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Perfect Chocolate Zucchini Bread puts all that garden zucchini to great use!
This double chocolate zucchini bread is super flavorful and perfectly sweet. Sour cream and a ton of freshly grated zucchini make this homemade quick bread so moist and delicious that a tall glass of cold milk is completely optional!
Why this recipe works:
Of all the homemade baked goods, sweet and seasonal quick breads like this are my favorite!
- This recipe is perfect because itโs a great way to use up that garden zucchini.
- Itโs not only an easy recipe to make but itโs pretty fail proof, and there isnโt a single person in your house who wonโt love it.
- I put both cocoa powder in the batter as well as chocolate chips. The cocoa powder makes the zucchini bread taste like chocolate cake and the chocolate chips give it that extra chocolate taste that everyone loves.
- The abundance of fresh zucchini along with the sour cream makes this recipe extra moist.
- It freezes well! Make a lot during the summer months and enjoy it all year long!
I canโt decide whether I prefer to eat this homemade chocolate zucchini bread warm so that the chocolate chips or melted or cold so that they chocolate chips are hard. Either way, itโs so good.
Hereโs how to make it:
- You will start by preheating the oven and greasing either two full sized loaf pans or 4 mini loaf pans. Alternatively, you can line with parchment paper.
- In one bowl you will combine the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, and grated zucchini. In a separate bowl, you will combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine, stir, and mix in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter in prepared pans and bake until a test stick comes out clean. This should take a little more than an hour for full sized loaves and about 45 minutes for the mini loaves.
How to freeze:
- You must make sure your loaves are completely cool before you freeze them. If you try to freeze a loaf that is still warm, it will release moisture as it cools and will get quite yucky once wrapped up. I prefer to cool my chocolate zucchini bread loaves on a cooling rack because if you leave them in the loaf pans, theyโll sweat as they cool and get soggy.
- Iโm sure everyone has their own preferred freezing method, but I prefer to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. I find that the plastic wrap keeps them air tight and the foil adds another layer of thermal protection. Plus, itโs easy to write the words โchocolate zucchini breadโ on the foil with a sharpie.
- To thaw frozen chocolate zucchini bread, you can either keep it in the refrigerator for a few days or you can set it out at room temperature and it should be thawed within a few hours.
Related quick bread recipes:
Theyโre perfect for breakfast or a snack. Plus, I dare you to find a kid that doesnโt love a good quick bread!
- Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- Sour Cream Banana Nut Bread
- Banana Zucchini Bread
- Cheddar Zucchini Bread with Jalapeno Honey Butter
- Sweet Potato Bread
- Cinnamon Quick Bread
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Pin ItPerfect Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 eggs slightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 cups zucchini grated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips semi sweet or dark
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Heavily grease or parchment line two 9ร5 loaf pans or 4 mini loaf pans.
- In large bowl, combine 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup sour cream, 3 cups zucchini, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to the liquid ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes for large loaves or 45-50 minutes for mini loaves. Insert a toothpick or cake tester into the middle of a loaf to check for doneness before removing from oven.
- Remove from pans and allow loaves to cool on wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Donโt worry โ the recipe hasnโt changed!
I have frozen zucchini ,how would I go about using the frozen?
If itโs frozen grated zucchini, you can thaw and discard any liquid. If itโs frozen whole, I suppose you could grate it using the food processor, let it thaw, and then discard the liquid.
Excellent recipe, super delicious and moist! Used dark chocolate chips and zucchini from my garden and we were not disappointed! Shared a loaf with a dear friend and her response was โThis is one of the BEST things we have ever had!!โ Thank you for sharing Krissy.
I was wondering if I need to squeeze out the excess water from the grated zucchini? Your recipe sounds amazing and I donโt want to mess it up. Thank you
Iโve made it both ways. Squeezing the liquid out is the best practice, but Iโve done it without that step and it still turned out.
Too much sugar. Can you substitute for a healthier sweetener like honey or maple syrup?
I havenโt tried that with this recipe. If you do, will you let me know how it turns out?
Out of this world GOOD! I tweaked it just a little by adding the seasonings I usually use for regular zucchini bread and increased the oil to 1 cup. I used the mini chocolate chips on top about 15 min. before it came out of the oven. FABULOUS!!
This bread is so scrumptiously moist and chocolate. I used one half whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Froze one loaf but I donโt think it will stay in the freezer for very long. It will beg to be eaten!
Hey yโall,
Iโm victor and ive been experimenting with baking for almost ten years now,
I made the chocolate zucchini bread once and as much as everyone liked it I thought it was too much chocolate, so then I made it without adding the cocoa powder and subbed the chocolate chips with butterscotch chips
And it was out of this flipping worldโฆ I wish I could let you taste it but itโs great ! Wow !
Ok Iโll keep in touch with more bye !
Made this recipe, it is DELICIOUS, Itโs so moist, youโd think it was cake, only problem I had was the choc chips sank to the bottom, next time Iโll flour them before I add them
OMG this is DELICIOUS!!! so fudgy and fluffy!
I used coconut oil because I prefer the taste in baking, 0% greek yogurt, and had to use a cup of bread flour cuz I ran out but it was still amazing! this is printed and added to my baking recipes for sure! itโs the only way I eat zucchini LOL
Thanks!
I made this. It really is Perfect. Thank you. Everyone loved it.