Zucchini Chocolate Bread {with Almond Flour}

This Chocolate Zucchini Bread is so moist, soft, and fluffy! Made with almond flour, sweetened with applesauce and maple syrup, it is the perfect loaf to make for the whole family. Make sure to dress it up by drizzling it with your favorite nut butter!

I love zucchini in every form! Baked, roasted, grilled, and raw.

But could it get any better than in a decadent chocolaty loaf? I don’t think so! 

This is such an easy and delicious way to use zucchini and especially during the summer when zucchini is in season and easy to find everywhere. 

Can’t beat this gluten free chocolate zucchini bread for a quick breakfast or dessert for the family to enjoy!

If you love zucchini as much as I do, you should check out my amazing Air fryer zucchini fries and my Healthy Zucchini Banana Muffins recipe.

Why I love this Chocolate Zucchini Bread

My take on this deliciously moist zucchini bread is made with both vegetables and fruit. Obviously, the veggie is zucchini, and you might have guessed the fruit already as well – apple sauce. 

All you need are a few common wholesome ingredients, a box grater, a mixing bowl, and a loaf pan.

Because it’s so easy to make, it is perfect when you want to include your kids in the kitchen. I can’t wait until Oliver is old enough to help me in the kitchen. 

This gluten-free Zucchini bread is also the perfect way to hide and trick your kids (and picky husband) into eating more veggies. I always try to sneak some greens into my recipe, and honestly, it helps this mama to eat her vegetables as well.

This deliciously moist and fluffy dessert is made with almond four.

Lastly, it is FREEZER friendly! So you can meal prep this chocolate zucchini loaf into individual servings that’s ready to be served fro a busy morning.

How to prepare the zucchini

I find the easiest way to grate the zucchini is on a regular box grated on the coarse side. If you use the finer side the risk is that it will only be mush and too much liquid. 

For the same reasons I never peel my zucchini. The peel will only provide a little bit of texture and will blend perfectly with the rest of the chocolate zucchini bread.

You have to squeeze out as much liquid as possible out of the grated zucchini, otherwise the zucchini bread tends to get mushy.

I like using a nut milk bag or a cheesecloth to ring out as much moisture as possible.

If you would like, you can also use a clean kitchen towel. And don’t be afraid to use some serious muscle power. All the moisture must go!

Ingredients in this Chocolate Zucchini Bread

To make this chocolatey zucchini loaf you will need nine simple ingredients. Most likely you even have them all at home! You need:

Eggs
Always use room-temperature eggs, it will allow the eggs to mix better with the rest of the ingredients. 

If you want to make a vegan zucchini bread, you could try using chia or flax eggs. 

Maple syrup
To make this gluten-free zucchini bread free from refined sugar I choose to use maple syrup. It has a unique flavor profile that gives this zucchini bread another layer of caramelized flavor.

Apple Sauce (or Mashed bananas)
I love baking with apple sauce or ripe bananas!

It is such an amazing way to sweeten baked goods. It will also keep the bread moist and it won’t dry out as quickly. 

Apple sauce also acts as a binder, which means that sometimes you can use it instead of eggs when you want to bake a vegan cake.

I have also tried using bananas instead of apple sauce in this recipe with amazing results!

Almond flour
Almond flour is my favorite flour to bake with! The flavor is mild and nutty and perfect for gluten free baking.

Cacao powder
Use high-quality cacao powder for premium flavor. If you don’t have cacao powder or can’t find it in your grocery store, you can use unsweetened cocoa powder as well.

Baking soda
I’m using baking soda as my rising agent for this Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread. 

Salt
Always remember salt when baking, and especially with chocolate! It really helps with elevating the flavors. 

Fold-ins

Zucchini 
The star of this chocolate dream is shredded zucchini. My little tip is to make sure that you strain the zucchini REALLY well by using a cheese cloth.

Chocolate chips
To elevate this rich chocolate zucchini bread I’m using chocolate chips, both folded into the batter and sprinkled on top. 

How to make Chocolate Zucchini Bread

First, shred the zucchini and drain it using a nut milk bag or cheese cloth. Set aside.

Next, If you are using ripe bananas for this chocolate zucchini bread recipe, start with mashing ripe bananas with a fork or a hand mixer in a large mixing bowl. Or just simply add apple sauce.

Then, add eggs and maple syrup to the bowl. Mix well with a blender or hand mixer.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift if needed to make sure there are no lumps left.

Then, transfer the dry ingredients into the banana and egg mixture. Gently combine with a spatula. Be sure not to over mix.

Fold in drained and grated zucchini and ¾ of the chocolate chips. Be careful not to over mix the chocolate zucchini bread batter.

Pour the batter into a 8×4 parchment paper lined loaf pan.

Lastly, sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top of the chocolate zucchini batter.

Bake in a 350 degrees oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick (inserted in the middle) comes out clean.

Enjoy! 

Tips for the best Zucchini Bread

• Check the oven temperature using an oven thermometer. You would be surprised if you knew how often the actual temperature is significantly off from what you set it to. 
  
• Use a nut milk bag or cheesecloth to squeeze out all the moisture from the zucchini. If there is too much liquid left in the zucchini the chocolate zucchini bread will soggy. 
  
• Sift the dry ingredients to make sure they will blend evenly and to avoid lumps. It’s extra important with cacao powder that tends to clump together.
  
• I have said it before, always use room tempered eggs! I started doing this a while ago and I really think it makes a difference. The eggs will mix so much better with the rest of the ingredients and will bake more evenly and quicker in the oven. 

What Goes Best with this Bread

You can definitely serve this chocolate zucchini bread straight out of the pan, that’s how good it is! But there are a few ways to switch it up.

• Serve with nut butter for a hearty breakfast
  
• Top it off with thick and creamy yogurt
  
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert
  
• With a big glass of homemade nut milk
  
• Brew a good cup of coffee or a pot of chai tea for an afternoon pick me up

How to store this Chocolate Zucchini Bread

You can store this loaf of zucchini bread on the countertop, covered, for 2 days. You can also refrigerate in an air-tight container for 5 days. 

And yes, this chocolate zucchini bread is definitely freezer-friendly! Wrap individual pieces for easier defrosting and serving. You can keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Now to the most fun and exiting part. Scroll down to the recipe and start baking!

What’s your favorite kind of sweet loaf bread? Leave a comment below!

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS