; use a little less cocoa. Definitely a keeper! Thank you so much!Plus I completely peeled my zucchini; everyone asked if I’m sure put it in! Yes I did!
I”m so glad you love it, Penny! Thank you for making the recipe and for leaving a review!
I gave this 4 stars because it’s doesn’t have enough chocolate flavor. Otherwise it’s definitely light and moist.
Thank you for making the recipe, Mary and for the feedback!
Can we make this recipe “regular” by omitting the coco powder? I love that it’s a double batch but I wanted to make two regular chocolate chip loaves as well. (We have a lot of zucchini)
You could, but unfortunately I never tested the recipe without the cocoa powder so I wouldn’t be able to provide what the recommended changes would be.